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 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. DIAZBALART) 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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Our Students 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMER2 GENCY RELIEF FUND. 

3 A local educational agency that receives funds under 

4 section 2001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 

5 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) may use funds not reserved under 

6 subsection (e)(1) of such section for school safety uses (in 

7 addition to the purposes specified in subsection (e)(2) of 

8 such section). 

9 SEC. 3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO NON-PUBLIC 

10 SCHOOLS. 

11 A non-public school that receives services or assist12 ance under section 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act 

13 of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) may use such services or 

14 assistance for school safety uses (in addition to any serv15 ices or assistance authorized under the Emergency Assist16 ance to Non-Public Schools Program). 

17 SEC. 4. APPLICATION AMENDMENT. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

19 (1) ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL

20 EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND.—A State making sub21 grants under section 2001(d) of the American Res22 cue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) shall, 

23 not later than 10 days after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act, inform local educational agencies 

25 eligible to receive such subgrants that the agencies 

26 may amend their subgrant applications to include 


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1 school safety uses among the planned uses of funds 

2 not reserved under section 2001(e)(1) of such Act. 

3 (2) EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO NON-PUBLIC

4 SCHOOLS.—A Governor providing services or assist5 ance to non-public schools under section 2002 of the 

6 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 

7 note) shall, not later than 10 days after the date of 

8 the enactment of this Act, inform non-public schools 

9 eligible to receive such services and assistance that 

10 the schools may amend their applications to include 

11 school safety uses among the requested services and 

12 assistance. 

13 (b) CONTENTS.—An amendment authorized under 

14 subsection (a) shall include— 

15 (1) what school safety uses are desired to be 

16 implemented and how such uses will support known 

17 needs for the local educational agency or non-public 

18 school; 

19 (2) an assurance that such uses will be evi20 dence-based; 

21 (3) what professional development for school 

22 personnel will be conducted to ensure compliance 

23 and understanding of the new school safety uses; 

24 (4) when the implementation of such uses will 

25 be completed; and 


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1 (5) an assurance that school safety uses shall 

2 be included in any required reporting under the 

3 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 3401 

4 note). 

5 (c) APPROVAL.—A State or Governor shall approve 

6 expeditiously an amendment authorized under subsection 

7 (a) if it satisfies the requirements of subsection (b). 

8 (d) REPORTING.—A State or Governor shall report 

9 to the Secretary of Education what percentage of the 

10 funds provided to the State or Governor under section 

11 2001 or 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 

12 (20 U.S.C. 3401 note), respectively, are used for school 

13 safety uses. 

14 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

15 For purposes of this Act: 

16 (1) The term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has 

17 the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the 

18 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

19 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

20 (2) The term ‘‘school safety uses’’ means im21 proving school conditions for student learning by 

22 planning and designing school buildings and facili23 ties, installing infrastructure, providing safety edu24 cation for all school personnel and volunteers, and 

25 implementing technology or other measures, that 


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1 strengthen security on school premises, which may 

2 include— 

3 (A) controlling access to school premises or 

4 facilities, through the use of metal detectors or 

5 other measures, including technology, in accord6 ance with the particular needs of a school; 

7 (B) infrastructure— 

8 (i) to cover and conceal students with9 in a school during crisis situations; 

10 (ii) for school safety reinforcement, in11 cluding bullet-resistant doors and windows; 

12 and 

13 (iii) for classroom access security 

14 measures; 

15 (C) developing methods to provide notifica16 tion to, and communicate with, relevant law en17 forcement, first responders, hospitals, and other 

18 necessary officials during a crisis situation; 

19 (D) hiring school security officers, includ20 ing school resource officers, to increase the 

21 safety of school students and staff; and 

22 (E) developing a communications system 

23 that can more rapidly and accurately commu24 nicate information to parents, including proVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H887.IH H887

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1 viding status updates during and after a crisis 

2 situation. 

Æ 


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