Chair touts bipartisan Safer Schools Act and $2.5 billion grant plan

Questioner asked about the Safer Schools Act and whether states were already handling school-safety improvements. The Chair described a program that funds expert assessments by sheriffs, fire chiefs or police chiefs and provides grants to pay for recommended improvements.

"It's gonna be around 2,500,000,000," the Chair said of the program's estimated nationwide funding and added that the grants "would be spread out nationwide." (Chair)

Why it matters: the Chair framed the program as bipartisan, aimed at reducing security vulnerabilities in schools by funding expert assessments and remediation, and argued it would provide a return on investment by protecting students and teachers.

What happens next: the Chair said cosponsors include members from both parties and expressed confidence the bill would gain traction.