Alabama Congressman Barry Moore Introduces Bill to Strengthen School Safety, Create Jobs for Veterans

Below is an official press release from the office of Alabama Congressman Barry Moore. The press release is about the “Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023.”

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) introduced the “Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023”, which would use some of the $1 billion in unspent COVID relief funds to provide grant funding for partnerships between schools and local law enforcement agencies to increase school safety and provide jobs for veterans.

“Instead of tolerating the same old, same old Washington status quo and letting unspent COVID funding sit unused in our treasury, my legislation puts that money to use to protect our children and hire our veterans,” said Moore. “The Democrat plan to defund the police and use bureaucracy to take guns away from law-abiding citizens trying to protect themselves is counterproductive and dangerous. We can better protect our children by giving schools the resources to increase security measures and encouraging stronger partnerships between schools and law enforcement.”

The Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023:

• Uses $1,000,000,000 in funds currently sitting in our treasury for grants to increase school safety.
• Creates a stronger partnership link between schools and local law enforcement agencies.
• Ensures that at least one veteran is hired as a school resource officer to receive grant funding.

Read the bill’s text, below.

To make certain amounts available for grants under the
COPS program to be used for establishing school-based
partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and
local school systems by using school resource officers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023’’.

SEC. 2. IN GENERAL.
Notwithstanding any provision of section 9705 of title 31, United States Code, $1,000,000,000 of the funds available in the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund established under that section shall be made avail6 able to the Attorney General, to remain available until expended. The Attorney General shall use such funds to make grants under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, except that $750,000,000 of such grants may only be made to grantees who certify that they will use such funds for the purpose under section 1701(b) of such part, and who will be hiring at least one veteran as a school resource officer.