Newtown, CT — Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) voted within the committee to increase funding for evidence-based school violence prevention under the STOP School Violence Act.
Sandy Hook Promise applauds Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY-17), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX-12), CJS Subcommittee Chairman José Serrano (D-NY-15), CJS Subcommittee Ranking Member Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL-13), Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-04), Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY-05), Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL-22), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15), Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10), Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN-5), and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-2) for leading the effort to allocate $125 million for violence prevention programs and threat assessment teams in schools and issued the following statement:
“This funding is critical to protecting our children. We know that violence and suicide in our schools are preventable when we teach students and adults to ‘know the signs’ and reach out when they see someone hurting or need help themselves. We applaud the continued bipartisan commitment of Chairman Serrano, Ranking Member Aderholt, and this committee to improve school safety through prevention and early intervention to stop future tragedies before they can happen,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and the father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy.
The FY 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that passed through Subcommittee today increases the Department of Justice’s STOP School Violence Act funding from $100 million to $125 million for school violence prevention grants to states, local governments, and Tribes for the purposes of training students and school personnel to identify signs of violence and intervene early to prevent people from hurting themselves or others. The funding can also be used to for the development and operation of anonymous reporting systems, and formation of evidence-based school threat assessment and intervention teams to help schools intake and triage threats before tragedy strikes.
The STOP School Violence Act was introduced in the House of Representatives before the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to build off of the research and lessons learned from Sandy Hook and other tragic shootings and scale proven, evidence-based early intervention programming to schools across the country to prevent future school shootings, suicides, and other forms of school violence. It was passed as part of the FY2018 omnibus funding bill. Sandy Hook Promise proudly worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 that will train millions more students and adults to “know the signs” of gun violence and how to act to prevent it.
About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence (and other forms of violence and victimization) BEFORE it can happen by educating and mobilizing youth and adults to identify, intervene, and get help for at-risk individuals. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions, and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. For more information, visit www.sandyhookpromise.org or call 203-304-9780.
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