Representative Dick Lowe

R

District 56

Hi, I'm Dick Lowe and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 56th District.


representative

Leadership

Assistant Majority Whip

59th Legislature

News & Announcements

May 18, 2023
Recent Posts

School Safety Pilot Program Passes House

Legislation creating a school safety pilot program passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives Wednesday. House Bill 2903 creates the School Resource Officer Program, a three-year pilot program to provide every district with a school resource officer or security upgrades. House Bill 2904 funds the program and directs approximately $96,000 to each Oklahoma public school district. Both bills were presented on the House floor by Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber. "Parents want their children to be safe at school and progress in their education," Lowe said. "These two bills represent a tremendous investment in school safety for school districts of all sizes." Under HB2903, School Resource Officers (SROs) participating in the program must complete active shooter emergency response training provided by the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET). The bill also establishes a School Security Revolving Fund and allows the State Department of Education to distribute up to $50 million per year, totaling a $150 million investment over the three-year program. HB2903 passed the House 90-9 and HB2904 passed 98-1. Both bills now move to the Senate for consideration.

Apr 14, 2023
Recent Posts

School Safety Measures Move to House Floor

Two pieces of legislation designed to help improve school safety have been approved by the their House committees and could be heard on the House floor in the coming weeks. Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, presented Senate Bill 100 to the House Common Education Committee and Senate Bill 101 to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee this week. Both bills were approved unanimously. Senate Bill 100 requires every school district to undergo a risk and vulnerability assessment from the Oklahoma School Security Institute or a nationally qualified risk assessor by July 1, 2026, and every five years after. The assessment must include recommendations for improving school security. Under SB100, a district, university or CareerTech must undergo a risk assessment in order to be eligible for an Oklahoma School Security Grant. If a school receives a School Security grant, it must spend grant money on items recommended by the risk assessor or provide de-escalation and behavioral threat assessment training to employees. SB101 requires the State Dept. of Education (SDE) to establish the School Resource Officer Grant Program, which will provide rural and underserved schools with startup grants for school resource officer (SRO) programs. The measure requires any SRO participating in the grant program to complete the active shooter emergency response training provided by CLEET. To qualify for a grant, a public school must: Employ an SRO or enter into a contract or memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a local law enforcement agency; and Provide 50 percent matching funds, which may be provided in partnership with a local law enforcement agency. "Time is of the essence when it comes to school safety," Lowe said. "Senate Bill 100 would help identify areas of improvement for schools in the event of a threat, and Senate Bill 101 would provide grants to help schools hire school resource officers trained for active shooter emergencies. I'm encouraged by the support of these bills and look forward to presenting them both on the House floor soon." Both bills were authored in the Senate by Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee.