SAVES Act
Bill: S.4776 | Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike (R-SD)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Security to Avoid Violence in Educational Settings Act or the SAVES Act
This bill transfers certain funds to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to carry out a grant program for school safety and security.
Specifically, the bill transfers funds appropriated for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements at public school facilities (currently known as the Department of Energy's Renew America's Schools Program) to DOJ for the grant program.
DOJ must award grants to states (and states must provide subgrants to eligible entities, such as local educational agencies and schools) for planning and designing school buildings and facilities, installing infrastructure, and implementing technology or other measures that strengthen security on school premises.

To transfer funds for Energy Efficiency Improvements and Renewable 
Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities to the Attorney General 
  to award grants to States to promote safety and security in schools.

    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 ``Security to Avoid Violence in 
Educational Settings Act'' or the ``SAVES Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR STATES FOR SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a local educational agency, as defined in 
                section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801);
                    (B) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as 
                defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); or
                    (C) an elementary school or secondary school, as 
                such terms are defined in section 8101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, 
        the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    (b) Transfer of Funds.--The amount appropriated for Energy 
Efficiency Improvements and Renewable Energy Improvements at Public 
School Facilities, as authorized under section 40541 of the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 18831), under the 
Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Appropriations Act (division B of 
Public Law 117-58) is transferred to the Attorney General to carry out 
subsection (c).
    (c) Grant Program for States for School Safety and Security.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General shall use the amount 
        transferred under subsection (b) to award grants to States from 
        allotments under paragraph (2) for each of fiscal years 2022 
        through 2026. From the amount transferred, $100,000,000 shall 
        be available to be allotted for each fiscal year.
            (2) State allotments.--
                    (A) Allotment.--
                            (i) In general.--Subject to clauses (ii) 
                        and (iii), from the amount available to be 
                        allotted for a fiscal year under paragraph (1), 
                        the Attorney General shall allot to each State 
                        for the fiscal year an amount that bears the 
                        same relationship to the amount available as 
                        the number of individuals residing in the State 
                        who are aged 5 through 17, bears to the number 
                        of such individuals residing in all States.
                            (ii) Small state minimum.--No State 
                        receiving an allotment under this subparagraph 
                        for a fiscal year shall receive less than 0.75 
                        percent of the total amount allotted under this 
                        subparagraph for the fiscal year.
                            (iii) Puerto rico.--The amount allotted 
                        under this subparagraph to the Commonwealth of 
                        Puerto Rico for a fiscal year may not exceed 
                        0.75 percent of the total amount allotted under 
                        this subparagraph for the fiscal year.
                    (B) Reallotment.--If a State does not receive an 
                allotment under this paragraph for a fiscal year, the 
                Attorney General shall reallot the amount of the 
                State's allotment to the remaining States for the 
                fiscal year in accordance with this paragraph.
            (3) Use of allotment.--Each State that receives an 
        allotment under paragraph (2) for a fiscal year shall--
                    (A) reserve not less than 95 percent of the 
                allotment to make subgrants to eligible entities under 
                paragraph (4);
                    (B) reserve not more than 1 percent of the 
                allotment for the administrative costs of carrying out 
                its responsibilities under this section, including 
                public reporting on how funds made available under this 
                section are being expended by eligible entities; and
                    (C) use the amount made available to the State and 
                not reserved under subparagraphs (A) and (B) for 
                activities designed to support eligible entities in 
                identifying, planning, and implementing school security 
                improvements.
            (4) Subgrants to eligible entities.--
                    (A) In general.--Each State that receives an 
                allotment under paragraph (2) shall award subgrants to 
                eligible entities to support the eligible entities in 
                identifying, planning, and implementing school security 
                improvements.
                    (B) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires 
                to receive a subgrant grant under this paragraph shall 
                submit an application to the State at such time, in 
                such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
                State may require.
                    (C) Use of subgrant funds.--An eligible entity that 
                receives a subgrant under this paragraph shall use the 
                subgrant funds, subject to any rules established by the 
                State, for the purpose of planning and designing school 
                buildings and facilities, installing infrastructure, 
                and implementing technology or other measures, that 
                strengthen security on school premises, which may 
                include--
                            (i) controlling access to school premises 
                        or facilities, through the use of metal 
                        detectors, or other measures, or technology, 
                        with evidence-based effectiveness (to the 
                        extent the State involved determines that such 
                        evidence is reasonably available), in 
                        accordance with the needs of the school;
                            (ii) implementing any technology or 
                        measure, or installing any infrastructure, to 
                        cover and conceal students within the school 
                        during crisis situations;
                            (iii) implementing technology to provide 
                        notification to relevant law enforcement and 
                        first responders during crisis situations;
                            (iv) implementing any technology or 
                        measure, including hiring school security 
                        officers, or installing any infrastructure, 
                        with evidence-based effectiveness (to the 
                        extent the State involved determines that such 
                        evidence is reasonably available) to increase 
                        the safety of school students and staff;
                            (v) implementing any technology or measure, 
                        or installing any infrastructure, for school 
                        safety reinforcement, including bullet-
                        resistant doors and windows; and
                            (vi) implementing any technology or system 
                        that would reduce the time needed to 
                        disseminate official information to parents 
                        regarding the safety of their children during 
                        and immediately following a crisis.
                    (D) Restriction on doj.--The Attorney General may 
                not promulgate a rule that restricts a State's ability 
                to determine the eligible uses of subgrant funds 
                awarded under this paragraph.
            (5) Matching requirements.--
                    (A) State match.--Each State that receives a grant 
                under this section shall provide non-Federal matching 
                funds equal to 20 percent of the amount of the grant 
                toward the cost of carrying out the activities 
                described in this section.
                    (B) Eligible entity match.--
                            (i) In general.--Each eligible entity that 
                        receives a subgrant under this section shall 
                        provide matching funds, in cash or through in-
                        kind contributions, from Federal, State, local, 
                        or private sources in an amount equal to 5 
                        percent of the amount of the subgrant toward 
                        the cost of carrying out the activities 
                        described in this section.
                            (ii) Waiver.--
                                    (I) In general.--A State may waive 
                                the matching funds requirement under 
                                clause (i), on a case-by-case basis, 
                                upon a showing of exceptional 
                                circumstances, such as--
                                            (aa) the difficulty of 
                                        raising matching funds for a 
                                        program to serve a rural area;
                                            (bb) the difficulty of 
                                        raising matching funds in areas 
                                        with a concentration of local 
                                        educational agencies or schools 
                                        with a high percentage of 
                                        students aged 5 through 17--

                                                    (AA) who are in 
                                                poverty, as counted in 
                                                the most recent census 
                                                data approved by the 
                                                Attorney General;

                                                    (BB) who are 
                                                eligible for a free or 
                                                reduced price lunch 
                                                under the Richard B. 
                                                Russell National School 
                                                Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                                1751 et seq.);

                                                    (CC) whose families 
                                                receive assistance 
                                                under the State program 
                                                funded under part A of 
                                                title IV of the Social 
                                                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                                601 et seq.); or

                                                    (DD) who are 
                                                eligible to receive 
                                                medical assistance 
                                                under the Medicaid 
                                                program; and

                                            (cc) the difficulty of 
                                        raising funds on tribal land.
                                    (II) State to cover eligible entity 
                                match.--A State that waives the 
                                matching funds requirement under clause 
                                (i), shall provide the amount waived in 
                                addition to the State match required 
                                under subparagraph (A).
                            (iii) Consideration.--A State shall not 
                        consider an eligible entity's ability to match 
                        funds when determining which eligible entity 
                        will receive subgrants under this section.
    (d) Rescission of Unobligated Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Any balance of the amounts transferred 
        under subsection (b) or allotted under subsection (c) that are 
        unobligated on October 1, 2027, shall be rescinded.
            (2) Use for deficit reduction.--The amount rescinded under 
        paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the general fund of the 
        Treasury for the sole purpose of deficit reduction.
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