NEW YORK – The historic non-public school security bill, Intro-65, which would fund $19.8 million for private security officers outside non-public schools, including Yeshivas and Jewish day schools, across the City of New York, was signed into law by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday.

According to the new law, at least one unarmed security guard will be assigned to non-public schools with 300 or more students upon request. Larger schools will receive additional guards. The guards must be registered and trained according to state law, and they must be referred by a state licensed security guard agency. The law will also require that the guards are paid the prevailing wage.

The bill was introduced by Council Member David Greenfield, who managed to get 45 out of 51 City Council members to sign on a co-sponsors.

“We believe this will help both NYPD and other agencies to keep our communities safer,” Mayor de Blasio said during the bill signing ceremony at City Hall Chambers.

Greenfield expressed his gratitude to the mayor and the Council Speaker, as well as the collation of religious organizations, “for their passionate advocacy and tireless support that has led us to this historic day.” He also responded to critics of his bill at the bill signing with the following, “Finally, I want to repeat something that the Mayor said an hour ago at the incredible interfaith breakfast I attended – separation of church and state doesn’t mean we treat the church worse. It means that no one gets a preference, but that certainly we treat the church the same – equally. That’s what this bill does. Our city decided years ago that children deserve to be protected before something happens because they are children. All we are doing today is extending that same protection to non-public school children.”

The Orthodox Union – Teach NYS, as one of the leading Jewish organizations to launch a public campaign in support of the bill, sent out a statement commending Mayor de Blasio, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Greenfield and the City Council for “protecting nearly 200,000 nonpublic schoolchildren.”

“This is the latest in a string of victories for nonpublic schools in New York that the Orthodox Union was proud to spearhead,” said Maury Litwack, Director of State Political Affairs for the Orthodox Union. “From today’s law funding security guards to technology in our classrooms, the Orthodox Union’s mission is to fight to ensure that nonpublic schools are treated equally and receive the resources they deserve to succeed.”