WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, applauded the launch of SchoolSafety.gov Monday, the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse where parents and educators can find recommendations and best practices schools can implement to improve school security. The clearinghouse will also provide information on available federal resources and grant programs that can be used toward these safety measures.
“I encourage teachers, school officials and, most importantly, parents to visit SchoolSafety.gov and see what steps their school should be taking to keep their students safe, and to demand action if they don’t believe their school is doing enough. While this launch will help improve school safety, Congress still needs to act to pass the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2019 to ensure that the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse remains a long-term priority,” said Sen. Johnson.
Background
- In July 2019, Sen. Johnson held a hearing at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to examine state and federal recommendations for enhancing school safety against targeted violence. Among the witnesses were two fathers whose sons were killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school attack – Max Schachter, father of Alex Schachter and founder of Safe Schools for Alex, and Tom Hoyer, father of Luke Hoyer and treasurer of Stand with Parkland.
- In November 2019, Sen. Johnson introduced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2019. The bill, named after Alex Schachter and Luke Hoyer, would create a Federal School Safety Clearinghouse.
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