Garrett Supports Important School Safety Legislation
Press Release
Today, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 4909, the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018 by a vote of 407-10.
Congressman Tom Garrett (VA-05) released the following statement on today's House vote:
"Violence has no place in our schools--every American knows that. That is why it is important that we give students, school personnel, and law enforcement the tools they need to proactively deal with threats."
"The STOP School Violence Act will help create an early warning system in our schools and communities to stop tragedies before they occur."
"See something, say something only works when government hears something and does something. We must be proactive to ensure our kids are safe, both inside and outside the classroom."
"This strong, bipartisan STOP School Violence Act develops violence prevention programs and coordinates with law enforcement to improve school safety by training students, teachers, school officials, and local law enforcement on how to identify and intervene early when signs of violence arise, and it does this while honoring our rights and empowering localities."
Background: The STOP School Violence Act reauthorizes and amends the bipartisan 2001 Secure Our Schools (P.L. 106-386) program through the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, providing local law enforcement, school personnel, and students with the tools they need to proactively prevent a threat. The legislation authorizes $50 million annually for state and local schools to make evidence-based investments in the development and operation of FBI and Secret Service-based school threat assessment teams to help schools intake and triage threats before tragedy strikes; implement anonymous reporting systems for students in coordination with local law enforcement; administer training and technical assistance for students, school personnel and law enforcement to identify signs of violence and intervene early to prevent students from hurting themselves and others; facilitate coordination between schools and local law enforcement; and provide significant improvements in school security.
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