[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 161 (Friday, October 3, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CAMPUS SAFETY ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 


                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 7, 2008

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 6838, ``Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University 
Security Safety Act of 2008'', introduced by my colleague Congressman 
Bobby Scott of Virginia.
  Sadly, this legislation is in reaction to the numerous tragedies 
occurring at colleges and universities, including the disastrous events 
that occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. The 
Virginia Tech shooting resulted in the slaying of over 30 members of 
the Virginia Tech family and many others being wounded.
  The shooting that occurred on the campus of Northern Illinois 
University on February 14, 2008 also killed and injured several 
individuals on the campus. Unfortunately, because these events were the 
first of their kind for the schools, they were not fully knowledgeable 
on how to respond.


                           CAMPUS SAFETY ACT

  This legislation will assist all institutions of higher education and 
states receive the best information possible on campus safety.
  This legislation establishes and organizes a National Center for 
Campus Safety (Center) which will:
  1. Provide quality education and training for campus public safety 
agencies of institutions of higher education and the agencies' 
collaborative partners, including campus mental health agencies;
  2. Foster quality research to strengthen the safety and security of 
the institutions of higher education in the United States;
  3. Serve as a clearinghouse for the identification and dissemination 
of information, policies, procedures, and best practices relevant to 
campus public safety, including off-campus housing safety, the 
prevention of violence against persons and property, and emergency 
response and evacuation procedures;
  4. Develop protocols, in conjunction with the Attorney General, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Education, State, 
local, and tribal governments and law enforcement agencies, private and 
nonprofit organizations and associations, and other stakeholders, to 
prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from, natural and 
man-made emergencies or dangerous situations involving an immediate 
threat to the health or safety of the campus community;
  5. Promote the development and dissemination of effective behavioral 
threat assessment and management models to prevent campus violence;
  6. Coordinate campus safety information (including ways to increase 
off-campus housing safety) and resources available from the Department 
of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of 
Education, State, local, and tribal governments and law enforcement 
agencies, and private and nonprofit organizations and associations;
  7. Increase cooperation, collaboration, and consistency in 
prevention, response, and problem-solving methods among law 
enforcement, mental health, and other agencies and jurisdictions 
servIng institutions of higher education in the United States;

  8. Develop standardized formats and models for mutual aid agreements 
and memoranda of understanding between campus security agencies and 
other public safety organizations and mental health agencies; and
  9. Report annually to Congress and the Attorney General on activities 
performed by the Center during the previous 12 months.
  The Center will train campus public safety agencies, encourage 
research to strengthen college safety and security, and serve as a 
clearinghouse for the dissemination of relevant campus public safety 
information. By having this information, institutions of higher 
education will be able to easily obtain the best information available 
on ways to keep campuses safe and secure and how to respond in the 
event of a campus emergency.


                                 TEXAS

  The good state of Texas has 214 institutions of higher learning 
alone, with Texas Southern University, University of Houston, and Texas 
Technical University to name just a few.
  With so many institutions comes, so many different standards of 
campus safety regulations.


                               CONCLUSION

  This legislation would consolidate the information from the various 
colleges and universities so that the standards for collaboration in 
prevention, response, and problem-solving methods among law 
enforcement, mental health, and other agencies is consistent throughout 
the nation. What is done at Prairie View A&M University is also done at 
UCLA, is done at New York University, and is done at the University of 
Florida.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6838 and ensure that our 
colleges and universities are safe places for our young people to study 
and learn.

                          ____________________