Washington - Today, Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 4909, STOP School Violence Act of 2018:

“Our children should never be scared when they walk into school each morning. The STOP School Violence Act makes our schools safer by providing resources to train students, teachers, and local law enforcement so they can help stop school violence before it happens. It also encourages state and local officials to share best practices for preventing school violence with federal law enforcement and their counterparts in other states. I am committed to working with President Trump to ensure our schools remain a safe environment where our kids can learn and grow.”

Background on H.R. 4909 courtesy of the bill’s sponsor, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04): The STOP School Violence Act reauthorizes and amends the bipartisan 2001 Secure Our Schools (P.L. 106-386) program through the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, providing local law enforcement, school personnel and students with the tools they need to proactively prevent a threat. The legislation authorizes $50 million annually for state and local schools to make evidence-based investments in the development and operation of FBI & Secret Service-based school threat assessment teams to help schools to intake and triage threats before tragedy strikes; implement anonymous reporting systems for students in coordination with local law enforcement; administer training and technical assistance for students, school personnel and law enforcement to identify signs of violence and intervene early to prevent students from hurting themselves and others; facilitate coordination between schools and local law enforcement; and provide significant improvement in school security.