The FORTIFY Act expands how federal school security grant money can be spent by explicitly allowing funds to be used to hire school resource officers—police or law enforcement personnel stationed at schools. Under the current law, schools could use matching grants from the federal government for general security purposes, but this bill clarifies that they can now specifically use these funds to pay officer salaries, purchase firearms and protective equipment for those officers, and buy vehicles for their use, including standard police cars and all-terrain vehicles. The legislation also requires the Attorney General to provide technical assistance to help rural and underserved areas access these federal grants more easily, addressing a gap in funding distribution. Additionally, the bill requires the government to report to Congress on how well this technical assistance effort is working and how it has improved grant access for rural communities. The legislation does not specify a funding amount or implementation timeline, instead modifying the existing grant program structure under the 1968 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.
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