I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5268 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary 

of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to make grants to eligible local education 

agencies to provide improved security measures on school grounds, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2018 

Mr. MESSER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize 

the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

to make grants to eligible local education agencies to 

provide improved security measures on school grounds, 

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 ‘‘Safe Schools Act’’. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5268 IH

1 SEC. 2. MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL SAFETY. 

2 Title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 

3 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘Subtitle C—Safe School Grants 

6 ‘‘SEC. 2031. SAFE SCHOOL GRANT ESTABLISHED. 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, through the Ad8 ministrator, is authorized to make grants, to be known 

9 as ‘Safe School Grants’ to eligible local education agencies 

10 to provide improved security measures at schools and on 

11 school grounds. 

12 ‘‘(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this 

13 section shall be distributed directly to local education 

14 agencies and shall be used to improve security at schools 

15 and on school grounds through one or more of the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(1) Employment of additional school resource 

18 officers not already employed by the local edu19 cational agency. 

20 ‘‘(2) Entering into a contract or a memo21 randum of understanding with a local law enforce22 ment agency, private entity, or nonprofit corporation 

23 for the services of school resource officers. 

24 ‘‘(3) Increasing coordination with local law en25 forcement. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5268 IH

1 ‘‘(4) Purchasing equipment, technology, or in2 frastructure improvements to— 

3 ‘‘(A) control access to school campus, 

4 buildings, and classrooms; 

5 ‘‘(B) expedite notification of first respond6 ers; or 

7 ‘‘(C) inhibit weapons from entering a 

8 school building. 

9 ‘‘(c) PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION.—In awarding 

10 grants under this subtitle, the Secretary shall give pref11 erential consideration, if feasible, to local education agen12 cies that demonstrate that the grant will be used effi13 ciently and effectively, as judged by the Secretary, to se14 cure school buildings or school grounds. 

15 ‘‘(d) GRANT LIMIT.—A grant authorized under this 

16 subtitle shall not exceed a Federal contribution of more 

17 than $50 per student currently enrolled (as defined by the 

18 relevant State educational authority) per year, for each 

19 school building and school grounds for which the local edu20 cation agency applies under this subtitle. 

21 ‘‘(e) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Federal share of the 

22 total costs of a program funded by a grant under this sub23 title may not exceed 50 percent. 

24 ‘‘(f) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 

25 grants under this subtitle, the Secretary shall ensure, to 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5268 IH

1 the extent practicable, an equitable geographic distribu2 tion among the regions of the United States and among 

3 urban, suburban, and rural areas. 

4 ‘‘(g) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary may 

5 reserve for administrative costs not more than 2 percent 

6 from amounts appropriated to carry out this subtitle. 

7 ‘‘(h) APPLICATIONS.—To receive a grant under this 

8 subtitle, a local education agency shall submit an applica9 tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

10 accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 

11 require with respect to each school building or school 

12 grounds area for which the local education agency intends 

13 to use funds provided under this subtitle. Each application 

14 shall— 

15 ‘‘(1) include a detailed explanation of— 

16 ‘‘(A) the intended uses of funds provided 

17 under the grant; and 

18 ‘‘(B) how the activities funded under the 

19 grant will meet the purpose of this subtitle; and 

20 ‘‘(2) be accompanied by an assurance that the 

21 application was prepared after consultation with in22 dividuals not limited to law enforcement officers 

23 (such as school violence experts or child psycholo24 gists) to ensure that the improvements to be funded 

25 under the grant are— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5268 IH

1 ‘‘(A) consistent with a comprehensive ap2 proach to preventing school violence; and 

3 ‘‘(B) individualized to the needs of each 

4 school at which those improvements are to be 

5 made. 

6 ‘‘(i) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 120 days after the 

7 date of the enactment of this subtitle, the Secretary shall 

8 promulgate guidelines to implement this subtitle. 

9 ‘‘SEC. 2032. DEFINITIONS. 

10 ‘‘In this subtitle, the following definitions shall apply: 

11 ‘‘(1) LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCY.—The term 

12 ‘local education agency’ has the meaning given such 

13 term under section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec14 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

15 ‘‘(2) SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.—The term 

16 ‘school resource officer’ has the meaning given such 

17 term in section 1709 of the Omnibus Crime Control 

18 and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10389). 

19 ‘‘SEC. 2033. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

20 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

21 this subtitle the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; and 

23 ‘‘(2) $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 

24 through 2024. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 5268 IH

1 ‘‘SEC. 2034. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

2 ‘‘Not later than November 30 of each year, the Sec3 retary shall submit a report to the Congress regarding the 

4 activities carried out under this subtitle. Each such report 

5 shall include, for the preceding fiscal year, the number of 

6 grants funded under this subtitle, the amount of funds 

7 provided under those grants, and the activities for which 

8 those funds were used. 

9 ‘‘SEC. 2035. REPORTS BY GRANT RECIPIENTS. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving a 

11 grant under this subtitle, a local education agency annu12 ally shall submit to the Secretary a report on activities 

13 performed using grant funds during the preceding fiscal 

14 year. 

15 ‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under sub16 section (a) shall, at a minimum, include, for the applicable 

17 local education agency— 

18 ‘‘(1) the amount obligated to that recipient 

19 under this subtitle for that fiscal year; 

20 ‘‘(2) the amount of funds received and ex21 pended under this subtitle by that recipient in that 

22 fiscal year; 

23 ‘‘(3) a summary description of expenditures 

24 made by that recipient using such funds, and the 

25 purposes for which such expenditures were made; 

26 and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 5268 IH

1 ‘‘(4) other reporting metrics the Secretary shall 

2 prescribe for the purposes of tracking and deter3 mining the effectiveness of the activities performed 

4 using grant funds. 

5 ‘‘SEC. 2036. GAO REVIEW. 

6 ‘‘The Comptroller General of the United States shall 

7 review the validity of each report submitted by the Sec8 retary under section 2034 not later than 120 days after 

9 the date on which such report is submitted. The Comp10 troller General shall submit to the Congress a report con11 taining the findings of such review and shall provide any 

12 recommendations for additional review or other require13 ments that could improve the effectiveness of the program 

14 established under this subtitle. 

15 ‘‘SEC. 2037. CONSTRUCTION. 

16 ‘‘The provisions of subtitle B shall not be construed 

17 to apply to this subtitle.’’. 

Æ 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS