Last month, the House Labor and Education Committee considered and approved H.R.5428 – School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act (Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL), a NABITA-endorsed bill. If enacted, this bill would require the federal government to publish an annual report on indicators of school crime and safety on school shootings and safety-related matters. NABITA worked directly with Rep. Wasserman Schultz’s office to improve the bill to ensure the study of schools’ “trauma response plans” that coordinate with school-based counselors, other school mental health professionals, and appropriate community partners and organizations, such as community action programs or agencies. Translated, this study will now consider how BIT-styled teams respond to a traumatic event. Of all the amendments offered in committee for H.R 5428, only NABITA’s was approved.
BIG Act
As a friendly reminder, NABITA is still encouraging members to reach out to their home state Senators and ask that they support the BIG Act (S 1383). Your voice matters to Members of Congress and can make a real difference! For your convenience, NABITA has created a Member activation page with a sample email draft and all the information you need to reach out to your Senator.