Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 2023”.
Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 2023
A BILL
To prioritize the hiring and training of veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Uses of COPS grants to hire veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers
Section 1701(b)(12) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)(12)) is amended by inserting “, and the hiring and training of veterans and retired law enforcement officers to serve as school resource officers” after “offenses”.
Sec. 3 Preferential consideration of applications for certain grants
Section 1701(c) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(c)) is amended—
in paragraph (2), by striking “or” at the end;
in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
“(4) for hiring and training veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers.”
Sec. 4 Technical assistance
Section 1701(d) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(d)(3)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (3):
“(4) Mental Health Screening and Training—The Attorney General may provide technical assistance to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, and to other public and private entities using funds under this section for purposes described in subsection (b)(12) to provide school resource officers with an annual mental health screening and an annual training on tactics and response.”
Sec. 5 Definitions
Section 1709(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10389(4)) is amended—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “, veteran, or retired law enforcement officer” after “career law enforcement officer”;
in subparagraph (F), by striking “and” at the end;
in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by inserting after subparagraph (G) the following:
“(H) to meet at least annually with students in order to increase familiarity between students and the officer and to foster community engagement.”
Sec. 6 Coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate with recipients of grants under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.) to connect veterans seeking to serve as school resource officers (as such term is defined in section 1709 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 1038)) with local law enforcement agencies participating in school-based partnerships described in section 1701(b)(12) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381(b)(12)).