A bill that would make it easier for the State System of Higher Education to hire campus police officers has passed both the state house and senate by unanimous votes.
House Bill 1998, which was co-sponsored by State Representatives Jim Struzzi, Donna Oberlander and Clint Owlett, will place campus police departments and officers at PASSHE schools under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Education Training and Commission for police certification, commission and training. It allows a campus police officer to be immediately employed by a state system police force instead of having to wait months to obtain a commission from the Governor through the state Department of Education. College police are the only officers who are required to go through that step.
Struzzi said that IUP and other PASSHE universities are going through staff shortages like many other entities today, and that the legislation will help “move closer to full security compliments and ensuring safe education environments.”
The bill will head to Governor Wolf for his signature.
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