Sharp appointed to task force on school and campus safety

May 31—FRANKFORT — Rep. Scott Sharp, of Ashland, will serve on the Kentucky General Assembly's School and Campus Safety Task Force.

The task force will focus on issues pertaining to school safety, as well as identifying both areas of improvement and potential solutions.

"I look forward to the conversations we will be having to help evaluate and improve school safety," Sharp said. "Ensuring our children are in safe learning environments and that there is a plan in place if something were to ever happen is extremely important."

The task force will review the implementation of the 2019 School Safety Act. The legislation consists of instruction on policies and procedures for conducting emergency response drills using an all-hazards approach, identification of response to threats for school safety and preparing for school safety security risks. It also established the office of the state school security marshal to enhance school safety and create a school security risk assessment tool.

The task force will also review access to mental health services provided within school districts and review federal funding that could be available to expand services.

Task force members will meet throughout the 2023 Interim and submit their findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by Dec. 4, for referral to the appropriate committee or committees.

Sharp serves the state's 100th House District, which includes part of Boyd and all of Lawrence County. In addition to the task force, Sharp will serve on the interim joint committees on Economic Development and Workforce Investment, Health Services, Judiciary, Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection, and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary.