1. (a) As used in this chapter, "school resource officer" means a law enforcement officer who:

   1. (1) has completed the training described in subsection (b);

   2. (2) is assigned to one (1) or more school corporations or charter schools during school hours to:

      1. (A) assist school safety specialists and the safe school committees with the development and implementation of the school safety plan; and

      2. (B) carry out any additional responsibilities assigned to the school resource officer under the employment engagement, contract, or memorandum of understanding and to provide law enforcement services to:

         1. (i) protect against outside threats to the physical safety of students;
         2. (ii) prevent unauthorized access to school property; and
         3. (iii) secure schools against violence and natural disasters; and

   3. (3) is:

      1. (A) employed by a law enforcement agency;

      2. (B) appointed as a police reserve officer (as described in IC 36-8-3-20 ) or as a special deputy (as described in IC 36-8-10-10.6 ) if the police reserve officer or special deputy:

         1. (i) is subject to the direction of the sheriff or appointing law enforcement agency;
         2. (ii) is required to obey the rules and orders of the sheriff's department or appointing law enforcement agency;
         3. (iii) is required to complete all training required of regular full-time law enforcement officers employed by the sheriff's department or appointing law enforcement agency; and
         4. (iv) may be removed by the sheriff or appointing law enforcement agency at any time, with or without cause; or

      3. (C) a school corporation police officer appointed under IC 20-26-16-3 .

         The term does not include a law enforcement officer who is assigned to a school to provide security outside a school building for protection from outside threats, traffic duty, or other duties not consistent with the duties of a school resource officer.

2. (b) Before being appointed as a school resource officer, an individual must have successfully completed the minimum training requirements established for law enforcement officers under IC 5-2-1-9 .

3. (c) The law enforcement officer appointed as a school resource officer must receive at least forty (40) hours of school resource officer training through:

   1. (1) the Indiana law enforcement training board established by IC 5-2-1-3 ;
   2. (2) the National Association of School Resource Officers; or

   3. (3) another school resource officer training program approved by the Indiana law enforcement training board;

      within one hundred eighty (180) days from the date the individual is initially assigned the duties of a school resource officer. However, if the current ADM of a school corporation is less than one thousand (1,000) students, the individual shall complete the school resource officer training within three hundred sixty-five (365) days of the date the individual is initially assigned the duties of a school resource officer.

4. (d) Training described in subsection (c) must include instruction regarding skills, tactics, and strategies necessary to address the special nature of:

   1. (1) school campuses; and
   2. (2) school building security needs and characteristics.

As added by P.L.172-2013, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.30-2014, SEC.2; P.L.139-2022, SEC.10; P.L.150-2023, SEC.21.