(WASHINGTON D.C.) Several U-S Senators, including Iowa Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst have announced a bi-partisan bill called the "STOP School Violence Act.."
The bill would provide grants to train students, school staff, and law enforcement to spot signs of potential violence and take intervention and prevention steps. Ernst, one of many co-sponsors of the bill, took part in a news conference today about the issue.
"This bill would provide our schools with additional resources to prevent senseless and tragic violence. It will empower our states and local communities to take steps they deem necessary to deter future threats and ensure students, teachers, and faculty can focus on what's most important in school, learning and growing," said Ernst. "It's time we move forward with this bi-partisan legislation so we can try and stop these tragedies before they happen in the first place."
The bill includes funding for technology and equipment to improve security. It would pay for anonymous reporting systems and security improvements, as well as fund school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams.