Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley have reintroduced the EAGLES Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing mass violence. Named after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mascot, the bill was introduced on the seventh anniversary of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. The legislation seeks to expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to focus more on preventing targeted violence, including in schools.

The NTAC is responsible for research and training related to behavioral threat assessment and targeted violence prevention. The proposed legislation aims to create a national program focused on preventing school violence and enhancing NTAC's research and training capabilities.

In addition to Senators Scott and Grassley, other supporters include Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, Angus King, Susan Collins, Maggie Hassan, and Pete Ricketts. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Jared Moskowitz.

Senator Rick Scott emphasized his commitment to honoring the memory of those lost in Parkland by enacting change: “Our bipartisan EAGLES Act to provide our schools with additional tools to address potential threats and prevent further tragedies is a huge step in keeping our students and educators safe.”

Senator Chuck Grassley highlighted the importance of early interventions: “Effective behavioral threat assessments can stop deadly ideas from becoming tragic acts. Our bill would enable the Secret Service to share their unique tools with school safety partners across the country.”

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto noted that this legislation will help law enforcement prevent violent attacks before they occur: “School shootings have devastated communities across the country... This bipartisan legislation will help our law enforcement stop these violent attacks before they occur.”

Senator Angus King added that Americans deserve safety while going about their daily lives: “The bipartisan EAGLES Act would expand the capabilities of the National Threat Assessment Center so we can better prevent mass violence.”

The EAGLES Act has garnered support from various organizations including Make Our Schools Safe, Everytown for Gun Safety, Safe Schools for Alex, Stand with Parkland, and others.

The NTAC was established in 1998 to develop indicators for targeted violence prevention. Since 2002, it has conducted numerous training operations for school administrators and public safety partners. The new bill aims to reauthorize NTAC's efforts while expanding its focus on school safety initiatives.

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