Womack Helps Introduce School Safety and Mental Health Legislation

Statement

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) this week helped introduce the STOP II, Secure Every School and Protect our Nation's Children Act. The legislation builds on the STOP School Violence Act signed into law in 2018 to fund $1 billion for school resource officers, $1 billion for mental health guidance counselors, and $5 billion for hardening schools, active shooter training, and training for law enforcement, school officials, and students to intervene before a student reaches a breaking point. The $7 billion legislation is paid for with already approved, yet unused COVID-19 funds.

Congressman Womack said, "We need to protect our most precious gifts: our children. The STOP II Act will make our schools safer and improve mental health resources to prevent violence. Securing our classrooms and ensuring a safe, healthy, and productive learning environment for our kids is my top priority. Effective policy solutions will be rooted in implementing tools that stop tragedies and dangerous individuals."

In addition to $7 billion to fund school resource officers and mental health guidance counselors, STOP II, Secure Every School and Protect our Nation's Children Act closes loopholes in school security by allowing schools to apply under the STOP School Violence Act for grants to complete risk assessments and identify gaps in mental health services for students. It also codifies a clearinghouse at the Department of Homeland Security to assess, identify, and share best practices related to school safety.

To improve emergency preparedness, STOP II requires federal agencies to continuously update, develop, and provide training materials on bullying and cyberbullying, emergency planning, mental health, and targeted violence to help schools prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from a range of school safety threats, hazards, and emergency situations.

This builds on previous Republican action to protect communities, including passing the Fix NICS Act, Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act, and the STOP School Violence Act.

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