Sponsors (25)
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Mario Diaz-Balart · Last progress February 13, 2025
The bill funds and coordinates evidence-based, multidisciplinary school threat assessment programs that are likely to improve safety and reduce juvenile justice contact, but it raises substantial privacy and law-enforcement involvement concerns, creates risks of stigmatization, imposes modest federal costs, and is time-limited unless renewed.
Students and school staff will face fewer targeted-violence incidents and reduced juvenile arrests because multidisciplinary threat assessment programs and trainings are implemented and scaled (evidence cited of large declines in juvenile arrests in trained communities).
Local school districts and agencies will gain standardized, evidence-based training, consultation, and research-backed guidance that improves identification and proactive management of threats.
State and local implementation is supported by dedicated federal funding ($10M/year FY2026–2030) to staff and operate the Center, enabling program rollout and technical support across states.
Students and families could face increased monitoring and school-based surveillance as threat-assessment practices expand, raising privacy and civil‑liberties concerns.
Students identified through assessments may be involuntarily referred to services or authorities, risking stigmatization, escalation of consequences for mental-health issues, and reduced willingness to seek help.
Centralizing the Center under the Secret Service and increasing law-enforcement roles could blur safety/support lines, increase school–law enforcement interactions or arrests (disproportionately affecting marginalized youth), and erode community trust.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center and Safe School Initiative to research targeted violence, provide training/statewide resources, hire experts, and authorize $10M/year (FY2026–2030).
Creates a new National Threat Assessment Center within the U.S. Secret Service to lead research, training, consultation, information-sharing, and development of evidence-based programs to prevent targeted violence. Establishes a national Safe School Initiative that will research and publish findings (including on SchoolSafety.gov), develop and offer training to schools and other entities, create a one-year plan to make training/resources available statewide, and coordinate with DOJ, ED, and HHS. The measure authorizes $10 million annually for FY2026–2030, requires hiring certain experts, mandates a detailed report to Congress within two years, bans use of the funds for firearms training, and sunsets on September 30, 2030.