Senator Joni Ernst at the news conference.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst attended a news conference in Washington, D.C. today in support of a bill designed to stop violence in schools.
Ernst is cosponsoring the bill proposed by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch that would authorize the U.S. Justice Department to provide grants to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement to identify signs of violence and intervene to prevent people from hurting themselves or others.
“This bipartisan legislation will provide our schools with additional resources to prevent senseless and tragic violence,” according to Ernst. The bill also includes funding for
technology and equipment to improve school security and prevent school violence. Ernst, a Republican, says it is important to pass the “STOP School Violence Act” to prevent any more tragedies like the school shooting in Florida.
“It will empower our states and local communities to take the steps they deem necessary to deter future threats and ensure our students, teachers and faculty can focus on what is most important at school — learning and growing,” Ernst says.
This bill funding to develop anonymous reporting systems, and security infrastructure improvements. It also provides funds for school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams to help schools intake and triage threats before tragedy strikes.