SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman's (D-Rockford) measure allowing the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to make grants for safety and security improvements to various public K-12 school districts and area vocation centers was signed by the governor.

"This plan increases safety and ensures that our K-12 schools are adequately prepared in the case of an emergency," Stadelman said. "Now, IEMA can make safety grants to K-12 schools just as they can for colleges and universities."

IEMA wanted the ability to issue grants schools providing K-12 education and inter-district special education cooperatives.

Upon learning of this, Stadelman sponsored a measure to allow IEMA to issue safety grants to schools. Like the safety grants to institutions of higher education, the funding would come from the Illinois Bond Fund.