Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 2023

Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2541 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2541

   To prioritize the hiring and training of veterans and retired law 
    enforcement officers as school resource officers, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2023

  Mr. Van Drew (for himself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Barr, Mr. Bacon, Mrs. 
Miller-Meeks, and Mr. Diaz-Balart) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs, and Education and the Workforce, 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 prioritize the hiring and training of veterans and retired law 
    enforcement officers as school resource officers, 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 ``Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. USES OF COPS GRANTS TO HIRE VETERANS AND RETIRED LAW 
              ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

    Section 1701(b)(12) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)(12)) is amended by inserting ``, and 
the hiring and training of veterans and retired law enforcement 
officers to serve as school resource officers'' after ``offenses''.

SEC. 3. PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN GRANTS.

    Section 1701(c) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) for hiring and training veterans and retired law 
        enforcement officers as school resource officers.''.

SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    Section 1701(d) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(d)(3)) is amended by inserting after paragraph 
(3):
            ``(4) Mental health screening and training.--The Attorney 
        General may provide technical assistance to States, units of 
        local government, Indian tribal governments, and to other 
        public and private entities using funds under this section for 
        purposes described in subsection (b)(12) to provide school 
        resource officers with an annual mental health screening and an 
        annual training on tactics and response.''.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 1709(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10389(4)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
        ``, veteran, or retired law enforcement officer'' after 
        ``career law enforcement officer'';
            (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by inserting after subparagraph (G) the following:
                    ``(H) to meet at least annually with students in 
                order to increase familiarity between students and the 
                officer and to foster community engagement.''.

SEC. 6. COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate with recipients 
of grants under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.) to connect veterans 
seeking to serve as school resource officers (as such term is defined 
in section 1709 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (34 U.S.C. 1038)) with local law enforcement agencies 
participating in school-based partnerships described in section 
1701(b)(12) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(34 U.S.C. 10381(b)(12)).
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