National Strategy for School Security Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 3472
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-06T20:02:14Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation aims to enhance domestic preparedness for and response to acts of terrorism by requiring the development of a national strategy to secure elementary and secondary schools from such threats.
Key Provisions
- The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 by adding a new section (2220F) that directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to create and submit a national school security strategy.
- The strategy must be developed in consultation with the Secretary of Education and heads of other relevant federal agencies.
- It must be submitted within one year of enactment to specified congressional committees.
- Annual updates are required through 2033, or a certification of no updates if none are needed.
- The strategy must:
- Describe all relevant federal programs, projects, activities, and spending levels.
- Identify terrorism-related school security vulnerabilities and goals to address them.
- Outline actions, reforms, and improvements to align with current threats.
- Build on existing evaluations without duplication.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new mandate for a dedicated national strategy focused on school security against terrorism, which was not previously required in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
- Establishes specific timelines, consultation requirements, and content guidelines for this strategy.
- Adds a clerical amendment to update the table of contents in the Homeland Security Act.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases coordination duties for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Education, along with other federal entities, potentially requiring new planning and reporting resources.
- Citizens: May lead to improved security measures at schools, affecting students, parents, and staff through enhanced preparedness efforts.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Education.
- Elementary and secondary schools, along with their administrators and staff.
- Congressional committees on homeland security and education.
- Students, families, and local communities connected to school security.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legally, it expands federal authority under the Homeland Security Act to include school-specific terrorism preparedness without altering existing constitutional powers over education or security.
- Politically, the bill reflects a bipartisan approach to addressing school safety through federal strategy development.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Cosponsors (1)
Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2025-12-15: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- National Strategy for School Security Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-15 — PDF (4 pages)