EAGLES Act of 2023

Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 411 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 411

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to reauthorize and expand the 
    National Threat Assessment Center of the Department of Homeland 
                               Security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2023

 Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Scott of 
    Florida, Mr. Manchin, Ms. Collins, and Mr. King) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to reauthorize and expand the 
    National Threat Assessment Center of the Department of Homeland 
                               Security.

    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 ``EAGLES Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) On February 14, 2018, 17 individuals were murdered in a 
        senseless and violent attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High 
        School in Parkland Florida, a school whose mascot is the eagle.
            (2) These individuals, Alaina Petty, Alex Schachter, Alyssa 
        Alhadeff, Cara Loughran, Carmen Schentrup, Gina Montalto, 
        Helena Ramsay, Jaime Guttenberg, Joaquin Oliver, Luke Hoyer, 
        Martin Duque, Meadow Pollack, Nicholas Dworet, Peter Wang, 
        Aaron Feis, Chris Hixon, and Scott Beigel, lived lives of 
        warmth, joy, determination, service, and love, and their loss 
        is mourned by the Nation.
            (3) Like many attackers, the shooter in that attack 
        exhibited patterns of threatening and concerning behavior prior 
        to the massacre that were alarming and that should have alerted 
        law enforcement and other Federal, State, and local officials 
        about the potential for violence.
            (4) Acts of targeted violence, including the attack on 
        Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are preventable.
            (5) Lives were saved because of the brave and exemplary 
        conduct of many students, teachers, and staff at Marjory 
        Stoneman Douglas High School, including several of the victims 
        of the attack.
            (6) The National Threat Assessment Center of the United 
        States Secret Service (referred to in this Act as the 
        ``Center'') was established in 1998 to conduct research on all 
        forms of targeted violence, including attacks targeting 
        government officials, government facilities, workplaces, houses 
        of worship, elementary and secondary schools, and colleges and 
        universities and mass attacks in public spaces.
            (7) Research published by the Center on targeted violence 
        has shown that--
                    (A) most incidents were planned in advance;
                    (B) the attackers' behavior gave some indication 
                that the individual was planning, or at least 
                contemplating, an attack;
                    (C) most attackers had already exhibited a pattern 
                of behavior that elicited concern by other people in 
                their lives; and
                    (D) prior to the attack, someone associated with 
                the attacker, such as a family member or peer, often 
                knew the attack was to likely to occur.
            (8) Through their research, the Center developed the 
        behavioral threat assessment model of the United States Secret 
        Service for preventing targeted violence, which includes a 3-
        step process--
                    (A) identifying individuals who are exhibiting 
                threatening or concerning behaviors that indicate they 
                may pose a risk of violence;
                    (B) assessing whether the individual poses a risk, 
                based on articulable facts; and
                    (C) managing the risk posed through individualized 
                proactive and preventive measures.
            (9) The behavioral threat assessment model of the United 
        States Secret Service works most effectively when all the 
        relevant parties, including local law enforcement, mental 
        health professionals, workplace managers, school personnel, and 
        members of the community, are part of a comprehensive protocol 
        to identify, assess, and manage a potential threat.
            (10) The primary goal of behavioral threat assessment 
        programs is to prevent targeted violence, with an emphasis on 
        providing early intervention, and connecting individuals 
        exhibiting threatening or concerning behavior to existing 
        community resources for support.
            (11) Early intervention is a proven and effective way to 
        prevent violent conduct that would otherwise harm others and 
        necessitate more punitive action, including criminal penalties.
            (12) The parties involved need the appropriate research, 
        guidance, training, and tools to establish the appropriate 
        mechanisms for implementing this type of preventive of 
        approach.
            (13) In elementary and secondary schools, a behavioral 
        threat assessment is a proactive approach to identify, assess, 
        and provide age-appropriate interventions, resources, and 
        supports for students who display behavior that elicits 
        concerns for the safety of themselves or others.
            (14) There has been a 79-percent decline in bullying 
        infractions in elementary and secondary school communities that 
        have received training by the Center.
            (15) The demand from local communities throughout the 
        United States for behavioral threat assessment trainings has 
        significantly increased. Since its inception, the Center has 
        provided over 2,575 training sessions to over 273,000 
        attendees.
            (16) From fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2022, the Center 
        has experienced a 117-percent increase in demand for training 
        sessions, with 5 times as many participants.
            (17) The Center additionally provides consultation and 
        follow-up engagements with government agencies, law 
        enforcement, schools, and other organizations with public 
        safety responsibilities. From fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 
        2022 the Center experienced a 553-percent increase in 
        consultation activities.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that a fact-
based behavioral threat assessment approach, involving local law 
enforcement, mental health professionals, workplace managers, school 
personnel, other public safety officials, and members of the community, 
is one of the most effective ways to prevent targeted violence 
impacting communities across the country, and is a fitting memorial to 
those whose lives were taken in the February 14, 2018, attack on 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and those who heroically acted to 
preserve the lives of their friends, students, and colleagues.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE NATIONAL THREAT ASSESSMENT 
              CENTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 203 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 3056A the following:
``Sec. 3056B. Functions of the National Threat Assessment Center of the 
              United States Secret Service
    ``(a) In General.--There is established a National Threat 
Assessment Center (in this section referred to as the `Center'), to be 
operated by the United States Secret Service, at the direction of the 
Secretary of Homeland Security.
    ``(b) Functions.--The functions of the Center shall include the 
following:
            ``(1) Training and education in the areas of best practices 
        on threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence.
            ``(2) Consultation on complex threat assessment cases and 
        programs.
            ``(3) Research on threat assessment and the prevention of 
        targeted violence, consistent with evidence-based standards and 
        existing laws and regulations.
            ``(4) Facilitation of information sharing on threat 
        assessment and the prevention of targeted violence among 
        agencies and organizations with protective or public safety 
        responsibilities, as well as other public or private entities.
            ``(5) Development of evidence-based programs to promote the 
        standardization of Federal, State, and local threat assessments 
        and best practices for the prevention of targeted violence.
    ``(c) Safe School Initiative.--In carrying out the functions 
described in subsection (b), the Center shall establish a national 
program on targeted school violence prevention, focusing on the 
following activities:
            ``(1) Research.--The Center shall--
                    ``(A) conduct research into targeted school 
                violence and evidence-based practices in targeted 
                school violence prevention, including school threat 
                assessment; and
                    ``(B) publish the findings of the Center on the 
                public website of the United States Secret Service and 
                on the School Safety Clearinghouse website, known as 
                www.SchoolSafety.gov, or any successor thereto.
            ``(2) Training.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Center shall develop and 
                offer training courses on targeted school violence 
                prevention to agencies with protective or public safety 
                responsibilities and other public or private entities, 
                including local educational agencies.
                    ``(B) Plan.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
                of enactment of this section, the Center shall 
                establish a plan to offer its training and other 
                educational resources to public or private entities 
                within each State.
            ``(3) Coordination with other federal agencies.--The Center 
        shall develop research and training programs under this section 
        in coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department 
        of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
            ``(4) Consultation with entities outside the federal 
        government.--The Center is authorized to consult with State and 
        local educational, law enforcement, and mental health officials 
        and private entities in the development of research and 
        training programs under this section.
            ``(5) Interactive website.--The Center may create an 
        interactive website to disseminate information and data on 
        evidence-based practices in targeted school violence 
        prevention.
    ``(d) Hiring of Additional Personnel.--The Director of the United 
States Secret Service may hire additional personnel to comply with the 
requirements of this section, which, if the Director exercises that 
authority, shall include--
            ``(1) at least 1 employee with expertise in child 
        psychological development; and
            ``(2) at least 1 employee with expertise in school threat 
        assessment.
    ``(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Director of the United States Secret 
Service shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary, 
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on actions 
taken by the United States Secret Service to implement provisions of 
this section, which shall include information relating to the 
following:
            ``(1) The number of employees hired (on a full-time 
        equivalent basis).
            ``(2) The number of individuals in each State trained in 
        threat assessment.
            ``(3) The number of school districts in each State trained 
        in school threat assessment or targeted school violence 
        prevention.
            ``(4) Information on Federal, State, and local agencies 
        trained or otherwise assisted by the Center.
            ``(5) A formal evaluation indicating whether the training 
        and other assistance provided by the Center is effective.
            ``(6) A formal evaluation indicating whether the training 
        and other assistance provided by the Center was implemented by 
        the school.
            ``(7) A summary of the Center's research activities and 
        findings.
            ``(8) A strategic plan for disseminating the Center's 
        educational and training resources to each State.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. Amounts appropriated 
pursuant to such authorization shall be derived wholly from the 
unobligated balances of amounts made available to the Department of 
Homeland Security, on or before the date of the enactment of this 
section, to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus.
    ``(g) No Funds To Provide Firearms Training.--Amounts made 
available to carry out this section may not be used to train any person 
in the use of a firearm.
    ``(h) No Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to preclude or contradict any other provision of law 
authorizing training in the use of firearms.
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Evidence-based.--The term `evidence-based' means--
                    ``(A) strong evidence from at least 1 well-designed 
                and well-implemented experimental study;
                    ``(B) moderate evidence from at least 1 well-
                designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; 
                or
                    ``(C) promising evidence from at least 1 well-
                designed and well-implemented correlational study with 
                statistical controls for selection bias.
            ``(2) Local educational agency.--The term `local 
        educational agency' has the meaning given such term under 
        section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            ``(3) State.--The term `State' means any State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.''.
    (b) Technical, Conforming, and Clerical Amendments.--
            (1) Technical and conforming amendment.--Section 4 of the 
        Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000 (18 U.S.C. 3056 
        note) is repealed.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
        203 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 3056A the following:

``3056B. Functions of the National Threat Assessment Center of the 
                            United States Secret Service.''.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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