Senate sets aside $5.5 Million from budget surplus for CSN’s School Bus Safety Plans SB22-085, now called Anna’s Law

Sen. James Coleman Awarded 2022 Colorado Safe Student Protection Award. Child Safety Network’s highest honor for taking direct action to save student’s lives.

DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, April 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Senators James Coleman (D) and Don Coram (R) presented bipartisan Amendment 16 to the State’s budget. Overwhelming support will provide $5.5 Million to help make Colorado the Safest State in the Nation for Students.

Colorado Senator James Coleman helped add the $5.5 million for the first year of the Child Safety Network’s three-year plan to protect 980,000 Colorado students and provide 3 million Colorado adults with free resources that will allow them to avoid public safety hazards, find safe evacuation routes (based on their locations) and more.

“I want each and every Senator that voted for this amendment to know, that your actions have meant the world to my family and I. It means that my daughter’s death will not be in vain.”

— Leandra Backner

For those adults with children and grandchildren, the app will help them learn to prevent their children from becoming victims of abuse abduction, bullying, injury and even trafficking. The new app will also cover a wide variety or age appropriate parenting challenges, including cyber security and how to raise healthier children, both physically and mentally.

CSN spent three years working with Colorado’s top experts to develop the most comprehensive plan ever presented to the state to make certain students get to school and home safely. Plans are to pilot the program in Colorado and then allow every state to opt-in for CSN’s new technology, training and strategies. CSN says this program will make students at least twice as safe as they are now while providing free resources never before made available to parents.

Anna’s Mom speaks out on this video: https://vimeo.com/693540912

“Early this session, my committee heard testimony from representatives of the Child Safety Network group advocating for a program they hope will help make Colorado a leader in the nation for bus safety, security, and student protection. Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee Chair, Senator James Coleman (D-Denver) added: “Equally passionate were the parents who doubled down on those needs, and it seemed there was an opportunity to make that happen for them through the state budget. I was honored to pass a budget amendment to help kick off this program, but more importantly, I am proud to make yet another investment in our children.”

Senator Coleman added: “I admired CSN’s dedication to the program’s success and their willingness to facilitate this groundbreaking program on a volunteer basis. They want to make Colorado the gold standard in student safety and transportation, so saving their funding was also a means of saving our children and youth.”

SB22-085, The Safe Student Protection Program, is now known as Anna’s Law. The change to the bill title is in recognition of 11-year-old Anna Backner, who lost her life when she was tragically killed by her own school bus. Her grieving mother, Leandra, offered her heartfelt gratitude to Senators Coleman and Coram as she stated:

“I want both of you to know along with each and every Senator that voted for this amendment, that your actions have meant the world to my family and me. It means that my daughter’s death will not be in vain. It means that my sweet Annaliese will be part of a plan to protect all students in Colorado, so that no parent has to go through the pain and loss that we are experiencing now, and for years to come. Thank you Senators for restoring my faith in the priorities of our state’s leadership. If Anna were here today, she would want to hug you all and thank you for helping her friends get to school and home safely every day. God Bless you for protecting our children.” – Leandra Backner

Ward Leber, Founder and CEO of CSN has added Senator James Coleman to the list of lawmakers to be honored with the 2022 Colorado Safe Student Protection Award. The first four awards were presented at the Colorado Association of School Boards Winter Legislative Conference. Attendees of that conference representing school districts throughout Colorado listened as Cheri Wrench, Executive Director of the Colorado Association of School Boards, (*CASB”), said: “On behalf of the Colorado Association of School Boards, I wish to congratulate Senate Education Chair Rachel Zenzinger, House Education Chair, Barbara McLachlan, Senator Don Coram, Representative Marc Catlin and the Child Safety Network for collaborating with CASB members in an effort that can make our schools and our students safer and more secure”.

Regarding the recent honor, Senator Coleman said: “I am proud to accept the 2022 Colorado Safe Student Protection Award; and I will continue to stand with parents as they entrust us to protect the futures of our children, our youth, and our beautiful state.”

watch this 10-minute video on the bill’s three-year history: https://vimeo.com/681065965

Ward Leber
CSN
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A plea from Anna’s mother

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