SAFE School Act

To establish a grant program to improve school security, including by training and hiring veterans and former law enforcement officers as school safety officers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing Aid for Every School Act SAFE School Act 2. Improving school security (a) Definitions In this section: (1) ESEA terms The terms elementary school local educational agency secondary school 20 U.S.C. 7801 (2) State The term State (b) Establishment of program The Attorney General shall establish within the Office of Justice Programs a grant program under which the Attorney General shall make grants to States and local educational agencies to carry out eligible activities described in subsection (c). (c) Eligible activities The eligible activities described in this subsection are the following: (1) Establish, if necessary, and implement a State certification or licensure program, or other training program required by the State, that— (A) is designed to train individuals who are veterans or former law enforcement officers to serve as school safety officers; and (B) may include firearm or de-escalation training. (2) Hire veterans or former law enforcement officers who have completed the State certification or licensure program described in paragraph (1), or off-duty law enforcement officers, to serve as school safety officers in elementary schools and secondary schools in the State. (3) Improve the security of elementary schools and secondary schools in the State by installing infrastructure and implementing technology and other measures that strengthen security on school premises, including— (A) controlling access to school facilities through the installation of metal detectors, x-ray machines, fencing or gating, and surveillance cameras or systems; (B) securing doors through the installation of external door passcodes, internal door locks, peepholes for classroom doors, bulletproof glass or ballistic film, automatic door locking mechanisms, and access control doors; and (C) enhancing emergency responsiveness through the installation of increased lighting on school grounds, emergency call boxes, emergency alerts, and emergency generators. (d) No Federal interference In awarding grants pursuant to subsection (b), Attorney General may not— (1) prevent or discourage any State or local educational agency from using any grant funds for a school security activity described in subsection (b); (2) impose any requirements relating to the content or structure of the State certification, licensure, or other training program described in subsection (c)(1); or (3) enforce any requirement relating to grant funds that would prevent a State or local educational agency from carrying out an eligible activity described in subsection (c). (e) Nondiscrimination The Attorney General shall award grants pursuant to subsection (b) without respect to whether a recipient or subrecipient— (1) is a public or private school; (2) is religiously affiliated; or (3) receives any Federal or State funding for school resource officers. (f) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $900,000,000.

Summary: Securing Aid for Every School Act or the SAFE School Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to establish a grant program for states and local educational agencies to improve security at public and private elementary and secondary schools. Grant recipients must use funds for certain activities, such as hiring and training veterans and former law enforcement officers as school safety officers.