Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today marks seven years since the horrific Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which claimed the lives of 17 students and staff. Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL-26) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) are honoring the Parkland families by reintroducing the bipartisan, bicameral EAGLES Act, which expands the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to establish a national program focused on targeted school violence prevention and provide additional resources to expand research, information-sharing, and training on a national scale. The EAGLES Act, named for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Eagles, would also provide additional resources to broaden NTAC’s program to include protection for workplaces and houses of worship.
The Senate companion was introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
“Over the years, I have been worked towards making our communities and schools a safer place. The safety of our children is of the utmost importance for every family. All parents should feel confident that when they drop their child off at school, that child is in a safe environment. That is why school safety must remain a top priority in our country, and that begins by taking the appropriate measures to prevent targeted violence and school violence. As a staunch supporter of school safety hardening measures to protect our students, teachers, and administrators, I am proud to reintroduce the EAGLES Act which builds upon President Trump’s leadership following the horrendous tragedy on February 14th, 2018.
“President Trump swiftly responded by establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety comprised of key agency heads who met with a series of experts across various sectors and produced real common-sense recommendations for the President and Congress to consider. President Trump led the charge in the creation of a one-stop shop federal clearinghouse for schools to review grant resources, and tools at their disposal to identify threats, www.SchoolSafety.Gov, which later I worked to codify into law.
“Following the recommendations of the report, I, alongside my colleagues across the House and Senate chambers, introduced the EAGLES Act to establish a school safety initiative. Under this initiative the U.S. Secret Service NTAC will develop nationwide plan to identify and mitigate threats of targeted school violence, drawing on decades of training and evidence-based research
“The EAGLES Act goes even further in honoring the 17 lives lost by protecting not just schools, but also workplaces and houses of worship equipping individuals with the tools to identify and respond to potential threats. I look forward to continuing this critical work alongside President Trump and will remain steadfast in ensuring our schools and communities have the necessary tools and resources to remain safe,” said Rep. Díaz-Balart.
“Seven years ago, my hometown of Parkland was shattered by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Every year since that horrific day is a brutal reminder of the work we still must do to protect our kids in schools. These incidents aren’t a red issue or a blue issue — they affect schools all over the country. No student should be scared just to go to class, and no family should fear their child won’t come home. Congress must act to protect our students and faculty, and this bipartisan bill is an important step forward in comprehensively tracking, targeting, and mitigating violence at schools to help keep everyone on school campuses safe,” said Rep. Moskowitz.
“Effective behavioral threat assessments and early interventions can stop deadly ideas from becoming tragic acts. Our bill would enable the Secret Service to share their unique tools and expertise with school safety partners across the country, building safer communities. While we cannot undo past tragedies, we can work together to honor the memories of those we’ve lost and prevent future violence,” Senator Grassley said.
“School shootings have devastated communities across the country, including in Nevada,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan legislation will help our law enforcement stop these violent attacks before they occur, so families can send their children to school without fear.”
“This Valentine’s Day marks seven years since my little boy Alex was murdered in the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history; the Parkland massacre. I hope all members of congress will support this important piece of school safety legislation. Threat management is the best tool we have to prevent acts of targeted violence. The EAGLES Act will help make our school safer all over the country. Thank you to my friend Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart for championing this issue,” said Max Schacter, Alex Schacter’s father and Founder & CEO of Safe Schools for Alex.
“We are incredibly grateful to Rep. Diaz-Balart and Rep. Moskowitz for their unwavering commitment to making America’s schools safer. Seven years have passed since our loved ones were murdered at school. Bipartisan legislation like the EAGLES Act must move forward in Congress to protect our nation’s students and teachers. The reintroduction of this critical bill brings us closer to ensuring that no other family has to endure the heartbreak of losing a child to preventable, senseless violence.” said Tony Montalto, Gina Montalto’s father and President of Stand with Parkland.
EAGLES is supported by the following organizations:
- Make Our Schools Safe
- School-Based Health Alliance
- National Fraternal Order of Police
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
- National Association of School Resource Officers
- National Association of Secondary School Principals
- Safe Schools for Alex
- Stand with Parkland
- Safe and Sound Schools
- National Sheriff’s Association
- Sergeant Benevolent Association
- The American Psychological Association
- Everytown for Gun Safety
Background
The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) was created in 1998 to develop evidence-based indicators for various types of targeted violence, including school violence. NTAC’s findings can then be used to develop best practices and training to prevent future acts of violence. Since 2002, Secret Service has conducted hundreds of training operations for more than 198,000 school administrators, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, school resource officers, and other public safety partners. The demand for NTAC training has significantly increased in recent years, with participants including faith-based leaders, workplace managers, school personnel, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and others.
Click here for EAGLES Fact Sheet 119th Congress