In Advance of Seven-Year Mark Since Parkland Shooting, Moskowitz Leads Legislative Package of Commonsense, Bipartisan School Safety Reforms to Protect Florida Students, Teachers, and Families

WASHINGTON, DC — In advance of this Friday’s seven-year mark since the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Congressman Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) is introducing a set of commonsense, bipartisan reforms to bolster school safety, improve emergency notification systems, and keep Florida students, teachers, and families safe.

The legislative package includes three bills, all bipartisan efforts to ensure that more robust systems are in place to mitigate instances of school-based violence and respond to them in the tragic instances in which they do happen:

• Measures for Safer School Districts (MSD) Act, co-led by Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and co-sponsored by Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20):

• Directs schools to develop emergency response and parental notification procedures for certain threats and emergencies
• Advances installation of or improvements to interior and exterior doors in schools for purposes of door reinforcement
• Single Application for School Safety (SASS) Act, co-led by Republican Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20):
• Streamlines the grant application for schools to request federal support for school security, including intercoms, security cameras, door-locking mechanisms, anonymous threat reporting systems, crisis intervention training programs, and more
• EAGLES Act, led by Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26):

• Establishes a national program on targeted violence prevention at schools, workplaces, and houses of worship via the National Threat Assessment Center
• Expands resources for research, information-sharing, and training on targeted violence prevention at such institutions

Moskowitz himself is an alumnus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and has represented the school since his election as Congressman for Florida’s 23^rdCongressional District. He has served as Vice Chair of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and co-Chair of the Congressional School Safety and Security Caucus.

“Seven years since 2018, the images and pain of February 14 continue to haunt our community,” said Congressman Moskowitz. “Our government failed the students, teachers, and families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that day, and it has not done enough to protect schools across the nation since then. Whether it’s my hometown of Parkland or any other community in America, we all want our kids to be able to go to school and come home safely. This legislative package of commonsense proposals will get us an important step closer, and I will continue to work tirelessly in search of solutions that will protect our students and schools.”

“The Single Application for School Safety Act is a crucial step in enhancing school security nationwide by streamlining access to federal grants,” Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick said. “This practical bill will simplify the federal grant application process and reduce red tape that often cause delays. This will help ensure that our schools and law enforcement agencies have the funding and resources necessary to keep our children safe.”

On his bipartisan Measures for Safer School Districts Act with Moskowitz, Congressman Fitzpatrick said, “Our children should walk into school each day feeling safe, not scared. The bipartisan Measures for Safer School Districts (MSD) Act is a commitment to protecting our children with real, tangible action—strengthening security, enhancing emergency response, and ensuring parents are informed when it matters most. Safeguarding our children is not just a responsibility—it is our highest duty. We owe it to them, our educators, and communities to stand united in making their safety an unshakable priority. This is more than legislation; it is a call to action, a commitment to our kids, and a step towards a brighter, safer future.” 

Moskowitz’s bipartisan MSD Act carries the endorsements of Stand with Parkland, Safe Schools For Alex, and Make Our Schools Safe.

“Our heartfelt thanks to Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Jared Moskowitz for co-sponsoring the Measures for Safer School Districts Act (MSD Act). They both walked the bloodied halls of the Parkland school massacre with the victims’ families, and this bill is a direct result of that experience. Stand with Parkland – The National Association of Families for Safe Schools approached them with the idea for this bill and their partnership with us demonstrates a shared dedication to preventing tragedies like the one our families endured. We unfortunately know all too well, that your child’s safety at school, is no longer a given. No parent should ever be the last to know when a threat arises, or an incident occurs. Timely and clear communication is crucial,” said Tony Montalto, President of Stand with Parkland. “Additionally, this bill will help protect students and staff from the threats they face in 21st century schools just like the now unquestioned school fire safety efforts from 1950s did then. Too often (Parkland, Uvalde, Nashville) we have seen school doors ripped apart by gunfire and children lose their lives. We must use updated materials to protect the future of our nation while they are at school.”

As state representative, Moskowitz championed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law — the most comprehensive gun violence prevention, school safety, and mental health bill ever passed in the state of Florida. It has provided millions in funding for mental health counselors and school resources officers across Florida high schools; raised the state’s age to buy guns from 18 to 21; established three-day waiting periods to do so; and put in place “red flag laws” for law enforcement to remove firearms from those deemed by a judge to pose a risk to themselves or others.

Since coming to Congress, Moskowitz has continued to rally his colleagues around matters of school safety and gun violence prevention. He joined Parkland family members to lead Congressional colleges, former Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, and former Vice President Kamala Harris on tours of the high school before its June 2014 demolition, and he was recently selected to join the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of gun violence prevention.

For information on the bipartisan Measures for Safer School Districts (MSD) Act, click HERE.

For information on the bipartisan Single Application for School Safety (SASS) Act, click HERE.

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