Sponsors (28)
The bill directs modest federal resources and technical support to improve school safety and student mental health—especially for underserved areas—while funding limits, matching requirements, hiring restrictions, and a ban on firearms-focused training constrain how many schools benefit and how they can use the aid.
Students in served districts will receive tailored school safety and mental-health plans and expanded prevention and support services, improving school safety and student mental-health outcomes.
Students and schools in rural, Tribal, and low-resourced areas will get prioritized technical assistance and help accessing Federal/State implementation funding, increasing equity of access to safety and mental-health supports.
Teachers and school staff will receive evidence-based training and resources on violence prevention, suicide prevention, and student mental health, strengthening in-school capacity to prevent and respond to crises.
Many students and schools may not receive support because program funding is limited to $25 million per year and required DHS administrative staffing and reimbursements could further reduce grant dollars, constraining program reach.
Low-resourced schools and districts may be unable to participate because grants require at least a 5% non-Federal match, which can be a significant financial barrier.
Schools and educators cannot use funds to hire school personnel or school-based contractors, which limits direct capacity-building and may reduce the program's ability to support on-the-ground implementation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced April 1, 2025 by John Henry Rutherford · Last progress April 1, 2025
Creates a DHS grant program to fund state and regional School Safety Development Centers that provide tailored consulting, planning, and technical assistance to K–12 schools on safety, violence prevention, suicide prevention, and student mental health. Eligible applicants include states, state and tribal educational agencies, certain higher education institutions, and tribal colleges; DHS will award grants or cooperative agreements, give preference to organizations with existing local relationships (including rural, Tribal, low‑resourced, or minority‑serving institutions), and provide training and technical assistance. The program is authorized at $25 million per year for FY2026–FY2030, prohibits using funds for firearms training, requires a Youth Advisory Council and annual reporting to Congress, and caps the federal share of projects at 95%.