EAGLES Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1299
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-13: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-30T08:06:38Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The EAGLES Act of 2025 aims to reauthorize and expand the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), operated by the U.S. Secret Service. It focuses on preventing targeted violence—such as attacks on schools, workplaces, and public spaces—through research, training, and collaboration. The bill honors the victims and heroes of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, by promoting evidence-based behavioral threat assessment to identify and intervene in concerning behaviors before violence occurs.
Key Provisions
- Establishment and Functions of NTAC: Creates NTAC under DHS direction, with core roles including:
- Providing training and education on best practices for threat assessment and violence prevention.
- Offering consultations on complex cases.
- Conducting research on threat assessment, adhering to evidence-based standards (defined as studies with strong, moderate, or promising evidence from well-designed research).
- Facilitating information sharing among federal, state, local agencies, and private entities.
- Developing standardized programs for threat assessments across government levels.
- Safe School Initiative: Establishes a national program specifically for preventing targeted school violence, including:
- Research on school violence and prevention practices, with findings published on the Secret Service website and SchoolSafety.gov.
- Training courses for law enforcement, schools, and other entities, with a plan within one year to offer resources in every state.
- Coordination with the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services.
- Consultations with state/local officials and private groups.
- Potential creation of an interactive website for sharing evidence-based school safety information.
- Hiring and Reporting Requirements: Allows the Secret Service Director to hire additional staff, including at least one expert in child psychological development and one in school threat assessment. Requires a report to Congress within two years detailing implementation, such as employee hires, training numbers by state, evaluations of program effectiveness, research summaries, and a dissemination plan.
- Funding and Limitations: Authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Prohibits use of funds for firearms training, though it does not affect other existing laws on firearm training. The program terminates on September 30, 2030.
- Definitions: Clarifies terms like "evidence-based" (based on rigorous research studies), "local educational agency" (school districts under federal education law), and "state" (includes U.S. states, D.C., and territories).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Inserts a new section (3056B) into Chapter 203 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, formally establishing NTAC under DHS while maintaining Secret Service operation.
- Repeals Section 4 of the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000, which previously authorized a similar Secret Service threat assessment function, to consolidate and expand it.
- Shifts emphasis from general targeted violence research (originally established in 1998) to a stronger focus on schools and community-based prevention, including mandatory coordination with other federal agencies and state-level rollout plans.
- Introduces time-limited authorization (until 2030) and specific reporting/evaluation mandates not present in prior law.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Enhances DHS and Secret Service capabilities in violence prevention, requiring coordination with Justice, Education, and Health departments. Increases demand for training and consultations (already up 117% in recent years), potentially straining resources but improving inter-agency information sharing.
- On Citizens: Promotes early intervention to prevent school shootings and other targeted violence, potentially reducing juvenile arrests (noted 79% decline in trained communities) and connecting at-risk individuals to mental health and community support, diverting them from criminal justice involvement.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts; the bill focuses on domestic prevention efforts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: DHS, U.S. Secret Service (primary operators), Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services (for coordination).
- State and Local Entities: Law enforcement, school districts (local educational agencies), mental health professionals, and community organizations receiving training and resources.
- Educational Institutions: K-12 schools and universities, benefiting from specialized threat assessment tools and interventions.
- Communities and Individuals: Students, educators, families, and the public, particularly in high-risk areas; honors Parkland victims' families as a symbolic stakeholder.
- Private Sector: Organizations with public safety roles, such as workplaces and houses of worship, eligible for consultations and training.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Amends federal criminal code (Title 18) to codify preventive measures, emphasizing non-punitive early intervention over criminal penalties. Ensures compliance with existing privacy and evidence standards in research and data sharing, without overriding other laws.
- Constitutional: Supports public safety under the government's general welfare authority (e.g., Article I, Section 8), with no apparent conflicts to free speech, due process, or privacy rights, as it focuses on voluntary behavioral assessments rather than surveillance.
- Political: Serves as a bipartisan memorial to a high-profile tragedy, potentially building consensus on gun violence prevention without addressing firearms directly (e.g., explicit ban on using funds for gun training). The five-year sunset clause allows future Congresses to evaluate and extend, reflecting a pragmatic, evidence-driven approach amid rising demand for school safety resources.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-26]
Cosponsors (24)
Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23], Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1], Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2], Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28], Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27], Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25], Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-13: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-02-13: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-02-13: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- EAGLES Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-13 — PDF (13 pages)