Congress Urged to Prioritize School Safety Measures

Lawmakers from both parties have come together to pass meaningful school safety reforms, but more work needs to be done.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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After the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Congress has made progress in passing school safety reforms, but advocates say more needs to be done to ensure prevention and address ongoing threats to student safety across the country.

Why it matters

School shootings have continued to impact communities across the U.S. in the years since Parkland, underscoring the need for sustained, evidence-based efforts to improve campus security, expand mental health resources, and identify potential threats before violence occurs.

The details

In the years since Parkland, lawmakers from both parties have worked with advocacy groups like Stand with Parkland to pass measures like the STOP School Violence Act, the Fix NICS Act, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which have strengthened security, expanded mental health support, and improved coordination between schools and law enforcement. However, advocates say more comprehensive, layered approaches are still needed to truly prevent school violence.

  • The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting occurred 8 years ago, in 2018.
  • In the years since Parkland, school communities across the U.S. have continued to be impacted by violence.

The players

Jared Moskowitz

A Democratic U.S. Representative from Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Brian Fitzpatrick

A Republican U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District.

Tony Montalto

The president of Stand with Parkland, an advocacy group formed after the Parkland shooting.

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What they’re saying

“When prevention, accountability, and evidence guide the debate, bipartisan progress is possible.”

— Jared Moskowitz, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tony Montalto, U.S. Representatives, Stand with Parkland President (The Hill)

“Lasting reform cannot be reactive or temporary. The lesson from the past eight years is clear: prevention works best when school safety efforts are layered, coordinated and sustained.”

— Jared Moskowitz, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tony Montalto, U.S. Representatives, Stand with Parkland President (The Hill)

What’s next

Several bipartisan proposals before Congress, including the Measures for Safer School Districts Act, the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act, and the Strengthening Our Schools Act, aim to build on previous school safety reforms by further strengthening campus security, expanding mental health resources, and improving threat assessment capabilities nationwide.

The takeaway

While progress has been made, the ongoing threat of school violence underscores the need for Congress to take sustained, comprehensive action to ensure every student has access to a safe learning environment, with a focus on prevention, accountability, and evidence-based solutions.