2. a. The Police Training Commission in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall develop a training course for safe schools resource officers and public school employees assigned by a board of education to serve as a school liaison to law enforcement. The Attorney General, in conjunction with the Police Training Commission, shall ensure that the training course is developed within 180 days of the effective date of this act. The course shall at a minimum provide comprehensive and consistent training in current school resource officer practices and concepts. The course shall include training in the protection of students from harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including incidents which occur through electronic communication. The course shall be made available to:

(1) any law enforcement officer or public school employee referred by the board of education of the public school to which assignment as a safe schools resource officer or school liaison to law enforcement is sought; and

(2) any safe schools resource officer or school liaison to law enforcement assigned to a public school prior to the effective date of P.L.2005, c.276 (C. 52:17B-71.8 et al.).

b. The training course developed by the commission pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be offered at each school approved by the commission to provide police training courses pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1961, c.56 (C. 52:17B-66 et seq.). The commission shall ensure that an individual assigned to instruct the course is proficient and experienced in current school resource officer practices and concepts.

c. The commission shall award a certificate to each individual who successfully completes the course.

d. The Police Training Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of this section.

L.2005, c.276, s.2; amended 2010, c.122, s.15.