(a) Local school boards, public charter schools, and private or religious schools may employ school safety officers, as defined in §15-2D-3, or contract with private security services as set forth in §18-5-53 for the purposes set forth therein.
(b) School safety officers may carry a firearm in the performance of their duties if:
(1) Within 10 years immediately prior to being hired by the local school board or private or religious school he or she:
(A) Was a law-enforcement officer as defined in §30-29-1 in the state with ten years of aggregate years as a law enforcement officer; or
(B) Was employed by a law-enforcement agency of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof and his or her duties were substantially similar to those of a law-enforcement officer as defined in §30-29-1.
(2) He or she retired or resigned from their position as a law-enforcement officer in good standing;
(3) He or she maintains the requirements of and status as an honorably separated or qualified retired law-enforcement officer within the meaning of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, as amended, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 926C;
(4) He or she obtains and maintains any certification and training required by the Division of Protective Services School Safety Unit pursuant to subdivision §15-2D-3;
(5) Undergoes a background check at his or her expense as required by the Division of Protective Services to verify that the prospective school safety officer is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, purchasing, or transporting a firearm, has been determined by the Director of the Division of Protective Services to be appropriate and capable of discharging the duties as a school safety officer as set forth in a written certification, and has provided the written certification of the Director of the Division of Protective Services to the local school board, public charter school, or private or religious school; and
(6) The local school board, public charter school, or private or religious school grants him or her the authority to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties.
(c) School safety officers may not arrest another person but may notify the appropriate law-enforcement agency and detain another person committing an act which constitutes a breach of the peace in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable period. The detention shall not constitute an arrest nor shall it render the local school board, public charter school, private or religious school, or school safety officer liable to the person detained:Provided, That the detention may be no longer than the time required for the earliest of either (1) The determination that no offense constituting a breach of the peace has been committed; or (2) the surrender of the person detained to a certified law-enforcement officer. School safety officers may not interrogate or question a detained minor without the knowledge and consent of the minor’s parent, except in the instance of a perceived immediate danger to the health, safety, and welfare of others within the facility, when the parents are not present and/or when the minor attempts self-harm, the questioning is limited to the immediate danger, and the questioning will likely lead to the alleviation or elimination of the immediate danger, and if the person detained is a student and is under the age of 21, their parent or guardian is notified of the detention.
(d) The local school board, public charter school, or private or religious school shall be responsible for the costs of providing the necessary equipment for school safety officers to adequately perform their duties.
(e) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Breach of the peace" means:
(A) A felony;
(B) Any action or potential crime involving physical injury or a threat of physical injury to another person;
(C) Any action or potential crime involving destruction of school property or property located on the school premises; or
(D) Any act committed where the school safety officer has reason to believe that a person is likely to cause serious harm to himself, herself, or to others.
(2) "School safety officer" has the same meaning as that term is defined in §15-2D-3.
(f) A local school board and public charter school shall, and a private or religious school may, cooperate with the School Safety Unit established in §15-2D-3 to the fullest extent practicable to assist the unit in fulfilling its duties, including, but not limited to, providing data on all safety and security measures for school facilities.
(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or superseding the provisions of §61-7-11a authorizing a private school to allow possession of a firearm or other deadly weapon in or on the grounds of any private primary or secondary school, if such institution has adopted a written policy allowing for possession of firearms or other deadly weapons in the facility or on the grounds of the facility.
(h) A local school board, public charter school, or a private or religious school employing a school safety officer shall maintain insurance coverage which:
(1) Shall include adequate insurance for liability, property loss, and the personal injury of students and other personnel; and
(2) May include coverage from the Board of Risk and Insurance Management pursuant to §29-12-5a, if applicable.
(i) Eight hours of the mandatory 16 hours of in-service training for law enforcement officers may be credited when an individual is employed as a school safety officer pursuant to this section.
(j) All school safety officers hired are subject to the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act ("LEOSA") based on §61-7-11a of this code, subdivision (b)(3) of this section, and subject to the provisions of §18 USC 926C(c).
(k) The liability and responsibility of a school safety officer shall be that of the respective county board of education where that officer is working, regardless of whether that officer is contracted by a third party.
(l) All school safety officers shall train annually with the local county sheriffs' department in the county in which the safety officer is working.