Student and Teacher Safety Act of 2022
This bill allows local educational agencies to use certain federal funds for activities related to school safety, including infrastructure improvements to prevent, mitigate, or respond to incidents of school violence.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8009 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8009
To improve school safety.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 9, 2022
Mr. Grothman (for himself, Ms. Mace, and Mr. Griffith) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve school safety.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Student and Teacher Safety Act of
2022''.
SEC. 2. SUPPORTING SAFER SCHOOLS.
(a) Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants.--Subpart 1 of
part A of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7111 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 4109 through 4112 as sections
4110 through 4113, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 4108 the following:
``SEC. 4109. ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT SCHOOL SAFETY AND PREVENT VIOLENCE
AGAINST STUDENTS OR SCHOOL PERSONNEL.
``Each local educational agency, or consortium of such agencies,
that receives an allocation under section 4105(a) may use such funds
for school safety infrastructure improvements to prevent, mitigate, or
respond to incidents of violence.''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 4102 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5)(B), by inserting ``including the
prevention of gun violence,'' after ``school safety,'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (7) and (8) as paragraphs
(8) and (9), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) School safety infrastructure improvements.--The term
`school safety infrastructure improvements' means improvements
to the physical facility or technology of a school to prevent
intruders from entering a school, ensure students and school
personnel may safely enter the school building and exit during
an emergency, or protect the life and well-being of students
and school personnel, including--
``(A) physical improvements to the school to
prevent and deter unauthorized access to the school,
including locks, double entry systems, hardened
entrances, and interior and exterior video surveillance
systems;
``(B) security doors, automatic locks, security
glass, alarm systems, metal detectors, and sensor
systems;
``(C) emergency communications systems, including
wireless and geographically precise mobile alert
systems;
``(D) perimeter fencing;
``(E) emergency exit systems;
``(F) duress or panic systems;
``(G) emergency tip lines; and
``(H) any other physical improvements to existing
facilities where the primary purpose is to improve or
enhance school safety.''.
(c) Formula Grants to States.--Section 4103(a) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7113(a)) is amended, in
the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``section 4112'' and
inserting ``section 4113''.
(d) State Use of Funds.--Section 4104(b)(3)(B) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7114(b)(3)(B)) is
amended--
(1) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) improving the safety and security of
schools, which may include--
``(I) identifying and disseminating
best practices for school safety;
``(II) assisting in the
establishment or implementation of
emergency planning, which may include
emergency response teams to address
emergencies at schools;
``(III) establishing or identifying
agreements with local law enforcement
and health agencies, including
nonprofit, public, and private mental
health agencies and institutions, to
improve coordination of services and
identify threats to the safety of
students and school personnel; and
``(IV) school safety infrastructure
improvements; and''.
(e) Local Educational Agency Applications.--Section 4106(e) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7116(e)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (D)--
(i) by striking ``4109'' and inserting
``4110''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as
subparagraph (F); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D), the
following:
``(E) if applicable, how funds will be used for
activities related to supporting school safety
infrastructure improvements under section 4109; and'';
and
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, including
charter schools where applicable,'' after ``schools'';
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as
subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively;
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the
following:
``(E) use a portion of funds received under this
subpart to support one or more of the activities
authorized under section 4109;''; and
(D) in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated--
(i) by striking ``section 4109(a)'' and
inserting ``section 4110(a)''; and
(ii) by striking ``section 4109(b)'' and
inserting ``section 4110(b)''.
(f) Activities To Support Safe and Healthy Students.--Section 4108
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7118)
is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``Subject to'' and inserting the following:
``(a) In General.--Subject to'';
(2) in subsection (a)(5) (as amended by paragraph (1))--
(A) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding
clause (i), by striking ``4111'' and inserting
``4112''; and
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``4111'' and
inserting ``4112''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to--
``(1) prevent Federal, State, or local law enforcement from
detaining or arresting an individual who could otherwise be
detained or arrested for an alleged violent offense;
``(2) otherwise interfere with Federal, State, or local law
enforcement's discretion to investigate legitimate threats to
school safety; or
``(3) discourage school officials from referring an
individual to law enforcement.''.
(g) Activities To Support the Effective Use of Technology.--Section
4110 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7119), as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) providing technology to improve school safety.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``A local'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--A local''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Exception.--The limitation described in paragraph (1)
shall not apply to technology infrastructure that is also a
school safety infrastructure improvement.''.
(h) Technical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 2 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act is amended by striking the items
relating to sections 4109, 4110, 4111, and 4112 and inserting the
following:
``Sec. 4109. Activities to support school safety and prevent violence
against students or school personnel.
``Sec. 4110. Activities to support the effective use of technology.
``Sec. 4111. Supplement, not supplant.
``Sec. 4112. Rule of construction.
``Sec. 4113. Authorization of appropriations.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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