What This Bill Does
This bill allows schools to use money they received from a federal pandemic relief law for school safety purposes. It lets both public school districts and private schools add school safety improvements to how they plan to spend these funds. The bill also requires schools to notify the federal Education Secretary about how much money they use for safety.
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Who It Affects
- Local educational agencies (public school districts)
- Non-public schools (private schools)
- State education departments
- Governors' offices
- The federal Secretary of Education
- School personnel and volunteers
- Parents of school students
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Key Provisions
- Schools that received emergency pandemic relief money can now use those funds for school safety purposes in addition to their original planned uses. (Sec. 2 and 3)
- States must notify eligible schools within 10 days that they can change their funding plans to include school safety work. (Sec. 4(a))
- Schools changing their funding plans must explain what safety improvements they want, promise the improvements will be based on evidence (research-backed methods), describe staff training they will provide, and state when the work will be done. (Sec. 4(b))
- States must approve funding plan changes quickly if they meet the required information. (Sec. 4(c))
- States and governors must tell the Education Secretary what percentage of their pandemic relief funds go toward school safety uses. (Sec. 4(d))
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What Changes
If passed, schools currently holding pandemic relief money can now redirect it to pay for specific school safety improvements. These improvements include controlling building access, installing bullet-resistant doors and windows, hiring security officers, creating emergency communication systems, and training staff on safety procedures. Schools that want to make these changes must submit revised spending plans within the timeline set by their state.
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Important Definitions
- **Local educational agency**: A school district or public education agency as defined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
- **School safety uses**: Activities that make school buildings safer for learning. This includes planning and designing buildings, installing physical security features, training staff and volunteers on safety, and using technology or other measures to strengthen security. Examples include metal detectors, reinforced doors and windows, crisis communication plans, hiring school security officers or school resource officers (armed law enforcement stationed at schools), and parent notification systems during emergencies.
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
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 Amer-
ican 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 Com-
mittee 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 pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Our Students
4
Act’’.
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•HR 887 IH
SEC. 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMER-
1
GENCY RELIEF FUND.
2
A local educational agency that receives funds under
3
section 2001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
4
(20 U.S.C. 3401 note) may use funds not reserved under
5
subsection (e)(1) of such section for school safety uses (in
6
addition to the purposes specified in subsection (e)(2) of
7
such section).
8
SEC.
3.
EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE
TO
NON-PUBLIC
9
SCHOOLS.
10
A non-public school that receives services or assist-
11
ance under section 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act
12
of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) may use such services or
13
assistance for school safety uses (in addition to any serv-
14
ices or assistance authorized under the Emergency Assist-
15
ance to Non-Public Schools Program).
16
SEC. 4. APPLICATION AMENDMENT.
17
(a) IN GENERAL.—
18
(1) ELEMENTARY
AND
SECONDARY
SCHOOL
19
EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND.—A State making sub-
20
grants under section 2001(d) of the American Res-
21
cue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) shall,
22
not later than 10 days after the date of the enact-
23
ment of this Act, inform local educational agencies
24
eligible to receive such subgrants that the agencies
25
may amend their subgrant applications to include
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•HR 887 IH
school safety uses among the planned uses of funds
1
not reserved under section 2001(e)(1) of such Act.
2
(2) EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO NON-PUBLIC
3
SCHOOLS.—A Governor providing services or assist-
4
ance to non-public schools under section 2002 of the
5
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401
6
note) shall, not later than 10 days after the date of
7
the enactment of this Act, inform non-public schools
8
eligible to receive such services and assistance that
9
the schools may amend their applications to include
10
school safety uses among the requested services and
11
assistance.
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(b) CONTENTS.—An amendment authorized under
13
subsection (a) shall include—
14
(1) what school safety uses are desired to be
15
implemented and how such uses will support known
16
needs for the local educational agency or non-public
17
school;
18
(2) an assurance that such uses will be evi-
19
dence-based;
20
(3) what professional development for school
21
personnel will be conducted to ensure compliance
22
and understanding of the new school safety uses;
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(4) when the implementation of such uses will
24
be completed; and
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•HR 887 IH
(5) an assurance that school safety uses shall
1
be included in any required reporting under the
2
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401
3
note).
4
(c) APPROVAL.—A State or Governor shall approve
5
expeditiously an amendment authorized under subsection
6
(a) if it satisfies the requirements of subsection (b).
7
(d) REPORTING.—A State or Governor shall report
8
to the Secretary of Education what percentage of the
9
funds provided to the State or Governor under section
10
2001 or 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
11
(20 U.S.C. 3401 note), respectively, are used for school
12
safety uses.
13
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
14
For purposes of this Act:
15
(1) The term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has
16
the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the
17
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
18
(20 U.S.C. 7801).
19
(2) The term ‘‘school safety uses’’ means im-
20
proving school conditions for student learning by
21
planning and designing school buildings and facili-
22
ties, installing infrastructure, providing safety edu-
23
cation for all school personnel and volunteers, and
24
implementing technology or other measures, that
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•HR 887 IH
strengthen security on school premises, which may
1
include—
2
(A) controlling access to school premises or
3
facilities, through the use of metal detectors or
4
other measures, including technology, in accord-
5
ance with the particular needs of a school;
6
(B) infrastructure—
7
(i) to cover and conceal students with-
8
in a school during crisis situations;
9
(ii) for school safety reinforcement, in-
10
cluding bullet-resistant doors and windows;
11
and
12
(iii) for classroom access security
13
measures;
14
(C) developing methods to provide notifica-
15
tion to, and communicate with, relevant law en-
16
forcement, first responders, hospitals, and other
17
necessary officials during a crisis situation;
18
(D) hiring school security officers, includ-
19
ing school resource officers, to increase the
20
safety of school students and staff; and
21
(E) developing a communications system
22
that can more rapidly and accurately commu-
23
nicate information to parents, including pro-
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•HR 887 IH
viding status updates during and after a crisis
1
situation.
2
Æ
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