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House Report 119-378 - NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SCHOOL SECURITY ACT OF 2025
[House Report 119-378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-378
======================================================================
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SCHOOL SECURITY ACT OF 2025
_______
November 12, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Garbarino, from the Committee on Homeland Security, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2259]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 2259) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002
to require the development of a national strategy to secure
elementary and secondary schools against acts of terrorism, and
ensure domestic preparedness for and the response to terrorism,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the
bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 3
Committee Consideration.......................................... 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 5
C.B.O. Estimate, New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and
Tax Expenditures............................................... 5
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 6
Duplicative Federal Programs..................................... 6
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 6
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 6
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 6
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 6
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 6
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 7
The amendment is as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Strategy for School Security
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO SECURE SCHOOLS FROM THREATS OF TERRORISM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle A of title XXII of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 2220F. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO SECURE SCHOOLS FROM THREATS OF
TERRORISM.
``(a) In General.--To assist in the domestic preparedness for and
response to acts of terrorism and to coordinate Federal efforts to
secure elementary and secondary schools (as such terms are defined in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801)), not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this section, the Secretary, in consultation and cooperation with
the Secretary of Education and the heads of other appropriate Federal
agencies and departments, shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate a national school security strategy (in this section
referred to as the `strategy'). The Secretary, in consultation and
cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the heads of other
appropriate Federal agencies and departments, shall brief such
committees on the strategy.
``(b) Updates and Briefings.--The Secretary, in consultation and
cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the heads of other
appropriate Federal agencies and departments, shall, if appropriate,
annually through 2033 update the strategy, and brief the committees
specified in subsection (a) concerning any such update. If there is no
such update for any given year, the Secretary shall submit to such
committees a certification attesting thereto.
``(c) Contents.--The strategy, including any updates thereto, shall--
``(1) account for and describe all Federal programs,
projects, activities, and authorities including associated
spending levels, to secure elementary and secondary schools
from acts of terrorism;
``(2) identify specific school security vulnerabilities
related to acts of terrorism within the United States, and
delineate goals for closing such security vulnerabilities;
``(3) describe actions to be taken to achieve such goals and
the means necessary to do so, including steps to reform,
improve, and streamline existing efforts to align the current
threat environment to elementary and secondary schools; and
``(4) build upon existing or ongoing evaluations and avoid
unnecessary duplication by reviewing the findings, conclusions,
and recommendations of other appropriate working groups,
committees, commissions, or entities established by the
Department related to efforts to secure elementary and
secondary schools against terrorism within the United States,
and ensure domestic preparedness for and the response to
terrorism.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 2220E the following new item:
``Sec. 2220F. National strategy to secure schools from threats of
terrorism.''.
Purpose and Summary
H.R. 2259, the ``National Strategy for School Security Act
of 2025,'' requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to develop a national strategy to secure elementary and
secondary schools from acts of terrorism. DHS must submit this
strategy to Congress, annually update the strategy through
2033, and provide annual briefings to Congress on those
updates.
Background and Need for Legislation
Each year, schools across our nation increasingly fall
victim to attacks and terrorist threats. Schools, due to their
layouts and lack of security, are often seen as soft targets.
Addressing whether educational institutions are adequately
prepared to respond to and effectively manage acts of
terrorism, active shooters, and other large-scale emergencies
continues to be a challenge for communities. The 2025-2026
school year has already seen a record number of school
shootings, including incidents at Evergreen High School in
Colorado and Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota.
Currently, there are DHS components and other various
federal agencies that provide schools with emergency
preparedness training, funding, and assistance. However, these
efforts are not coordinated, and there is no comprehensive,
fully implementable national strategy that brings together
these efforts to identify vulnerabilities and ensure consistent
standards of protection. In fact, the Government Office of
Accountability (GAO) repeatedly highlights, in its report
entitled, ``K-12 Education: Characteristics of School
Shootings,'' a lack of inter-agency coordination, outdated
guidance, and inconsistent emergency planning.\1\ Furthermore,
after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018,
President Trump formed the Federal Commission on School Safety,
which suggested the federal government develop a clearinghouse
to assess, identify, and share best practices related to school
security measures.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, GAO-20-455, K-12 Education:
Characteristics of School Shootings (2020).
\2\Federal Comm'n on School Safety, Final Report Presented to the
President of the United States (2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hearings
The Committee has not held a hearing that guided the
development of this legislation in the 119th Congress.
Committee Consideration
The Committee met on September 3, 2025, a quorum being
present, to consider H.R. 2259 and ordered the measure to be
favorably reported to the House, as amended, by a recorded vote
of 22 yeas to 0 nays.
Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the
recorded votes on the motion to report legislation and
amendments thereto.
The vote was as follows:
Committee Oversight Findings
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII, the
Committee advises that the findings and recommendations of the
Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1)
of rule X, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this
report.
Congressional Budget Office Estimate, New Budget Authority, Entitlement
Authority, and Tax Expenditures
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule
XIII and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, and with respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of
rule XIII and section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate of any new
budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an
increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures contained
in the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office.
H.R. 2259 would require the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), in consultation with the Department of Education, to
report to the Congress within one year of enactment on a
strategy for improving security in elementary and secondary
schools. Under the bill, the strategy would need to include a
description of federal programs and spending to prevent acts of
terrorism in schools, specific vulnerabilities to such acts,
and actions and goals to address them. The bill would require
DHS to brief the Congress annually through 2033 on any updates
to the strategy.
Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates
that implementing H.R. 2259 would cost less than $500,000 over
the 2026-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to
the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Federal Mandates Statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act of 1995.
Duplicative Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII, the Committee finds
that H.R. 2259 does not contain any provision that establishes
or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another
Federal program.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the objective of
H.R. 2259 is to develop a national strategy to secure
elementary and secondary schools from acts of terrorism.
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits,
and Limited Tariff Benefits
In compliance with rule XXI, this bill, as reported,
contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or
limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or
9(f) of rule XXI.
Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
Applicability to the Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that H.R. 2259 does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of
the Congressional Accountability Act.
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short title
This section provides the Act's short title, the ``National
Strategy for School Security Act of 2025''.
Section 2. National strategy to secure schools from threats of
terrorism
This section amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 by
adding a new provision to require DHS to develop a national
strategy to secure elementary and secondary schools from acts
of terrorism. Specifically, subsection (a) requires the DHS
Secretary to coordinate with the Secretary of Education and
other appropriate federal agencies to develop a national
strategy for protecting elementary and secondary schools
against acts of terror within one year after the date of
enactment. It also requires the Secretary to submit the
strategy to the relevant Congressional committees of
jurisdiction.
Sec. 2 (b) further requires the Department, as necessary,
to brief relevant Congressional committees each year, until
2033, to receive updates to the strategy on a more expedited
basis.
Sec. 2 (c) stipulates the contents of the strategy,
including specific school security vulnerabilities and
delineate goals for closing security gaps. Furthermore, the
strategy shall identify federal programs, projects, and
activities for elementary and secondary schools that can be
leveraged to secure them against acts of terrorism.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is
printed in italics and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Homeland
Security Act of 2002''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is
as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
* * * * * * *
TITLE XXII--CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY
Sec. 2200. Definitions.
Subtitle A--Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Sec. 2201. Definition.
* * * * * * *
Sec. 2220E. Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training
Initiative.
Sec. 2220F. National strategy to secure schools from threats of
terrorism.
* * * * * * *
TITLE XXII--CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY
* * * * * * *
Subtitle A--Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
* * * * * * *
SEC. 2220F. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO SECURE SCHOOLS FROM THREATS OF
TERRORISM.
(a) In General.--To assist in the domestic preparedness for
and response to acts of terrorism and to coordinate Federal
efforts to secure elementary and secondary schools (as such
terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this section,
the Secretary, in consultation and cooperation with the
Secretary of Education and the heads of other appropriate
Federal agencies and departments, shall submit to the Committee
on Homeland Security and the Committee on Education and
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a national
school security strategy (in this section referred to as the
``strategy''). The Secretary, in consultation and cooperation
with the Secretary of Education and the heads of other
appropriate Federal agencies and departments, shall brief such
committees on the strategy.
(b) Updates and Briefings.--The Secretary, in consultation
and cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the heads
of other appropriate Federal agencies and departments, shall,
if appropriate, annually through 2033 update the strategy, and
brief the committees specified in subsection (a) concerning any
such update. If there is no such update for any given year, the
Secretary shall submit to such committees a certification
attesting thereto.
(c) Contents.--The strategy, including any updates thereto,
shall--
(1) account for and describe all Federal programs,
projects, activities, and authorities including
associated spending levels, to secure elementary and
secondary schools from acts of terrorism;
(2) identify specific school security vulnerabilities
related to acts of terrorism within the United States,
and delineate goals for closing such security
vulnerabilities;
(3) describe actions to be taken to achieve such
goals and the means necessary to do so, including steps
to reform, improve, and streamline existing efforts to
align the current threat environment to elementary and
secondary schools; and
(4) build upon existing or ongoing evaluations and
avoid unnecessary duplication by reviewing the
findings, conclusions, and recommendations of other
appropriate working groups, committees, commissions, or
entities established by the Department related to
efforts to secure elementary and secondary schools
against terrorism within the United States, and ensure
domestic preparedness for and the response to
terrorism.
* * * * * * *
[all]