Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation to put full-time armed law enforcement at every K-12 school nationwide in an effort to prevent mass school shootings.
The bill, known as the School Guardian Act, proposes a total of $80 billion in funding for the hirings—money previously made available to the IRS by the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
“Instead of spending billions of dollars to expand the IRS to go after American taxpayers, Washington can send a powerful message to parents about our true priorities by dedicating these funds to the School Guardian Act to provide block grants to states so they can increase school security at every school and keep kids safe,” Scott said in a
statement on April 25. “I hope my colleagues agree and support its quick passage.”
If enacted, the U.S. attorney general would use the funding to create a block grant program through which public and private K-12 schools could participate. According to the language of the bill (
pdf), schools could use the money to cover the cost of pay, training, and equipment for law enforcement officers.
“The recent shooting of innocent children and educators in Nashville showed us that we need to do better to keep our schools safe, and that starts by bringing effective ideas like our Guardian Program to every school across our nation,” Scott said. “These brave individuals are willing and able to step up and protect our kids and teachers from those who wish to do them harm.”
On March 27, a shooting
occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, claiming six lives—including those of three 9-year-old children. The assailant, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a 28-year-old female former student who identified as a transgender male, was shot and killed by responding police officers.
Days after the shooting, Scott
announced his plan for the legislation, which he introduced on Tuesday.
During a
press conference to announce its introduction, Scott said that he will be fighting to get his bill through the Senate, the House, and to have President Joe Biden sign it.
“It’s going to save lives, that’s why I’m doing it,” he said at the briefing.
The bill is modeled after legislation that Scott signed into law in 2018 as Florida governor, which created the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program. Under the program, employees of participating school districts can become guardians—i.e., armed personnel that assist in preventing or abating active assailant incidents on school grounds. According to Florida’s
Department of Education, 46 of the state’s 67 counties participate in the program.
The program was named in honor of Feis, an assistant football coach who
died protecting students during a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018.
The shooting resulted in 17 deaths and 17 injuries.
“This bill is incredibly important,” said Ryan Petty, a member of Florida’s Board of Education whose 14-year-old daughter, Alaina, died in the 2018 shooting, at Scott’s press conference.
“If we can’t prevent them, then we know having an armed response on campus is the fastest way to stop the killing, to stop these attacks from happening,” Petty added. “So I am proud to stand here and support this legislation. This is what’s needed in every one of our schools. We need to be able to protect our kids.”
Scott’s legislation is endorsed by Stand with Parkland, the Florida Sheriffs Association, and the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
“The Florida Police Chiefs Association is proud to stand with Senator Rick Scott in support of his School Guardian Act,” said Florida Police Chiefs President and Fellsmere Chief Keith Touchberry in a
statement.
“Every student deserves to focus on their education without fear, and placing well-trained law enforcement officers in schools fosters a safer learning environment,” Touchberry added. “As Governor, Senator Scott led the effort after the Parkland tragedy to visibly strengthen law enforcement’s presence in Florida’s schools, and now his leadership on this issue at the Federal level promises to make our country safer.”
