Securing Our Students Act
This bill authorizes local educational agencies and nonpublic schools to use certain COVID-19 emergency relief funds, services, or assistance for school safety uses, that is improving school conditions for student learning by planning and designing school buildings and facilities, installing infrastructure, providing safety education, and implementing technology or other measures that strengthen security on school premises.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 887 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 887
To authorize local educational agencies and non-public schools to use
funds, services, or assistance provided under section 2001 or 2002 of
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for school safety, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 9, 2023
Mr. Owens (for himself, Mr. Stewart, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Diaz-Balart)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize local educational agencies and non-public schools to use
funds, services, or assistance provided under section 2001 or 2002 of
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for school safety, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Securing Our Students Act''.
SEC. 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND.
A local educational agency that receives funds under section 2001
of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) may use
funds not reserved under subsection (e)(1) of such section for school
safety uses (in addition to the purposes specified in subsection (e)(2)
of such section).
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A non-public school that receives services or assistance under
section 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401
note) may use such services or assistance for school safety uses (in
addition to any services or assistance authorized under the Emergency
Assistance to Non-Public Schools Program).
SEC. 4. APPLICATION AMENDMENT.
(a) In General.--
(1) Elementary and secondary school emergency relief
fund.--A State making subgrants under section 2001(d) of the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) shall,
not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, inform local educational agencies eligible to receive such
subgrants that the agencies may amend their subgrant
applications to include school safety uses among the planned
uses of funds not reserved under section 2001(e)(1) of such
Act.
(2) Emergency assistance to non-public schools.--A Governor
providing services or assistance to non-public schools under
section 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C.
3401 note) shall, not later than 10 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, inform non-public schools eligible to
receive such services and assistance that the schools may amend
their applications to include school safety uses among the
requested services and assistance.
(b) Contents.--An amendment authorized under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) what school safety uses are desired to be implemented
and how such uses will support known needs for the local
educational agency or non-public school;
(2) an assurance that such uses will be evidence-based;
(3) what professional development for school personnel will
be conducted to ensure compliance and understanding of the new
school safety uses;
(4) when the implementation of such uses will be completed;
and
(5) an assurance that school safety uses shall be included
in any required reporting under the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note).
(c) Approval.--A State or Governor shall approve expeditiously an
amendment authorized under subsection (a) if it satisfies the
requirements of subsection (b).
(d) Reporting.--A State or Governor shall report to the Secretary
of Education what percentage of the funds provided to the State or
Governor under section 2001 or 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note), respectively, are used for school safety
uses.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning
given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) The term ``school safety uses'' means improving school
conditions for student learning by planning and designing
school buildings and facilities, installing infrastructure,
providing safety education for all school personnel and
volunteers, and implementing technology or other measures, that
strengthen security on school premises, which may include--
(A) controlling access to school premises or
facilities, through the use of metal detectors or other
measures, including technology, in accordance with the
particular needs of a school;
(B) infrastructure--
(i) to cover and conceal students within a
school during crisis situations;
(ii) for school safety reinforcement,
including bullet-resistant doors and windows;
and
(iii) for classroom access security
measures;
(C) developing methods to provide notification to,
and communicate with, relevant law enforcement, first
responders, hospitals, and other necessary officials
during a crisis situation;
(D) hiring school security officers, including
school resource officers, to increase the safety of
school students and staff; and
(E) developing a communications system that can
more rapidly and accurately communicate information to
parents, including providing status updates during and
after a crisis situation.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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