HR2577-119

What This Bill Does

The PLAN for School Safety Act creates a Regional School Safety Development Center program in the Homeland Security Act. The CISA Director may make grants or cooperative agreements to states, state educational agencies, Tribal educational agencies, minority-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other eligible entities to establish, improve, or maintain statewide or intrastate school safety development centers. Those centers provide customized consulting to schools on individualized school safety and student mental health plans, public awareness of evidence-based school safety practices, communications to educators, parents, guardians, and youth, help identifying federal or state implementation funding, and training for school staff and families. CISA must prefer entities with relationships with local schools, especially rural, Tribal, low-resourced communities, or minority-serving institutions. The federal share is capped at 95 percent. CISA must provide technical assistance with the Secretary of Education and a Youth Advisory Council, hire school mental health and administration experts, receive a reimbursable Education Department detailee, establish the Youth Advisory Council within one year, report to Congress after two years and annually thereafter, and may not use funds for firearm training or hiring school personnel or school-based contractors. The authorization is $25 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Who Benefits and How

Schools benefit because regional centers provide individualized consulting on safety plans, student mental health, violence prevention, threat assessment, emergency planning, drills, and recovery plans. Rural and Tribal communities benefit because award preferences favor eligible entities with existing relationships in underserved school communities. State educational agencies benefit because they can receive awards to establish or maintain school safety centers and coordinate evidence-based support. Students and families benefit from school staff training, public awareness materials, suicide prevention, mental health supports, and youth advisory input.

Who Bears the Burden and How

CISA administrators must run the award program, provide technical assistance, hire experts, convene the Youth Advisory Council, and report annually. Eligible grantees must submit applications, provide expertise evidence, operate centers, comply with the 95 percent federal share, and avoid prohibited firearm or staffing uses. The Department of Education must detail an employee to CISA on a reimbursable basis for training and technical assistance. Federal taxpayers bear $25 million annually in authorized spending for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Key Provisions

• Creates Regional School Safety Development Center grants or cooperative agreements in the Homeland Security Act.
• Authorizes $25 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and caps the federal share at 95 percent.
• Requires centers to provide customized school safety, student mental health, funding, training, and technical assistance support.
• Prohibits use of funds for firearm training or hiring school personnel and requires CISA youth-advisory and congressional reporting duties.