Section 49-1-225 - School safety alert grant pilot program—Appropriations and awarding of funds—Report to general assembly(a) As used in this section:(1) "Fund" means the school safety alert pilot grant fund for First Alert Systems, as created by this section; and(2) "Local education agency" or "LEA" means a county, city, or special school district, unified school district, or school district of a metropolitan government.(b) The department of education shall establish and administer a school safety alert grant pilot program. The purpose of the pilot program is to award school safety grants to LEAs, public charter schools, private schools, and church-related schools for the purchase of mobile panic alert systems described in § 49-6-804(a). The alert systems funded through the pilot program must be approved by the department of education, in consultation with the department of safety.(c) There is created a separate fund within the general fund to be known as the school safety alert grant pilot fund.(d)(1) Subject to appropriations and the availability of funds, the department shall allocate and disperse grants each fiscal year to LEAs, public charter schools, private schools, and church-related schools.(2) The grants must be awarded as follows: (A) The first grant must be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to the first LEA or school that applies;(B) The second grant must be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to an LEA or school that is located in a different grand division of this state than the recipient of the grant awarded under subdivision (d)(2)(A);(C) The third grant must be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to an LEA or school that is located in a different grand division of this state than the recipients of the grants awarded under subdivisions (d)(2)(A) and (d)(2)(B); and(D) The fourth and any subsequent grants must be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to an LEA or school that is located in a grand division of this state, following the order of awards as established under subdivisions (d)(2)(A)-(C).(3) A grant awarded under this section is limited to eight thousand dollars ($8,000) per school in a fiscal year. Subject to appropriation, two (2) schools from each grand division of the state must receive the grant funding.(e) The commissioner of education may promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this section in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.(f) By July 1, 2025, and by each July 1 thereafter, the department shall prepare and submit to the general assembly a report detailing all funds received and payments made through the school safety alert grant pilot fund.Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 994,s 1, eff. 7/1/2024.