HARRISBURG — The State Senate has unanimously approved legislation that would enable local governments and school districts to discuss school security matters in executive session, according to Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway.

Scarnati explained that Senate Bill 1078 was passed by the Senate this week and sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation balances common sense concerns about protecting sensitive discussions and documents involving school security with the public’s “right to know.”

Following the latest school shooting in Florida, Scarnati said many schools in Pennsylvania are looking for ways to better protect those in their care, including identifying potential weaknesses in their current safety plans. However, if made public, this information could compromise school safety efforts and put students in harm’s way.

“Steps taken to safeguard students, teachers, and school officials against threats from the outside are important measures of responsibility and often times should be protected from someone who may use this knowledge to cause harm,” Scarnati said.

Scarnati noted that over half of states throughout our country currently have measures in place which allow for security and safety matters to be discussed in non-public executive session.

“Ensuring that students and teachers feel safe in their learning environments is a crucial part of helping children to learn and succeed,” Scarnati said. “While Senate passage of this legislation is a positive step forward, there is still work to be done. Discussions with the PA Department of Education, State Police, educators and security experts continue to progress, and we continue to look for more ways to safeguard our schools.”