Rutherford, Neguse Introduce the PLAN for School Safety Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Congressmen John H. Rutherford (R-FL-05) and Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) introduced H.R. 2577, the Preparing Leaders to Assess Needs (PLAN) for School Safety Act. This bipartisan bill would provide resources to states to establish school safety development centers to help schools conduct assessments of their safety, identify evidence-based solutions to improve safety, and access state and federal grant funding.
“Every child has a right to feel safe at school,” said Rutherford. “While I am proud of the significant federal resources Congress has made available for schools to help improve security measures across the nation, many of our schools are still struggling to find, apply, and use these important resources. That’s why I introduced the PLAN for School Safety Act with Rep. Neguse to help connect subject matter experts with school leaders to better facilitate participation in school safety programs and grants. As a former sheriff and lifelong member of law enforcement, I know firsthand that we must invest in security to prevent violence before it ever happens.”
“In Colorado, far too many of our community members have lost a loved one to the tragic scourge of gun violence in this country,” said Neguse. “To better protect our students and their schools, I am proud to join a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing the PLAN Act—a commonsense step to implement solutions proven to keep our kids safe.”
“We applaud Reps. Rutherford and Neguse for leading this bipartisan work to support educators and protect children through the PLAN for School Safety Act. This is a sensible and necessary step to address some of the gaps that exist today in school safety planning. There are many proactive ways that schools can prevent violence, self-harm, and suicide, but access to these proven solutions is crucial. The PLAN Act provides that bridge and will ultimately lead to much more effective planning to keep schools safe from school shootings and other acts of violence,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.