Safer Schools Act of 2023

The Safer Schools Act of 2023 establishes a 5-year pilot program providing federal grants to public schools for security assessments and physical safety upgrades. It offers two types of grants: (1) funding for independent security risk assessments (prioritizing schools that have experienced violent incidents), and (2) grants for "hard security improvements" like panic alarms linked to local law enforcement, with 50% federal funding (waivable for financial need). Schools must submit financial reports and security assessment results to qualify, and recipients must report on vulnerability fixes and student safety perceptions. The program allocates $100-300 million annually over five years, ending in 2028, with mandatory annual reports to Congress on school security outcomes.