Tennessee senators propose adding safety officials to schools after Nashville shooting
Cami Mondeaux
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Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) are set to introduce a bill that would recruit veterans and retired law enforcement officers to become safety officials in an effort to prevent violent attacks inside school buildings.
The proposed legislation would amend the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by establishing a $900 million grant program to hire and train officers as safety officials, as well as provide schools with the resources needed to increase physical security. The SAFE School Act would extend to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and would be implemented by local agencies on a state-by-state basis.
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“Violence against children is among the most heinous crimes imaginable. We must take steps to protect our children by increasing the number of school safety officers,” Blackburn said in a statement. “This measure will allow former veterans and law enforcement officers to serve their community, help protect schools and keep children safe.”
The legislation comes in response to a school shooting earlier this week, when a shooter opened fire at the Covenant School in Nashville, killing three children and three staff members. The incident renewed conversations surrounding school safety and gun regulations on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers remaining split on how to prevent future incidents.
Through the SAFE School Act, each state’s department of education would be tasked with establishing the qualifications and certification requirements for safety officers, as well as training programs that must be completed by applicants. The legislation would specifically recruit veterans and retired law enforcement officials because of their “unique skill sets,” according to Blackburn.
The legislation would allow each state to determine what authority the school officers would have, including whether the officials will be armed when on duty. The bill encourages states to include firearm and deescalation training as part of their certification program, but they would not be required to do so.
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“The Covenant School community, the city of Nashville, and our home state of Tennessee have suffered unspeakable, heartbreaking loss this week,” Hagerty said. “The heroic bravery of law enforcement officers and first responders who quickly ran into danger … saved many other lives and underscore the critical role of school-security planning and personnel in the face of depraved, evil acts.”
The legislation comes as lawmakers debate how to address mass shootings, with Democrats using the most recent incident to push for legislation that would target the underlying causes of gun violence. Meanwhile, Republicans have remained hesitant to enact laws that implement firearm restrictions.