§2. Improving school security
This section establishes a grant program within the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs under which the Attorney General awards grants to states (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) and local educational agencies to improve security at elementary schools and secondary schools.
Eligible activities include (1) establishing and implementing state certification, licensure, or other training programs for veterans or former law enforcement officers to serve as school safety officers, which may include firearm or de-escalation training; (2) hiring such trained veterans or former officers, or off-duty law enforcement officers, to serve as school safety officers; and (3) installing school security infrastructure and technology such as metal detectors, x-ray machines, fencing, surveillance systems, door locks and access controls, forced-entry or bullet-resistant glass, enhanced lighting, emergency call boxes, alerts, and generators.
The section prohibits the Attorney General from discouraging or restricting grant uses for these activities, imposing requirements on training content, or preventing eligible activities. Grants must be awarded without regard to whether recipients are public or private schools, religiously affiliated, or receive other funding for school resource officers. The section authorizes $900 million in appropriations.