Jewish day schools and other private schools in Pennsylvania will now have an easier time affording security for their buildings, said advocates of a new law that provides grants to hire security officers.

The state had initially approved legislation to provide schools with funding last summer, but the law, which Gov. Tom Corbett approved July 11, was not effective for private schools, said Karen Barall, the Orthodox Union’s mid-Atlantic region director. The legislation was proposed after the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Since private schools cannot directly apply to the state for funding, the law is intended for the municipalities to apply for the grants on their behalf, which didn’t happen, said Barall.