[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3171-S3172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5132. Mr. GRASSLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 5099 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for Mr. Murphy (for
himself, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Sinema, and Mr. Tillis)) to the bill S. 2938,
to make our communities safer; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
TITLE ___--EAGLES ACT OF 2022
SEC. ___01. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``EAGLES Act of 2022''.
SEC. ___02. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) On February 14, 2018, 17 individuals lost their lives
in a senseless and violent attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland Florida, a school whose mascot is the
eagle.
(2) These individuals lived lives of warmth, joy,
determination, service, and love, and their loss is mourned
by the Nation.
(3) The shooter in that attack exhibited patterns of
behavior that were alarming and that should have alerted law
enforcement and other Federal, State, and local officials.
(4) The attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was
preventable.
(5) Lives were saved because of the brave and exemplary
conduct of many students, teachers, and staff at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School, including several of the
victims of the attack.
(6) The National Threat Assessment Center (referred to in
this title as the ``Center'') was established in 1998 to
conduct research on various types of targeted violence.
(7) Studies conducted by the Center on targeted school
violence, in particular, have shown that--
(A) most incidents were planned in advance;
(B) the attackers' behavior gave some indication that the
individual was planning, or at least contemplating, an
attack;
(C) most attackers had already exhibited a pattern of
behavior that was of concern to other people in their lives;
and
(D) prior to the attack, someone associated with the
attacker, such as a family member or peer, knew the attack
was to likely to occur.
(8) Through their research, the Center developed the threat
assessment model for responding to indicators of targeted
violence, which includes a 3-step process--
(A) identifying individuals who are exhibiting behaviors
that indicate they are planning an attack on a school;
(B) assessing whether the individual poses a threat to the
school, based on articulable facts; and
(C) managing the threat the individual may pose to the
school.
(9) The threat assessment model works most effectively when
all the relevant parties, including school officials, local
law enforcement, and members of the community, are part of a
comprehensive protocol to identify, assess, and manage a
potential threat to the school.
(10) The primary goal of threat assessment programs in
schools should be to prevent violent conduct, with an
emphasis on early intervention, treatment, and care of
individuals exhibiting behaviors associated with targeted
violence.
(11) Early intervention, treatment, and prevention of
violent behavior is an effective way to prevent violent
conduct that would harm others and necessitate disciplinary
action, including criminal penalties.
(12) The parties involved need the appropriate training and
tools to establish the appropriate mechanisms for
implementing this type of approach.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that a
fact-based threat assessment approach, involving school
officials, local law enforcement, and members of the
community, is one of the most effective ways to prevent
targeted violence in schools, and is a fitting memorial to
those who lost their lives in the February 14, 2018, attack
on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and those who
heroically acted to preserve the lives of their friends,
students, and colleagues.
SEC. ___03. REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE NATIONAL
THREAT ASSESSMENT CENTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY.
(a) In General.--Chapter 203 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 3056A the
following:
``Sec. 3056B. Functions of the National Threat Assessment
Center of the United States Secret Service
``(a) In General.--There is established a National Threat
Assessment Center (in this section referred to as the
`Center'), to be operated by the United States Secret
Service, at the direction of the Secretary of Homeland
Security.
``(b) Functions.--The functions of the Center shall include
the following:
``(1) Training in the area of best practices on threat
assessment.
``(2) Consultation on complex threat assessment cases or
programs.
``(3) Research on threat assessment and the prevention of
targeted violence, consistent with evidence-based standards
and existing laws and regulations.
``(4) Facilitation of information sharing on threat
assessment and the prevention of targeted violence among
agencies with protective or public safety responsibilities,
as well as other public or private entities.
``(5) Development of evidence-based programs to promote the
standardization of Federal, State, and local threat
assessments, best practices in investigations involving
threats, and the prevention of targeted violence.
``(c) Safe School Initiative.--In carrying out the
functions described in subsection (b), the Center shall
establish a national program on targeted school violence
prevention, focusing on the following activities:
``(1) Research.--The Center shall--
``(A) conduct research into targeted school violence and
evidence-based practices in targeted school violence
prevention, including school threat assessment; and
``(B) publish the findings of the Center on the public
website of the United States Secret Service.
``(2) Training.--
``(A) In general.--The Center shall develop and offer
training courses on targeted school violence prevention to
agencies with protective or public safety responsibilities
and other public or private entities, including local
educational agencies.
``(B) Plan.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Center shall establish a plan
to offer its training and other educational resources to
public or private entities within each State.
``(3) Coordination with other federal agencies.--The Center
shall develop research and training programs under this
section in coordination with the Department of Justice, the
Department of Education, and the Department of Health and
Human Services.
``(4) Consultation with entities outside the federal
government.--The Center is authorized to consult with State
and local
[[Page S3172]]
educational, law enforcement, and mental health officials and
private entities in the development of research and training
programs under this section.
``(5) Interactive website.--The Center may create an
interactive website to disseminate information and data on
evidence-based practices in targeted school violence
prevention.
``(d) Hiring of Additional Personnel.--The Director of the
United States Secret Service may hire additional personnel to
comply with the requirements of this section, which, if the
Director exercises that authority, shall include--
``(1) at least 1 employee with expertise in child
psychological development; and
``(2) at least 1 employee with expertise in school threat
assessment.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the functions of
the Center $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through
2025.
``(f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this section, the Director of the Secret
Service shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives a report on actions taken by the United
States Secret Service to implement provisions of this
section, which shall include--
``(1) the number of employees hired (on a full-time
equivalent basis);
``(2) the number of individuals in each State trained in
threat assessment;
``(3) the number of school districts in each State trained
in school threat assessment or targeted school violence
prevention;
``(4) information on Federal, State, and local agencies
trained or otherwise assisted by the Center;
``(5) a formal evaluation indicating whether the training
and other assistance provided by the Center is effective;
``(6) a formal evaluation indicating whether the training
and other assistance provided by the Center was implemented
by the school;
``(7) a summary of the Center's research activities and
findings; and
``(8) a strategic plan for disseminating the Center's
educational and training resources to each State.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `evidence-based' means--
``(A) strong evidence from at least 1 well-designed and
well-implemented experimental study;
``(B) moderate evidence from at least 1 well-designed and
well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or
``(C) promising evidence from at least 1 well-designed and
well-implemented correlational study with statistical
controls for selection bias;
``(2) the term `local educational agency' has the meaning
given that term under section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); and
``(3) the term `State' means any State of the United
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
``(h) No Funds To Provide Firearms Training.--None of the
funds authorized to be appropriated under this section may be
used to train any person in the use of a firearm.
``(i) No Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this section may
be construed to preclude or contradict any other provision of
law authorizing training in the use of firearms.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 4 of the Presidential Threat Protection Act of
2000 (18 U.S.C. 3056 note) is repealed.
(2) The table of sections for chapter 203 of title 18,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 3056A the following:
``3056B. Functions of the National Threat Assessment Center of the
United States Secret Service.''.
SEC. ___04. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
(a) Waiver of Requirements.--Nothing in this title or the
amendments made by this title shall be construed to create,
satisfy, or waive any requirement under--
(1) title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990
(42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.);
(2) the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.);
(3) title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.
2000d et seq.);
(4) title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
1681 et seq.); or
(5) the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et
seq.).
(b) Prohibition on Federally Developed, Mandated, or
Endorsed Curriculum.--Nothing in this title or the amendments
made by this title shall be construed to authorize any
officer or employee of the Federal Government to engage in an
activity otherwise prohibited under section 103(b) of the
Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3403(b)).
______