Should the Feds Give States Grant Money to Create Anonymous School Threat Reporting Systems? (H.R. 2100)

What is H.R. 2100?

(Updated June 28, 2020)

This bill — the Safe to Tell Act of 2019 — would create a $25 million annual grant program to help states develop systems allowing people to anonymously report potential threats to schools. These systems could include telephone hotlines, mobile applications, or websites. This grant program would run from FY 2020 through FY 2024, and it would be administered by the Attorney General.

Argument in favor

Ahead of school shootings, there are sometimes warning signs that go unreported. Creating anonymous tip lines for people to report potential red flags will help keep schools and students safe.

Argument opposed

Safe2Tell’s anonymity can be abused by student pranksters or those seeking to cause disruption. Additionally, many states have already invested in these programs on their own so federal action may not be needed.

Impact

Schools; school safety; school shootings; threat reporting; states; and the Attorney General.

Cost of H.R. 2100

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) reintroduced this bill from the 115th Congress to promote the creation of anonymous school threat reporting programs in the states:

“Too often, in the wake of a school shooting, we look back at the behavior of the killer and see that there were warning signs that went unreported. People notice things that don’t seem quite right, or that put them on edge, but don’t know how or where to report it. The Safe to Tell Act creates ways for people to share their concerns of potential threats and educates the public and law enforcement on how to report. Earlier warning and better reporting will save lives.”

Original cosponsor Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) adds:

“The Safe to Tell Act will create a safe, uniformed, and simple method for individuals to report probable threats to schools. It will also serve as a preventative measure and will provide means to relay information anonymously and effectively so that officials can take action before any harm is done. Keeping schools safe is a top priority for me and my colleagues, and we believe that the Safe to Tell Act is an important step in the right direction.”

Student pranksters have occasionally abused Safe2Tell programs. In late 2018, a high school student in Colorado was charged on suspicion of false reporting an explosive device and interference with an educational institution in the wake of concocted bomb and shooting threats reported through the Safe2Tell system.

This bill has two Republican cosponsors in the 116th Congress. Last Congress, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) introduced this bill with the support of 10 bipartisan cosponsors, including seven Republicans and three Democrats, and it didn’t see committee action.

Of Note: The “Safe2Tell” program began in Colorado (the home state of this bill’s original sponsor last Congress, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO)). Colorado’s threat reporting program was adopted in part as a response to the Columbine High School shooting. Since then, many states have adopted similar programs or explored adopting one.

Colorado’s Safe2Tell program was credited with averting a mass shooting at a Castle Rock, Colorado school. Working off an anonymous tip in December 2016, local law enforcement preempted the threat to the high school and arrested the responsible students in early 2017, saving lives.

Media:

• Original Cosponsor Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
  
• Sunshine State News