Classroom Safe Haven Force Protection Pilot Program

(a) Program The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, shall establish a Classroom Safe Haven Force Protection Pilot Program (in this section referred to as the Program) to enhance the physical security of classrooms in covered schools. (b) Objectives The objectives of the Program shall be to— (1) provide enhanced security for the approximately 600 classrooms located in covered schools; (2) harden classroom entry points against armed attacks; (3) increase survivability by providing protected safe-haven spaces within classrooms; (4) improve emergency response effectiveness by extending the time available for law enforcement intervention; (5) evaluate the operational effectiveness of ballistic-resistant door systems in educational environments; and (6) assess the contribution of classroom hardening measures to the overall force protection posture and resilience of military communities and installations. (c) Use of funds Under the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall provide support to covered schools to create protected safe havens within existing classrooms through the installation and evaluation of lightweight, fire-rated, ballistic-resistant door systems and related protective infrastructure designed to provide immediate protection for students and educators during an armed assault or active shooter incident. Such door systems shall— (1) provide ballistic protection meeting or exceeding UL 752 Level 8 standards, including protection against 7.62x51mm FMJ rounds; (2) be capable of defeating multiple impacts from high-velocity assault rifle rounds commonly associated with active shooter incidents; (3) be certified to applicable fire-resistance standards for educational occupancies; (4) be capable of retrofit installation within existing educational facilities without requiring substantial structural modification or major construction; (5) preserve the appearance and functionality of standard educational environments during normal operations; (6) maintain compliance with all applicable life-safety, accessibility, and emergency egress requirements; and (7) provide continuous passive protection without reliance on external power, electronics, or mechanical deployment during an emergency. (d) Report Not later than 180 days after an initial round of security improvements have been completed in covered schools in accordance with this section, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report detailing— (1) participating schools and the number of classrooms protected; (2) implementation costs; (3) safety and operational outcomes; (4) lessons learned; (5) recommendations regarding expansion of the Program across additional covered schools and schools operated by the Department of Defense education activity outside the United States; and (6) an assessment of the effectiveness of classroom hardening measures in enhancing protection for military-connected students, educators, and school personnel and supporting military family readiness and force protection objectives. (e) Covered school defined In this section, the term covered school means a school operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity in the United States.