S. 1189: School Guardian Act of 2025

This bill, known as the School Guardian Act of 2025, aims to enhance security at elementary and secondary schools by providing funding to States for the hiring of armed law enforcement officers. Below is a summary of the key components of the bill:

Grant Provision

The Attorney General will have the authority to allocate grants to States that choose to participate. These grants would be used specifically for:

• Paying the salaries of law enforcement officers assigned to schools.
• Training these officers.
• Providing necessary equipment for the officers.

State Allocation of Grants

The amount of grant money each State receives will be proportional to the number of students attending K-12 schools in that State compared to the total number of K-12 students in the country.

Subgrants to Local Agencies

State law enforcement agencies can award subgrants to local government law enforcement agencies. The local agencies can then use these funds to hire full-time law enforcement officers for the schools in their jurisdiction. Each school must have at least one full-time officer assigned for security purposes.

Requirements for Subgrants

To qualify for a subgrant, local law enforcement agencies must enter into written agreements with the schools they serve. These agreements must outline the number of officers to be hired and assigned to each school.

Reporting Obligations

States receiving these grants must submit annual reports to the Attorney General detailing:

• The number of subgrants awarded and their amounts.
• The number of law enforcement officers hired with the grant funding.
• The number of schools with full-time officers funded by the grants.

Funding Sources

The bill proposes that funding come from unobligated balances previously allocated to the Internal Revenue Service, amounting to $80 billion. This funding will be made available for disbursement over a span of fiscal years from 2025 to 2034, with a maximum of $8 billion available each year.

Unused Funds

If any funds awarded to a State remain unspent by the end of the fiscal year, those funds must be returned to the Attorney General. These returned funds will then be reused to support the grant program.

Definitions

For the purposes of this bill:

• K–12 school: This term refers to elementary and secondary schools as defined in current education law.
• Local educational agency: Defined in the context of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Implementation

The bill would take effect upon enactment, with the aim of strengthening security measures in schools proactively. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to address safety concerns in educational environments.

Relevant Companies

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