The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to create the School Safety Development Center program. It authorizes the Director to award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to establish, improve, or maintain Regional School Safety Development Centers that provide customized consulting to schools for developing, improving, or implementing school safety and student mental health plans based on evidence-based best practices.
The program prioritizes rural, Tribal, and low-resource communities and requires training, coordination, and reporting to Congress. The bill reserves $25 million annually for 2026–2030 and imposes a 5 percent minimum non-federal share.
It also bars funds from being used for firearms training, and defines eligibility and terms for the centers and their activities.
At a Glance
What It Does
The Director shall award funding to eligible entities to establish Regional School Safety Development Centers that consult with schools to develop or improve customized school safety and mental health plans, disseminate evidence-based practices, and assist with implementation.
Who It Affects
States, State educational agencies, Tribal educational agencies, higher education institutions, and Tribal Colleges/Universities, plus the K–12 schools and districts they serve, especially in rural, Tribal, or under-resourced areas.
Why It Matters
Creates a nationwide, coordinated approach to school safety and mental health planning, leveraging evidence-based practices and tailored local support, with dedicated funding and accountability mechanisms.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The PLAN for School Safety Act of 2025 adds a new program to the Homeland Security Act that funds Regional School Safety Development Centers. These centers will be established by eligible entities—ranging from states and state education agencies to tribal agencies and universities—to provide customized consulting to individual schools.
The aim is to help districts create or improve school safety plans that incorporate mental health supports, violence prevention, threat assessment, and emergency planning, all guided by evidence-based standards. Centers will disseminate materials, conduct school-by-school analysis, and assist with implementation, including helping schools access federal or state funding for plan execution and providing staff training.
A Youth Advisory Council, training resources, and subject-matter experts will support the centers. The program emphasizes equity by preferring applicants with existing ties to rural, tribal, or low-resource communities.
It also requires periodic reporting to Congress on beneficiaries, plan effectiveness, and policy recommendations. Finally, appropriations of $25 million per year are authorized from 2026 to 2030, with a 5 percent minimum non-federal cost share and restrictions on using funds for firearm-related training.
The bill defines key terms like “eligible entities,” “evidence-based,” and “school safety plan.”
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates the School Safety Development Center program under Section 2220F of the Homeland Security Act.
Eligible entities include States, State educational agencies, Tribal educational agencies, higher education institutions, and Tribal Colleges.
Centers develop, customize, and implement school safety and mental health plans based on evidence-based practices.
The federal share cannot exceed 95 percent; grantees must provide at least 5 percent of total costs.
A Youth Advisory Council will advise on implementation and engagement with families and students.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Program establishment and general framework
The Director shall establish a nationwide program to create and fund Regional School Safety Development Centers. These centers provide customized consulting to schools to develop, improve, or implement school safety and student mental health plans based on evidence-based best practices. The framework also envisions dissemination of research, alignment with federal and state funding streams, and coordination with education and mental health initiatives.
Awards to eligible entities
Eligible entities submit applications demonstrating expertise in comprehensive school safety and climate, including violence prevention, suicide prevention, student mental health, and school security. When awarding, the Director gives preference to applicants with existing relationships to schools in rural, Tribal, or low-resource communities and to minority-serving institutions as defined in federal law.
Use of funds by centers
Grants or cooperative agreements must fund the establishment, improvement, or maintenance of a School Safety Development Center. Funds cover creating communications materials, conducting customized consultations, developing a tailored school safety and mental health plan, and supporting implementation steps such as identifying funding, assisting with grant applications, and training staff and families.
Award administration and support
The Director provides training and technical assistance on implementing the plans, hires subject-matter experts in school mental health and administration, and may detaile a Department of Education employee to assist in delivering the training. The bill also creates a Youth Advisory Council to provide joint advice on implementation.
Reporting to Congress
Not later than two years after enactment and annually thereafter, the Director reports on the centers’ actions, locations and counts of awardees, comparative analyses of school safety plan actions, and assessments of effectiveness in preventing violence and self-harm, including policy recommendations.
Rule of construction
The section does not waive or modify civil rights, disability, privacy, or education laws, and nothing may be construed to authorize firearms training under this program; it also does not preempt other laws. It ensures compatibility with existing protective and privacy regimes.
Authorization of appropriations
The bill authorizes $25 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to fund activities under this section. This funding may not be used for firearms training or for hiring school personnel for the schools advised by the centers.
Definitions
Key terms include ‘eligible entities’ (states, State educational agencies, Tribal educational agencies, certain higher ed institutions), ‘evidence-based,’ ‘school,’ and ‘school safety plan’ (covering staff, climate, mental health, reporting, threat assessment, emergency planning, training, drills, site assessments, and recovery plans).
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Who Benefits
- States and State educational agencies gain access to centralized expertise and grant funding to support school safety planning.
- Tribal educational agencies, Tribal Colleges, and Tribal Colleges and Universities benefit from targeted support and funding prioritization.
- Rural, Tribal, and low-resource school communities receive preferential consideration, improving access to safety planning resources.
- Schools and districts obtain customized, evidence-based safety and mental health plans and implementation support, including training and funding identification.
Who Bears the Cost
- Grantees must contribute at least 5 percent of total costs (federal share capped at 95 percent), creating a non-federal cost share burden.
- Local schools and districts may incur costs to implement plans beyond the federal support, including staff training and plan integration.
- Federal and state agencies may incur administrative costs to administer the program and coordinate youth council activities.
- States and local districts could face administrative burdens associated with aligning new center activities with existing funding streams and reporting requirements.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is balancing centralized federal standards and funding with meaningful local autonomy and flexibility in how schools implement safety and mental health plans, while ensuring accountability, equitable access, and timely delivery of services.
The bill creates a federally funded but locally implemented mechanism to improve school safety and student mental health through regional centers. It relies on competitive awards to eligible entities and emphasizes evidence-based practices, with a clear preference for rural, Tribal, and low-resource communities.
While the aim is to standardize best practices and provide tailored support, the approach shifts significant implementation and cost burdens onto grantees and local schools, which must absorb at least 5 percent of total program costs. The program includes training, a detailee arrangement with the Department of Education, and a Youth Advisory Council, all of which require ongoing coordination and funding that extend beyond the core grants.
The annual reporting requirement will supply data on locations, actions, and effectiveness, but the metrics and methodologies for evaluating success remain to be established. Data privacy, civil rights, and disability protections remain governed by existing law and are not altered by this act.
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