119-hr2577

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2577 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2577

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish Regional School 
 Safety Development Centers to provide consultation for schools to 
 develop or improve a school safety plan based on evidence-based best 
 practices, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 1, 2025

 Mr. Rutherford (for himself, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, 
 Mr. Correa, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish Regional School 
 Safety Development Centers to provide consultation for schools to 
 develop or improve a school safety plan based on evidence-based best 
 practices, 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 ``Preparing Leaders to Assess Needs 
for School Safety Act of 2025'' or the ``PLAN for School Safety Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL SAFETY DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title XXII of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``

SEC. 2220F. SCHOOL SAFETY DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Director shall make awards, including grants 
or cooperative agreements, to eligible entities to establish, improve, 
or maintain statewide or intrastate Regional School Safety Development 
Centers (`School Safety Development Centers') for the purposes of 
providing customized consulting services to schools to develop, 
improve, or implement the school's individualized school safety plan.
 ``

    (b) Awards.--
 ``

    (1) Application.--To seek an award under this section, an 
 eligible entity shall submit an application to the Director at 
 such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
 the Director may require. At minimum, any such application 
 shall include evidence of the applicant's expertise in 
 comprehensive school safety and school climate, including 
 evidence-based violence prevention for students and educators, 
 suicide prevention, student mental health, and school security.
 ``

    (2) Preference.--In making awards under this section, the 
 Director shall, as appropriate, give preference to eligible 
 entities that have existing relationships with local schools, 
 particularly those in rural, Tribal, or low-resourced 
 communities, as applicable by the proposed geographical area, 
 or minority-serving institutions described in sections 371

    (a) and 326

    (e)

    (1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
 1067q

    (a) and 1063b

    (e)

    (1) ).
 ``

    (3) Use of funds.--An eligible entity shall use an award 
 received under this section to establish, improve, or maintain 
 a School Safety Development Center, which shall include each of 
 the following:
 ``
        (A) Developing communications materials for and 
 disseminating to schools, educators, parents, legal 
 guardians, and youth, and increasing State-wide or 
 intrastate regional public awareness of evidence-based 
 research and best practices for school safety and 
 student mental health.
 ``
        (B) Conducting individualized consultations with 
 schools to research and analyze a school's existing 
 school safety and student mental health policies, or 
 developing or improving, in coordination with a school, 
 a customized school safety and student mental health 
 plan to fit the individualized, age- and 
 developmentally-appropriate needs of such school 
 community based on evidence-based best practices.
 ``
            (C) Assisting schools in the implementation of 
 their customized school safety and mental health plan, 
 including the following:
 ``
            (i) Identification of Federal or State 
 government funding for implementation of the 
 plan, in whole or in part.
 ``
            (ii) Provide training, resources, or 
 technical assistance to assist schools in 
 applying for such Federal or State government 
 funding.
 ``
            (iii) Providing training, resources, and 
 technical assistance to educate school staff 
 and families regarding the policies and 
 procedures of the plan.
 ``

    (4) Matching requirement.--The Federal share of the cost 
 of activities for which a grant or cooperative agreement is 
 made to an eligible entity under this section may not exceed 95 
 percent of the total cost of such activities.
 ``
            (c) Award Administration.--
 ``

    (1) Training and technical assistance.--The Director, in 
 consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Youth 
 Advisory Council (established pursuant to paragraph

    (2)
            (C) ), 
 shall provide eligible entities receiving awards under this 
 section, training and technical assistance on the following:
 ``
        (A) Best practices for individualized consulting 
 with schools based on their unique needs for 
 implementation in accordance with subsection

    (b)

    (3) .
 ``
        (B) Evidence-based practices and recommendations 
 established under 

section 2220D that are presented in a 
 clear and concise manner for schools and the public.
 ``

    (2) Subject matter experts.--
 ``
        (A) Personnel.--The Director shall hire 
 additional personnel and contractors with expertise in 
 school mental health and school administration to 
 provide additional subject matter expertise in 
 implementing evidence-based programming within schools 
 to carry out paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
        (B) Detailee.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--The Secretary of 
 Education shall detail, on a reimbursable 
 basis, to the Agency an employee of the 
 Department of Education to assist in the 
 provision of the training and technical 
 assistance described in paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
            (ii) Reimbursement.--The Director shall 
 reimburse the Secretary of Education for any 
 costs associated with the detailee under clause
            (i) .
 ``
            (C) Youth advisory council.--
 ``
            (i) Establishment.--Not later than one 
 year after the date of the enactment of this 
 section, the Director shall establish and 
 convene a Youth Advisory Council for the 
 purpose of providing joint advice on the 
 implementation of this section.
 ``
            (ii) Participation.--The Youth Advisory 
 Council shall include participation from the 
 following:
 ``
            (I) Parents, academic experts, 
 mental health professionals, and 
 members of civil society with respect 
 to the prevention of violence in 
 schools.
 ``
            (II) Youth representation, 
 including youth who have experienced 
 school violence.
 ``
            (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Director 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on 
the Judiciary, the Committee on Education and Workforce, and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate a report on actions taken by the Director 
to implement this section, including information relating to the 
following:
 ``

    (1) The name, location, and number of eligible entities 
 in each State receiving awards under this section.
 ``

    (2) A comparative analysis of actions recommended in 
 school safety plans by such eligible entities through the 
 School Safety Development Centers assisted through such awards.
 ``

    (3) An assessment of the effectiveness of such School 
 Safety Development Centers in assisting schools to develop and 
 implement school safety plans, as a means to avert violence, 
 including self-harm, if applicable, and policy recommendations 
 for improved effectiveness.
 ``

    (e) Rule of Construction.--
 ``

    (1) Waiver of requirements.--Nothing in this section may 
 be construed to establish, satisfy, or waive any requirement 
 under any of the following:
 ``
        (A) Title II of the Americans With Disabilities 
 Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.).
 ``
        (B) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 
 et seq.).
 ``
            (C) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.).
 ``
            (D) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 
 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).
 ``
        (E) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 
 6101 et seq.).
 ``
        (F) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 
 of 1973 (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
 ``

    (2) No effect on other laws.--Nothing in this section may 
 be construed to preclude or contradict any other provision of 
 law authorizing training in the use of firearms.
 ``

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To carry out this section, there are 
 authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 annually from fiscal 
 years 2026 through 2030.
 ``

    (2) Restriction on use of funds.--Amounts made available 
 to carry out this section may not be used to--
 ``
        (A) consult or train any school or person in the 
 use of firearms; or
 ``
        (B) hire school personnel or school-based 
 contractors for the schools the School Safety 
 Development Centers are advising under subsection

    (b)

    (3) .
 ``

    (g) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Eligible entities.--The term `eligible entities' 
 means any of the following:
 ``
        (A) A State.
 ``
        (B) A State educational agency (as such term is 
 defined in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
 ``
            (C) A Tribal educational agency (as such term is 
 defined in 

section 6132 of the Elementary and Secondary 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7452)).
 ``
            (D) An institution of higher education eligible 
 for assistance under title III of the Higher Education 
 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.).
 ``
        (E) A Tribal College or University (as such term 
 is defined in 

section 313 of the Higher Education Act 
 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c)).
 ``

    (2) Evidence-based.--The term `evidence-based' has the 
 meaning given such term in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and 
 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
 ``

    (3) School.--The term `school' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 2704 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
 Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10554).
 ``

    (4) School safety plan.--The term `school safety plan' 
 means a set of common actions schools can take to address the 
 foundational elements of school safety, including designated 
 staff, school climate and mental health, reporting systems, 
 threat assessment, emergency planning, educator training, 
 student prevention training, exercises and drills, site 
 assessments, and recovery plans.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in 

section 1

    (b) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to 

section 2220E the following new item:

``

Sec. 2220F. School Safety Development Center program.''.
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