School Safety Enhancements Act of 2008

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on August 1, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

School Safety Enhancements Act of 2008 - Title I: Elementary and Secondary Education Safety Enhancements - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow matching grants to states, localities, and Indian tribes for public elementary and secondary school security to be used for: (1) installing and using surveillance equipment in schools; (2) developing and implementing safety measures to protect students in the event of a terrorist attack or other hazardous condition or situation; and (3) establishing hotlines or tiplines for reporting potentially dangerous students and situations, including hazardous conditions.

Increases the maximum federal share of program costs from 50% to 80%.

Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate advisory school safety guidelines.

Requires grant applicants to include in their applications a report, signed by their chief education officer and attorney general or other chief law enforcement executive, certifying that the security measures to be funded: (1) will effectively improve school safety; (2) fit into a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence; and (3) are individualized to the needs of each school at which they are to be implemented.

Authorizes appropriations for such grant program for FY2009-FY2010.

Title II: Higher Education Security Enhancement - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education participating in any program under title IV (Student Assistance) of that Act to: (1) conduct an annual campus safety assessment in consultation with local law enforcement officials; and (2) develop and implement a campus emergency response plan that addresses a comprehensive set of emergency situations, including natural disasters, active shooter situations, and terrorism.