Bill Would Require Armed School Resource Officers on Every School Campus

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Assemblyman Bill Essayli introduced Assembly Bill 68, which would require an Armed School Resource Officer (SRO) on every school campus in California.

“Yesterday, two innocent children were shot in cold blood at school. This is not a time for empty rhetoric, it is a time for action. Accordingly, today I introduced AB 68 to mandate every school in California have an Armed School Resource Officer on campus during school hours. As elected officials we have a sacred duty to protect our most vulnerable citizens from harm, this includes our children at school,” remarked Assemblyman Bill Essayli.

“We need armed officers at our schools. Yesterday is a perfect example of the tragic consequence of not having an officer immediately available to intervene when two innocent boys were shot on campus. We need to take action now before more lives and families are destroyed. As Sheriff of Riverside County, I don’t play politics with public safety. I urge the politicians in Sacramento to do the same. We need to pass AB 68, a common sense bill that will protect our schools and our children,” added Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

In April of this year, the Assembly Education Committee killed the same legislation AB 3038 (Essayli) on a party-line vote. All Democrats voted to deny Armed Resource Officers on all school campuses.

AB 68 now awaits referral by the Assembly Rules Committee and will be eligible for consideration in policy committee in January.

Assemblyman Bill Essayli represents the 63rd Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the whole cities of Norco, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Canyon Lake, as well as portions of the cities of Eastvale, Riverside, and Corona.

Previous School Resource Officer Stories

• Sept. 15 – Oakley: Teen Arrested After Knife Brandished During Freedom HS Fight
• Feb 20 – Bill Would Require Armed School Resource Officer at Every School
• Dec 17, 2020 – Antioch City Council Votes to Rescind School Resource Officer Grant