April 1, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 56 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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COORDINATING AND LEVERAGING ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL SECURITY ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 56
(House of Representatives - April 01, 2019)
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[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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