News Releases

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) – chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – included in their bipartisan appropriations bill a measure to fully fund the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018, which was signed into law earlier this year, at its authorized level of $100 million. The measure was reported favorably out of the subcommittee on Tuesday and was approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee today.

“I am grateful for Senator Shaheen’s partnership in crafting this bipartisan bill, which prioritizes issues important to Kansans and Americans across the country, including funding for the STOP School Violence Act,” said Chairman Moran. “This legislation will help schools train security officers with crisis intervention strategies, strengthen school infrastructure and develop anonymous reporting systems to help intervene in crisis situations before students can harm themselves or others. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense measure on the Senate floor.”

“Our kids should be focusing on their school work, extracurricular activities and friends – they shouldn’t be distracted or burdened with the fear of their school being the next location for gun violence,” said Ranking Member Shaheen. “To keep students, teachers and faculty safe, preventative investments are important – and that is precisely what this funding bill includes. Increasing resources to provide evidence-based violence prevention and intervention efforts like training for teachers and school staff and school threat assessments are significant steps Congress and our communities can take to keep classrooms safe. I appreciate Chairman Moran’s efforts to help usher this priority through the subcommittee, and the bipartisanship we’ve seen by Senators on both sides of the aisle throughout the appropriations process to ensure this important work gets done.”

“This critical funding will protect even more students across our country with proven violence prevention programs,” said Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise Mark Barden. “We know that violence and suicide in our schools are preventable when we teach students and adults to know the signs and act as upstanders to save a life. We applaud the continued bipartisan commitment of Chairman Moran, Ranking Member Shaheen, and this committee to improve school safety through prevention and early intervention to stop future tragedies before they happen.”

Following tragedies due to school violence, the federal government has funded short-term school safety initiatives focused on crisis response, active shooters and physical infrastructure. The STOP School Violence Act builds on these initiatives and promotes sustained strategies to stop violence in our schools before it happens. This funding provides students, educators and local law enforcement the tools and support they need to take proactive and continuous steps toward improving school safety and security. 

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