[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 56 (Monday, April 1, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2929-H2930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COORDINATING AND LEVERAGING ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL SECURITY ACT
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 1593) to amend the Homeland Security Act of
2002 to establish a school security coordinating council, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1593
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Coordinating and Leveraging
Activities for School Security Act'' or the ``CLASS Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. SCHOOL SECURITY COORDINATING COUNCIL.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:
``SEC. 711. SCHOOL SECURITY COORDINATING COUNCIL.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the
Department a coordinating council to ensure that, to the
maximum extent practicable, activities, plans, and policies
to enhance the security of an early childhood education
program, elementary school, high school, or secondary schools
against an act of terrorism are coordinated.
``(b) Composition.--The members of the council established
pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the following:
``(1) The Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
``(2) The Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security.
``(3) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
``(4) The Director of the Secret Service.
``(5) The Executive Director of the Office of Academic
Engagement.
``(6) The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.
``(7) Any other official of the Department the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``(c) Leadership.--The Secretary shall designate a member
of the council to serve as chair of the council.
``(d) Reports.--Not later than January 30, 2021, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report regarding the
council's activities during the preceding year, including
information on any metrics regarding the efficacy of such
activities and any engagement with stakeholders outside of
the Federal Government.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `early
childhood education program', `elementary school', `high
school', and `secondary school' have the meanings given such
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 710 the
following new item:
``Sec. 711. School security coordinating council.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Guest) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).
General Leave
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
{time} 1615
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1593, the Coordinating and
Leveraging Activities for School Security Act.
Mr. Speaker, school violence continues to devastate communities and
take the lives of so many young people. In 2018, we saw a record number
of school shootings across the country. In response, Congressman
Donald Payne, Jr., introduced H.R. 1593, the Coordinating and
Leveraging Activities for School Security Act, known as the CLASS Act.
H.R. 1593 seeks to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security
organizes itself to help bolster school security. Specifically, the
CLASS Act establishes a standing body within DHS to coordinate the
Department's school security initiatives, activities, plans, and
policies. Additionally, to help ensure that DHS gives school security
adequate attention, H.R. 1593 requires the Department to report to
Congress on the work of the council.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. I urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 1593, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today I rise in support of H.R. 1593, the CLASS Act.
While the Department of Homeland Security already coordinates its
policies relating to school security and safety across the Department,
codifying this council into law will ensure important channels for
information sharing and coordination are maintained during changes in
administration.
Currently, DHS utilizes a number of tools to assist in the protection
of our Nation's children. For example, the United States Secret Service
National
[[Page H2930]]
Threat Assessment Center has created an operational guide to provide
actionable steps that schools can take to develop specific violence
prevention plans for their students.
Additionally, DHS' Office of Academic Engagement, or OAE, supports
the Department's mission by building, improving, and leveraging
relationships with the academic community. OAE's work focuses on
outreach, engagement, and resiliency by supporting institutions of
higher learning and the K-12 community in preparing for, responding to,
and recovering from threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.
OAE offers a Campus Resilience Program Resource Library, which
provides the academic community with access to guidelines, strategies,
and resources to address the risks and vulnerabilities on their campus.
The library is organized into categories according to a specific threat
or hazard as outlined in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
National Preparedness Goal.
While numerous DHS components and agencies provide resources and
recommendations with regard to school security, it is imperative that
the work be done in unison and there is coordination across all
relevant agencies within DHS.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), who is the author
of this legislation.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, school shootings are dreadful atrocities that are
plaguing our Nation. Nearly 20 years have passed since the horrendous
shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where 13
people lost their lives, yet schools and universities continue to be
soft targets for deadly attacks.
Last year, between the months of January and May 2018, there was the
Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting that claimed the lives of 17
individuals, but there were also shootings nearly every week at our
Nation's schools.
As history has shown us, there is no profile for a school likely to
be targeted. This tragedy can happen at any school.
In 2012, after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School
in Newtown, Connecticut, the Department of Homeland Security conducted
an internal review of actions that its components were taking to help
improve school security. Today, I understand that multiple DHS
components currently have programs underway to address school security,
but the degree to which there is coordination is unclear.
The Coordinating and Leveraging Activities for School Security, or
CLASS, Act will establish a standing council within the Department of
Homeland Security to coordinate school security activities, plans, and
policies. The coordinating council would include all the key players in
school security at the Department. They include the DHS Under Secretary
for Strategy, Policy, and Plans; the Director of Cybersecurity and
Infrastructure Protection; the FEMA Administrator; the Secret Service
Director; and the heads of DHS' Offices of Academic Engagement and
Public Affairs.
This legislation was not developed in a vacuum. Inspiration for this
legislation came directly from experiences of those impacted by school
violence and from the input of New Jerseyans.
Last July, my subcommittee held a school security field hearing in
Newark. At the hearing, the subcommittee heard from the New Jersey
State Police, the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey
Association of School Resource Officers, and the New Jersey Office of
Homeland Security about the security risks the schools face and how
Congress can provide support.
At the hearing and subsequently through our outreach and oversight,
we came to understand there needs to be better coordination of school
security activities within DHS to bolster coordination and minimize
fragmentation.
As a leader in developing school security best practices and
policies, it is important for DHS to have a formal school security body
so that it can provide an example to those on the State and local
levels on how to coordinate the protection of schools.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge adoption of this bill, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, school shootings have
claimed the lives of too many young people. Passage of the CLASS Act
would ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is positioned to
be impactful in its efforts to address the escalating risk to school
security.
I commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for his
leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1593, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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