South Iowa News

Representatives Zach Nunn of Iowa and Eric Sorensen of Illinois have introduced the Safe Schools and Communities Act. This bipartisan bill aims to allow public schools to apply for federal grants to train faculty and implement programs focused on preventing human trafficking, raising fentanyl awareness, and reducing gang activity.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to crack down on traffickers through smart legislation like the HALT Fentanyl Act—but that’s only half the battle,” said Rep. Nunn. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill puts resources to work in our schools to give educators the tools to intervene early, support students, and prevent drug use, exploitation, and gang involvement before it starts.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 150 Americans die daily from fentanyl-related overdoses. In Iowa alone, an estimated 320 people are victims of trafficking at any given time. The bill is designed to address these urgent issues by providing early intervention.

The legislation authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to public schools. These grants will be used to develop training and educational curriculums aimed at preventing human trafficking, promoting fentanyl awareness, and reducing gang activity.

“When parents send their kids to school, they want to know they are going to return home safely,” said Rep. Sorensen. “We can make our schools and communities safer by equipping our teachers with the tools they need to raise awareness about keeping kids safe, preventing drug abuse, and eliminating violence among students."

The act leverages existing Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act without requiring new federal appropriations.

Text of the bill can be found here.