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Senators introduce school safety act nearly 3 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting

Bill named for 2 shooting victims

FILE- In this Feb. 15, 2018, file photo, law enforcement officers block off the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., following a deadly shooting at the school. Sorrow is reverberating across the country Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, as Americans joined a Florida community in remembering the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre. President Joe Biden used the the occasion to call on Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) (Wilfredo Lee, Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Three U.S. senators have introduced a school safety bill named for two of the students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting almost three years ago on Feb. 14.

Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, of Florida, and Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, introduced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2021. According to the legislation, it would create a centralized resource under the Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety to provide schools with federal resources and grants to be used toward safety measures.

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The bill is named for Luke Hoyer and Alex Schachter, two of the students killed among 17 people at the high school in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018. Both victim’s fathers testified during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to examine state and federal recommendations for protecting schools from targeted acts of violence.

“The Luke and Alex School Safety Act will ensure that the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse remains a resource our schools can access in the future. Information provided on SchoolSafety.gov will help teachers, school officials, and parents to improve safety measures and create a safe and supportive learning environment for students, while also demanding action if they believe their school needs to do more,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson introduced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2019 to create the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse.

The cache of safety resources for schools can be found at www.schoolsafety.gov and includes information mental health, school security and threat reporting.


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