SPRINGFIELD – Today the Illinois State Senate passed a measure sponsored by Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that allows the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to make grants for safety and security improvements to various public K-12 school districts and area vocation centers.

"This measure is needed to ensure that our K-12 schools are adequately prepared in the case of an emergency," Stadelman said. "Currently, IEMA is allowed to make safety grants to colleges and universities. This legislation allows them to issue the same grants to K-12 schools."

IEMA sought an amendment to clarify that grants can be issued to 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.

The measure passed the Senate with a vote of 55-0-0, it moves to the House for further consideration.