Seven years to the day after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, lawmakers continue bipartisan push for changes to help prevent future violence.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to reintroduce the EAGLES Act to help prevent acts of mass violence. The bill, named after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mascot and introduced on the seventh anniversary of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, would expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to include a greater focus on preventing targeted violence, including school violence.
“No child should feel unsafe in the classroom, and we must take action to ensure that schools are a secure place for students, teachers, and staff,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would strengthen research and training to prevent targeted violence, including threats to schools, helping educators and law enforcement better identify risks early and respond effectively.”
“Too many communities in Maine and all across the country have been devastated by mass acts of violence. Whether it’s at school, the supermarket, or church, Americans deserve to feel safe while going about their daily lives. The bipartisan EAGLES Act would expand the capabilities of the National Threat Assessment Center so we can better prevent mass violence and senseless tragedies. This is a proactive, commonsense step forward in combatting public threats and I thank my colleagues for coming together to help keep our communities safe,” said Senator King.
The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center 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, the 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 EAGLES Act reauthorizes and expands NTAC, allowing it to scale its threat assessment operations, with a particular focus on school safety.
In addition to reauthorizing the Center and expanding their research and education capabilities, the bill establishes a national program on targeted school violence prevention and provides additional resources for research and training. Through the bill’s school safety initiative, the NTAC will coordinate trainings and plans with the Departments of Justice and Education. The bill also requires the Secret Service to provide periodic progress reports to Congress.
Along with Senators Collins and King, and lead sponsors Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the EAGLES Act is cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23).
The legislation is endorsed by 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, Everytown for Gun Safety, Safe and Sound Schools, National Sheriff’s Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, and The American Psychological Association.
The complete text of the bill can be read here.
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