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Hudson Statement on Texas Shooting

May 18, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2018
Hudson Statement on Texas Shooting
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement on the tragic school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas:
“There are no words to adequately express the pain and grief my wife Renee and I feel for the Santa Fe, Texas community,” said Rep. Hudson. “As parents, we mourn for the children lost and pray for all of the parents, students, educators, families, and first responders. While all the details are unknown, it is painfully clear all Americans need to come together and tackle the root causes of this horrific violence. We need to protect our children, which is why it’s important we implement the measures Congress recently passed to secure our schools and keep guns away from dangerous people. I will continue to work to address school violence and keep America’s children safe.”
In March, Congress passed and President Trump signed the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018 as part of the omnibus bill. This law will make our schools safer by providing resources to train students, teachers, and local law enforcement so they can help stop school violence before it happens. It also encourages state and local officials to share best practices for preventing school violence with federal law enforcement and their counterparts in other states. In addition, it provides funding for technology and equipment to improve school security and stop attacks. This funding may be used for metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other technologies to keep schools safe. Included in the omnibus was also policy to improve compliance with the federal background check system.
This action builds off of Congress’s ongoing efforts to address school violence. Specifically, in the 21st Century Cures Act which was signed into law in December 2016, Congress permanently authorized the VALOR initiative at the Department of Justice, which trains law enforcement on appropriate actions to take in an active shooter scenario.
The law also improved the National Violent Death Reporting System at the CDC to help track violent deaths and illuminate ways they can be prevented. Other aspects were aimed at preventing an individual from reaching a point of crisis including:
  • Allowing more compassionate communication under HIPAA so family members can help individuals going through severe mental illness and facilitate treatment.
  • Providing increased grant funding for training so teachers, EMS and other professionals can appropriately intervene before someone with mental illness experiences a crisis.
  • Reauthorizing programs that focus on helping treat children early on with severe emotional disturbances.
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