PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 13, 2025
Measures for Safer School Districts Act or the MSD Act
This bill requires each local educational agency (LEA), as a condition of receiving federal elementary and secondary education funds, to establish procedures for responding to school emergencies and for timely notifying parents of school emergencies. It also requires interior and exterior doors in schools to be reinforced.
Specifically, the bill requires each LEA to (1) develop and implement emergency response procedures covering all students, faculty, and staff at public schools under the jurisdiction of the LEA; and (2) ensure that parents and guardians receive timely notification of covered threats and emergencies (e.g., active shooter situations, bomb threats, and natural disasters) that occur on school grounds, during school transportation, or during school-sponsored activities. These emergency response procedures must meet specified criteria, including by requiring commonly used alarm system responses for specific types of emergencies.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Additionally, the bill requires the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to convene a rulemaking advisory committee to review and develop findings and recommendations to require the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in any school that receives federal funding. Further, CISA must (1) submit a report to Congress on the advisory committee's findings and recommendations, and (2) issue a final rule that requires the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in schools to reinforce such doors.
The bill authorizes the use of grants under the Homeland Security Grant Program to carry out the bill's provisions.
People & committees
Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23] · D–FL
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Jul 9, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-13 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The bill would require school districts receiving funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to establish emergency procedures and notify parents and guardians promptly about covered emergencies. It would also direct a federal advisory committee to develop school-door reinforcement recommendations, followed by federal rules requiring door reinforcement. The committee’s work would cover federally funded elementary and secondary schools, although the final-rule provision does not repeat that funding restriction.
Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, each local educational agency shall— (1) develop and implement emergency response procedures covering all students, faculty, and staff at public elementary and secondary schools under the jurisdiction of the agency; and (2) pursuant to such procedures, ensure that parents and guardians receive timely notification of covered threats and emergencies that occur on school grounds, during school transportation, or during school-sponsored activities.
convene a rulemaking advisory committee to review and develop findings and recommendations to require the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in any elementary or secondary school in the United States which receives Federal funding.
shall issue a final rule requiring the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in elementary or secondary schools for the purpose of reinforcing such doors.
The proposed funding condition would require local education agencies, such as school districts, to cover every student, faculty member, and staff member at their public elementary and secondary schools. Parent and guardian notifications would cover threats and emergencies on school grounds, during school transportation, and during school-sponsored activities. Notification must be timely, but this provision gives no specific deadline.
As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, each local educational agency shall— (1) develop and implement emergency response procedures covering all students, faculty, and staff at public elementary and secondary schools under the jurisdiction of the agency; and (2) pursuant to such procedures, ensure that parents and guardians receive timely notification of covered threats and emergencies that occur on school grounds, during school transportation, or during school-sponsored activities.
Districts would have to consult appropriate public safety agencies when developing their procedures, implement commonly used alarm responses for particular emergencies, and identify both the lead response agency for each covered emergency and the people at each school responsible for contacting it.
(1) The procedures shall be developed in consultation with appropriate public safety agencies. (2) Commonly used alarm system responses for specific types of emergencies shall be implemented. (3) The procedures shall identify— (A) the primary emergency response agency that is responsible for each type of covered threat or emergency; and (B) the individuals within each school who are responsible for contacting the primary emergency response agency in the event of such a threat or emergency.
Covered threats would include weapons possession or use when someone intends to harm another person; active shooter or hostage situations; bomb threats; murder, homicide, or manslaughter; sex offenses, including rape, sexual assault, or sexual misconduct involving a student and school personnel; and trespassing.
(1) weapons possession or use when there is intended harm toward another person; (2) active shooter or hostage situations; (3) bomb threats; (4) murder, homicide, or manslaughter; (5) sex offenses, including rape, sexual assault, or sexual misconduct involving a student and school personnel; (6) trespassing;
Covered emergencies would also include fires, severe weather, natural disasters, and exposure to harmful substances or conditions caused by a human-made emergency. Districts could add other threats and emergencies they consider appropriate.
(7) fires; (8) natural weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms; (9) natural disasters; (10) exposure to harmful substances or conditions as a result of a manmade emergency; and (11) such other threats and emergencies as a local educational agency determines appropriate to address through the procedures required under subsection (a).
Within 90 days after enactment, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, consulting the Homeland Security Secretary, would have to convene an advisory committee on rules for installing or modifying interior and exterior doors at federally funded elementary and secondary schools.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall convene a rulemaking advisory committee to review and develop findings and recommendations to require the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in any elementary or secondary school in the United States which receives Federal funding.
The agency Director would chair the committee and appoint its members in consultation with the Homeland Security Secretary. Membership would include the Education Secretary or a designee and representatives of law enforcement, school safety personnel and advocates, educators, experts in protection against gunfire, and school construction experts. School safety advocates could include parents, and the Director could select other appropriate stakeholders or experts.
The Director of CISA shall chair and, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, appoint the members of the rulemaking committee under subsection (a), which shall be comprised of the Secretary of Education (or his or her designee) and at least one representative from the constituencies of— (1) State and local law enforcement officers; (2) school safety personnel or school resource officers; (3) school safety advocates, which may include parents; (4) public, private, or parochial school teachers or administrators; (5) individuals with expertise in the area of ballistic shielding technology; (6) individuals with expertise in the field of school construction, including structural engineering or architecture; and (7) other stakeholders or experts the Director of CISA, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, determines appropriate.
The committee would consider reinforced-door technologies, performance standards for manufacturers and schools, development, certification, testing, manufacturing, installation, training, and useful lifespan. These are subjects for recommendations; the bill does not itself specify a required door design or performance level.
The rulemaking advisory committee under subsection (a) shall consider the following: (1) Requirements for any reinforced door, including an identification or specification of appropriate technologies, mechanisms, covers, adhesives, or other qualities of such doors that may be utilized to better guarantee security within a classroom or elementary or secondary school building. (2) Reinforced door performance standards that manufacturers and elementary or secondary schools are required to satisfy. (3) The development, certification, testing, manufacturing, installation, and training relating to reinforced doors. (4) The appropriate term of service or lifetime of a reinforced door.
The committee would have to consider how reinforced doors could protect against threats while allowing law enforcement to pursue a threat and students and school personnel to evacuate safely. This is a required consideration, not evidence that particular doors would achieve those results.
(5) How requirements will ensure the effectiveness of a reinforced door in protecting against threats while not inhibiting the movement of law enforcement personnel in pursuit of a threat or the ability of students, teachers, and elementary or secondary school personnel to safely evacuate in the event of an emergency.
Within one year after the committee convenes, the agency Director would have to send a report based on its findings and recommendations to the designated House and Senate committees responsible for education and homeland security.
Not later than one year after the convening of the rulemaking advisory committee under subsection (a), the Director of CISA shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Heath, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report based on the findings and recommendations of such committee.
Within six months after submitting the report, the agency Director would have to issue a final rule requiring installation or modification of interior and exterior school doors to reinforce them, taking the report into account. This deadline governs issuing the rule; it does not set a date for schools to finish the work.
Not later than six months after the date of submission of the report required under subsection (d), the Director of CISA, taking into consideration the findings and recommendations contained in such report, shall issue a final rule requiring the installation or modification of interior and exterior doors in elementary or secondary schools for the purpose of reinforcing such doors.
The door provisions would be administered through the Homeland Security Grant Program. The bill would authorize an additional $100 million for the fiscal year when the final rule is issued and for each of the next nine fiscal years. This authorizes future appropriations rather than itself providing the money. Any additional funds could be committed and spent only to carry out the door provisions.
This section shall be administered under the authorization of the Homeland Security Grant Program under section 2004 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 605). There is authorized to be appropriated to such Program to carry out this section an additional $100,000,000 for the fiscal year in which the final rule is issued in accordance with subsection (e) and for each of the nine fiscal years thereafter. Such additional amounts may only be obligated and expended for the purpose of carrying out this section.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated July 9, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 13, 2025, referrals to the Education and Workforce and Homeland Security committees, and referrals to two Homeland Security subcommittees that same day. This snapshot does not establish passage or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-07-09T13:27:22Z.
2025-02-13: Introduced in House
2025-02-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. 2025-02-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. 2025-02-13: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-13. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; member requests, earmark disclosures, and committee or conference materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the absence of such provisions in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jul 9, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI