Reps. Williams and Deutch Introduce Bill that Invests $2 Billion Toward Violence Prevention in our Nation’s Schools - Supportive Quotes Included

WASHINGTON, DC – Recently, Representative Roger Williams (TX-25) introduced H.R. 3665, the School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019, with Representative Ted Deutch (FL-22) as the lead co-sponsor. The newly introduced bill establishes federal grant programs for public schools to first identify then mitigate vulnerabilities in their security related infrastructure.

"In the greatest country on earth, no parent should fear sending their child to school, and no child should fear for their own safety in the classroom," said Rep. Williams. "The time has come to provide schools with the funds and resources necessary to conduct vulnerability assessments and correct security shortfalls on their campuses. Texas leads the country in conducting safety assessments, and the federal government must take the initiative to provide grants, where eligible to ensure that a security weakness is properly addressed. I am proud to partner with Congressman Ted Deutch in introducing legislation that will authorize federal grants for schools to make physical security improvements. This legislation is a bipartisan solution to address a daunting trend across the country. I encourage its immediate consideration in the House of Representatives."

"Over a year after the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School in my district, our country continues to search for ways to keep our children safe in schools," said Rep. Deutch. "Part of addressing threats to our schools and students is understanding the gaps in our security plans. I'm pleased to join my colleague Congressman Williams on this bipartisan bill to help schools pay for security risk assessments that will identify gaps and help prevent tragedy. Additionally, our legislation includes a provision to expand Alyssa's Law nationwide. Alyssa's Law was first enacted in New Jersey and is named in remembrance of Alyssa Alhadeff who was 14 years old when she was killed at Stoneman Douglas. By expanding Alyssa's Law across the country, we will help more schools utilize alarm systems that directly alert law enforcement to improve emergency response and save lives."

The School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019 authorizes $2 billion over 10 years for schools to first identify security risks and then address any shortfalls.

1. Independent Facility Security Risk Assessments
   • Establishes a grant program, administered by the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), that funds independent facility security risk assessments, conducted by experts, for individual public schools.
   • The grant will cover 100% of the cost to conduct the assessment.
2. Hard Security Improvements
   • Establishes a grant program, administered by COPS, that funds hard security improvements for individual public schools based upon a previously conducted assessment.
   • The grant will cover 50% of cost, unless the school receives a financial hardship waiver from the COPS Director.
3. All schools will be required to install at least one silent panic alarm for use in a school security emergency, like an active shooter situation. The panic alarm, when activated, will directly alert the closest law enforcement agency of an emergency.

Statements of Support:

"Unfortunately, the next school mass murderer is already out there. The gun that he or she will use is already out there. It is not a question of IF, it is a question of WHEN and WHERE the next attack will happen," said Max Schachter, Founder & CEO of Safe Schools For Alex. "The School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019 will provide the resources for schools to analyze their vulnerabilities and fix them in order to prevent and protect their campus'. If it had been in place prior to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Massacre, I feel my little boy Alex and the 16 other innocent victims would still be alive today. Thank you Congressman Williams and Deutch for prioritizing the safety and security of our children and teachers."

"Students, teachers, and parents deserve safe and secure schools, and the School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019 takes concrete steps to ensure a safe learning environment for our nation's children and teachers," said Tony Montalto, President of Stand with Parkland – The National Association of Families for Safe Schools and father of Gina Montalto who lost her life in the 2018 Parkland shooting. "As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. School safety assessments are essential to understanding security risks and the grant funding providedin this legislation will help schools address any shortcomings before disaster strikes. Stand With Parkland commends the bipartisan leadership of Reps. Ted Deutch FL-22 and Roger Williams TX-25 and thanks them for prioritizing school safety."

"The Killeen Independent School District applauds the efforts of Congressman Williams to ensure schools are secure and appropriate measures are in place, especially during a time when school safety has reached the highest level of importance," said Dr. John Craft, Superintendent of Killeen ISD. "Additional funding provided through the proposed legislation will only help to make schools across the country safer for students and staff, while addressing critically important facility improvements."

"Grandview ISD supports the efforts of Representative Williams and Deutch for introducing a bill that will provide money for school districts towards violence prevention," said Joe Perrin, Superintendent of Grandview ISD. "The safety of our children is of the upmost importance and this bill will have a positive impact towards securing our schools."

"We appreciate Congressman Roger Williams taking proactive and bipartisan measures to protect our nation's school districts," said Dr. Jeremy Glenn, Superintendent of Granbury ISD. "As educators our first priority is to provide a safe and secure learning environment. H.R. 3665 School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act is a good first step to partner with schools across the country in an effort to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in school facilities. I strongly believe that given the horrific acts of violence that have taken place in Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary, Stoneman Douglas High School, Santa Fe High School, and many others we are long overdue for legislation that begins to mandate and fund school safety programs that will protect and serve the students and teachers in our communities."

"Abbott ISD is excited about the potential of H.R. 3665," said Eric Pustejovsky, Superintendent of Abbott ISD. "As the superintendent of a rural school, I know firsthand the importance of school safety and the financial difficulties that a district can incur protecting students. Any federal financial assistance is welcomed when it comes to guarding the students of Texas and the United States. This legislation can provide Abbott ISD with the support it needs to conduct safety audits on campus and the resources to bolster facilities in order to keep students safe."

"The safety of our children must be a priority, and that starts with identifying and remediating gaps in school safety," said Keith McBurnett, Superintendent of Burnet Consolidated ISD. "That is why I support H.R. 3665, and applaud the bipartisan leadership of Representative Williams and Representative Deutch in providing funding for comprehensive security risk assessments and, just as important, funding to support schools in addressing identified deficiencies. In the time I have worked with Representative Williams, he has always demonstrated a common sense approach to addressing issues, and this is another example of his common sense, proactive leadership in action."

"I am in full support of H.R. 3665, the School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019," said Wayne Rotan, Superintendent of Glen Rose ISD. "We are very appreciative of Representative Williams' dedication and action to make public schools safer for our nation's most valuable resource, our students. The additional funding is much needed and will enable Glen Rose ISD and all public schools to perform valuable security risk assessments and help fund security improvements based on the security risk assessments."

"Cleburne ISD is pleased to endorse Congressman Williams' proposed bill to provide federal funding for public schools through grants to perform safety threat assessments and funding to take any corrective action, based on findings," said Dr. Kyle Heath, Superintendent of Cleburne ISD. "We stand by Rep. Williams' belief that no child or parent should feel that their child's safety is compromised while attending school. As superintendent of Cleburne ISD, the safety of every child, every day takes priority and precedence over all other functions of school. We have been fortunate to have support from the community and our local law enforcement agencies in helping make our facilities safer over the last 10 years. We welcome the federal government's support in addressing this critical and essential issue."

"Itasca ISD supports Congressman Roger Williams in his efforts to create additional funding sources to address the physical vulnerabilities regarding district-wide security/safety," said Mark Parsons, Superintendent of Itasca ISD.

"We're in full support of legislation that helps schools improve safety and address weaknesses," said Chuck Wilson, Executive Director of National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) & Steering Committee Director of Partner Alliance for Safer Schools."This authorization will help many schools make much-needed improvements to protect students and staff that couldn't otherwise be implemented due to lack of funds. This bill is designed to help save lives."

"I am proud that Congressman Williams is thinking of his Texas school districts, along with other districts across the United States, by introducing this bill, School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019," said Vicki Adams, Superintendent of Hillsboro ISD. "With many aging buildings and limited financial resources, it is crucial to have the means to assess the greatest needs in regards to making schools safer. With more advanced security technology in place, and the safety of our students being a priority, this is a great step in the right direction."