II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4369 

To allow States and local educational agencies to use any remaining COVID– 

19 elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds for school 

security measures. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 9, 2022 

Mr. MARSHALL (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BRAUN, 

Mr. DAINES, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. MORAN, Mr. SCOTT of 

Florida, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. WICKER, Mr. 

YOUNG, and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions 

A BILL 

To allow States and local educational agencies to use any 

remaining COVID–19 elementary and secondary school 

emergency relief funds for school security measures. 

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’’. 

5 SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR SCHOOL SECURITY. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi7 sion of an ESSERF program or any other law, a State 


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1 or local educational agency that has received funds under 

2 an ESSERF program may, in lieu of the original re3 quested or authorized use for such funds, use a portion 

4 of, or all, of the unexpended funds to carry out 1 or more 

5 school security measures. 

6 (b) NO FEDERAL INTERFERENCE.—The Secretary of 

7 Education shall not— 

8 (1) prevent or discourage any State or local 

9 educational agency from using any ESSERF pro10 gram funds for school security measures; 

11 (2) require the use of funds under subsection 

12 (a) to be in response to, or in any way connected 

13 with, the coronavirus; or 

14 (3) enforce any requirement of an ESSERF 

15 program if such requirement would prevent a State 

16 or local educational agency from carrying out a 

17 school security measure authorized under subsection 

18 (a). 

19 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

20 (1) ESSERF PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘ESSERF 

21 program’’ means a program carried out under— 

22 (A) section 18003 of the CARES Act (20 

23 U.S.C. 3401 note; Public Law 116–136); 


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1 (B) section 313 of division M of the Con2 solidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 

3 116–260; 134 Stat. 1929); or 

4 (C) section 2001 of the American Rescue 

5 Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2; 135 Stat. 

6 19). 

7 (2) SCHOOL SECURITY MEASURE.—The term 

8 ‘‘school security measure’’ means any of the fol9 lowing: 

10 (A) An evidence-based strategy or program 

11 to prevent violence, which may include the use 

12 of appropriate technologies, including the place13 ment and use of metal detectors and other de14 terrent measures and emergency notification 

15 and response technologies. 

16 (B) Training to prevent student violence 

17 against others and self, including training for 

18 local law enforcement officers, school personnel, 

19 and students. 

20 (C) The development and operation of an 

21 anonymous reporting system for threats of 

22 school violence, including a mobile telephone ap23 plication, hotline, or internet website. 

24 (D) The development and operation of— 


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1 (i) a school threat assessment and 

2 intervention team that may include coordi3 nation with law enforcement agencies and 

4 school personnel; and 

5 (ii) specialized training for school offi6 cials in responding to mental health crises. 

7 (E) Coordination with local law enforce8 ment agencies. 

9 (F) A security assessment. 

10 (G) Security training of personnel and stu11 dents. 

12 (H) Acquisition and installation of tech13 nology for expedited notification of local law en14 forcement during an emergency. 

15 (I) Reinforcing or replacing classroom 

16 doors, locks, or window panels. 

17 (J) Constructing fencing, bollards, plant18 ers, curbs, walls, or any other entry control 

19 measure to create a single point of entry to the 

20 campus. 

21 (K) Clearing exterior spaces of foliage or 

22 structures to eliminate spaces that could con23 ceal illicit activity, provide access to the build24 ing above the first floor, or otherwise aid an in25 truder. 


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1 (L) Installing a system to monitor 

2 entryways, hallways, stairwells, and utility 

3 rooms, such as physical inspection, a buzz-in 

4 system, or surveillance cameras. 

5 (M) Hiring and paying the salaries of 

6 qualified individuals, such as retired law en7 forcement officers or military veterans, to serve 

8 as armed school resource officers. 

Æ 


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