What This Bill Does
This bill allows certain unused federal money originally given to help respond to the coronavirus to be used instead for keeping schools physically secure. Local school districts would receive this money to improve physical security at elementary schools and secondary schools (grades K-12).
Who It Affects
Local educational agencies (school districts) that operate elementary schools and secondary schools.
Key Provisions
* Unused federal funds from three coronavirus relief laws become available to local educational agencies for school physical security projects (Sec. 2)
* These funds can be used to keep elementary schools and secondary schools physically secure (Sec. 2)
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, money that was set aside for coronavirus response but has not yet been spent would be redirected to local school districts for physical security purposes instead.
Important Definitions
* Local educational agencies: School districts that run elementary and secondary schools
* Unobligated balance: Federal money that was approved but has not yet been committed to spending
* Elementary schools and secondary schools: Public schools serving students in grades K-12
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1081
To keep schools physically secure using unobligated Federal funds available
to the Secretary of Education to respond to the coronavirus.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 30, 2023
Mr. CRUZ introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To keep schools physically secure using unobligated Federal
funds available to the Secretary of Education to respond
to the coronavirus.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Our Children’s
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Schools Act’’.
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SEC. 2. KEEPING SCHOOLS PHYSICALLY SECURE.
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The unobligated balance of funds made available to
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carry out section 18003 of division B of the CARES Act
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(Public Law 116–136; 20 U.S.C. 3401 note), section 313
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of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Ap-
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•S 1081 IS
propriations Act, 2021 (division M of Public Law 116–
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260; 134 Stat. 1929), and section 2001 of the American
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Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2; 20 U.S.C.
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3401 note) shall be made available to local educational
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agencies to keep the elementary schools and secondary
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schools served by such agencies physically secure.
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Æ
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