Rep. John James Re-introduces School Safety Legislative Package to Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative John James (MI-10) announced the introduction of three bills, each of which are bipartisan, to address the issue of school safety. This follows Rep. James' introduction of a similar school safety legislative package in 2023.

Rep. James released the following statement after introducing these bills:

"My generation was still in school when the Columbine Massacre happened. I know what it's like to walk into class with the fear that I may not walk out," said James. "Now as the father of three school-aged boys, I pray every day that the Lord allows them to return home safe and sound. It's insane that millions of parents have to make that prayer every day in America. It's incensing that dozens of parents' prayers have not been answered in a generation. Prayer is powerful but we must do more than pray. We must change policy too. The Second Amendment is not optional, and neither is keeping our kids safe from violence. We deserve an America that can protect itself from tyranny without leaving its children vulnerable to terrorism. Gun deaths are symptoms of cultural decay and hopelessness in America. Doing nothing to address those symptoms is unacceptable, which is why I'm proud to introduce this commonsense school safety package to the U.S. House of Representatives. We are tackling an area that seems to have the least number of solutions - school safety - by first addressing mental health and constitutional responsibility from both sides of the aisle with this package."

The IMPROVE (Incentivize Motivated Parents with Responsible Options for Vital Education) Safety for Schools Act, co-led by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, would create a tax credit of $300 to incentivize parents/guardians to purchase a gun safe or storage item.

Rep. Kaptur released the following statement in support of the IMPROVE Safety for Schools Act:

"The leading cause of death for children across America is gun violence - a scourge that has taken a terrible toll on families in Ohio, Michigan, and across our country. Today, we are introducing the bipartisan IMPROVE Safety for Schools Act to help make our children, families, schools, and communities safer," said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). "Our bipartisan legislation expands firearm safety information available for parents, establishes a $300 non-refundable tax credit for firearm safety technologies including gun locks and gun safes, and expands access to information about gun safety through multiple avenues. I will work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact this bipartisan common sense legislation to keep our communities and our children safe."

The School Security is National Security Act, co-led by Rep. James' West Point classmate Congressman Pat Ryan of New York, would require that the President include a plan for securing America's schools in the administration's National Security Strategy.

Rep. Ryan released the following statement regarding this legislation:

"No parent dropping their kids off at school should have to worry about their child's safety," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "I'm proud to join Congressman James on this crucial first step toward securing our schools and making sure that every child returns home safely at the end of each school day."

Finally, the Kid PROOF Act, co-led by Congresswoman Angie Craig of Minnesota and Congresswoman Maria Salazar of Florida, would provide grants for health care providers to purchase lockboxes or safes to help families of children who may be at risk of suicide or overdose to store medications or other potentially dangerous items.

"One child lost to suicide or overdose is one too many," said Rep. Angie Craig. "As a mother and a grandmother, I feel strongly that we should be doing everything in our power to keep at-risk youth safe, and that's exactly what this legislation is about. The Kid PROOF Act takes an evidence-based approach to protecting our kids, and I look forward to working with Reps. James, Dingell and Salazar to get it signed into law."

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