I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6613 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish Regional School 
Safety Development Centers to provide consultation for schools to develop 
or improve a school safety plan based on evidence-based best practices, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 6, 2023 
Mr. RUTHERFORD (for himself, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, 
Mr. KILMER, Mr. JAMES, Mr. CORREA, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mrs. 
HAYES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish 
Regional School Safety Development Centers to provide 
consultation for schools to develop or improve a school 
safety plan based on evidence-based best practices, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preparing Leaders to 
Assess Needs for School Safety Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘PLAN for School Safety Act of 2023’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. SCHOOL SAFETY DEVELOPMENT CENTER PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title XXII of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 2220F. SCHOOL SAFETY DEVELOPMENT CENTER PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall make awards, 
including grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, to 
eligible entities to establish, improve, or maintain State- 
wide or intrastate regional School Safety Development 
Centers for the purposes of providing customized con-
sulting services to schools to develop, improve, or imple-
ment the school’s individualized school safety plan. 
‘‘(b) AWARDS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—To seek an award under 
this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli-
cation to the Director at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Director 
may require. At minimum, any such application 
shall include evidence of the applicant’s expertise in 
comprehensive school safety and school climate, in-
cluding evidence-based violence prevention for stu-
dents and educators, suicide prevention, student 
mental health, and school security. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) PREFERENCE.—In making awards under 
this section, the Director shall, as appropriate, give 
preference to eligible entities that have existing rela-
tionships with local schools, particularly those in 
rural, Tribal, or low-resourced communities, as ap-
plicable by the proposed geographical area, or minor-
ity-serving institutions described in sections 371(a) 
and 326(e)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1067q(a) and 1063b(e)(1)). 
‘‘(3) USE
OF
FUNDS.—Activities eligible for 
funding through an award under this section include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) Developing communications materials 
for and disseminating to schools, educators, 
parents, legal guardians, and youth, and in-
creasing State-wide or intrastate regional public 
awareness of evidence-based research and best 
practices for school safety and student mental 
health. 
‘‘(B) Conducting individualized consulta-
tions with schools to research and analyze a 
school’s existing school safety and student men-
tal health policies, or developing or improving, 
in coordination with a school, a customized 
school safety and student mental health plan to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
fit the individualized, age- and developmentally- 
appropriate needs of such school community 
based on evidence-based best practices. 
‘‘(C) Assisting schools in the implementa-
tion of their customized school safety and men-
tal health plan, including the following: 
‘‘(i) Identification of Federal or State 
government funding for enactment of the 
plan, in whole or in part. 
‘‘(ii) Provide training, resources, or 
technical assistance to assist schools in ap-
plying for such Federal or State govern-
ment funding. 
‘‘(iii) Providing training, resources, 
and technical assistance to educate school 
staff and families regarding the policies 
and procedures of the plan. 
‘‘(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal 
share of the cost of activities for which a grant is 
made to an eligible entity under this section may not 
exceed 95 percent of the total cost of such activities. 
‘‘(c) AWARD ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
The Director, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Education and the Youth Advisory Council (estab-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
lished pursuant to paragraph (2)(C)), shall provide 
training and technical assistance to State-wide or 
intrastate regional School Safety Development Cen-
ters on the following: 
‘‘(A) Best practices for individualized con-
sulting with schools based on their unique needs 
for implementation in accordance with sub-
section (b)(3). 
‘‘(B) Evidence-based practices and rec-
ommendations established under section 2220D 
that are presented in a clear and concise man-
ner for schools and the public. 
‘‘(2) SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.— 
‘‘(A) PERSONNEL.—The Director shall 
hire additional personnel and contractors with 
expertise in school mental health and school ad-
ministration to provide additional subject mat-
ter expertise in implementing evidence-based 
programming within schools to carry out para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(B) DETAILEE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
Education shall detail to the Agency an 
employee of the Department of Education 
to assist in the provision of the training 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
and technical assistance described in para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(ii) 
REIMBURSEMENT.—The 
Sec-
retary of Education shall reimburse the 
Director for any costs associated with the 
detailee under clause (i). 
‘‘(C) YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 
‘‘(i) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Not 
later 
than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this section, the Director shall es-
tablish and convene a Youth Advisory 
Council for the purpose of providing advice 
on the implementation of this section. 
‘‘(ii) PARTICIPATION.—The Youth Ad-
visory Council shall include participation 
from the following: 
‘‘(I) Parents, academic experts, 
mental health professionals, and mem-
bers of civil society with respect to the 
prevention of violence in schools. 
‘‘(II) Youth representation, in-
cluding youth who have experienced 
school violence. 
‘‘(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of this section and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security, the Committee on the Judi-
ciary, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate a report on actions taken 
by the Director to implement this section, including infor-
mation relating to the following: 
‘‘(1) The name, location, and number of eligible 
entities in each State receiving awards under this 
section. 
‘‘(2) A comparative analysis of actions rec-
ommended in school safety plans by School Safety 
Development Centers. 
‘‘(3) A formal evaluation of whether the activi-
ties described in subsection (b)(3) were implemented 
by eligible entities receiving awards under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(4) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 
School Safety Development Centers in assisting eli-
gible entities that received awards under this sec-
tion, including instances of averted violence, includ-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
ing self-harm, if applicable, and policy recommenda-
tions for improved effectiveness. 
‘‘(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) WAIVER OF REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in 
this section may be construed to establish, satisfy, or 
waive any requirement under any of the following: 
‘‘(A) Title II of the Americans With Dis-
abilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.). 
‘‘(B) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 701 et seq.). 
‘‘(C) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.). 
‘‘(D) Title IX of the Education Amend-
ments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.). 
‘‘(E) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 
(42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.). 
‘‘(F) The Family Educational Rights and 
Privacy Act of 1973 (20 U.S.C. 1232g). 
‘‘(2) NO EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in 
this section may be construed to preclude or con-
tradict any other provision of law authorizing train-
ing in the use of firearms. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 
for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
‘‘(2) RESTRICTION
ON
USE
OF
FUNDS.— 
Amounts made available to carry out this section 
may not be used to— 
‘‘(A) consult or train any school or person 
in the use of firearms; or 
‘‘(B) hire school personnel or school-based 
contractors. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘eligible 
entities’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) A State. 
‘‘(B) A State educational agency (as such 
term is defined in section 8101 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(C) A Tribal educational agency (as such 
term is defined in section 6132 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7452)). 
‘‘(D) An institute of higher education eligi-
ble for assistance under title III of the Higher 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051 et 
seq.). 
‘‘(E) A Tribal College or University (as 
such term is defined in section 313 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c)). 
‘‘(2) EVIDENCE-BASED.—The term ‘evidence- 
based’ has the meaning given such term in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(3) SCHOOL.—The term ‘school’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2704 of the Om-
nibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(34 U.S.C. 10554). 
‘‘(4) SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN.—The term ‘school 
safety plan’ means a set of common actions schools 
can take to address the foundational elements of 
school safety, including designated staff, school cli-
mate and mental health, reporting systems, threat 
assessment, emergency planning, educator training, 
student prevention training, exercises and drills, site 
assessments, and recovery plans.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
2220E the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 2220F. School Safety Development Center program.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:09 Dec 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6613.IH
H6613
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB