HR1335-119

What This Bill Does

The MSD Act adds school emergency response and parental notification procedures to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. As a condition of receiving funds, each local educational agency must develop and implement procedures covering students, faculty, and staff at public elementary and secondary schools and ensure parents and guardians receive timely notice of covered threats and emergencies on school grounds, transportation, or school-sponsored activities. Procedures must be developed with public safety agencies, use common alarm responses, identify the primary emergency response agency for each threat, and identify school personnel responsible for contacting that agency. Covered threats include weapons, active shooters, hostage situations, bomb threats, homicide, sex offenses, trespassing, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, harmful substances, and other local threats. Separately, within 90 days, CISA must convene a rulemaking advisory committee on interior and exterior school door installation or modification, including law enforcement, school safety, parents, teachers, ballistic shielding, structural engineering, and other experts; CISA must report within one year, issue a final rule six months later, and administer the rule under the Homeland Security Grant Program with an added $100 million authorized for the fiscal year of the final rule and each of the next nine fiscal years.

Who Benefits and How

Students and school staff benefit from required emergency response procedures and reinforced-door standards. Parents and guardians benefit from timely notification duties during covered school threats and emergencies. Local educational agencies benefit from clear federal safety procedure criteria and possible Homeland Security Grant Program support. School safety technology and construction firms benefit if reinforced-door rules create demand for approved upgrades.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Local educational agencies must develop procedures, consult public safety agencies, implement alarm responses, and identify emergency contacts. CISA must convene and chair the advisory committee, prepare a report, issue a final rule, and administer the door requirement. School districts receiving federal funds must comply with emergency notification and door-modification requirements. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of an additional $100 million per year for ten years for the Homeland Security Grant Program.

Key Provisions

• Requires local educational agencies receiving ESEA funds to implement emergency response and parent notification procedures.
• Requires procedures to cover active shooters, weapons, hostage situations, bomb threats, violent crimes, fires, weather, disasters, and hazardous exposures.
• Directs CISA to convene a reinforced-door rulemaking advisory committee within 90 days.
• Requires a CISA report within one year and a final reinforced-door rule six months after that report.
• Authorizes an additional $100 million per year for ten years through the Homeland Security Grant Program.