A legislative committee has agreed to more than a dozen recommendations on how to improve K-12 school safety in North Carolina that leave out any new gun restrictions or harsher penalties for bringing weapons to schools or threatening mass violence.

The House panel voted unanimously Thursday for the proposals, which will likely be debated by the General Assembly when it returns next week for its annual work session.

The approved recommendations include more training for school police officers and funding for districts to hire officers along with counselors, nurses, social workers. Schools also would be subject to annual vulnerability reviews and have teams that help identify high-risk students for violence.

Discussions since March veered away from background check or gun sale measures backed by Democrats. Republicans leading the committee generally oppose further gun restrictions and note the recommendations have bipartisan support.

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