# Plain Language Summary: School and Daycare Protection Act

This bill creates a new coordinating council within the Department of Homeland Security focused specifically on protecting schools and daycare centers from terrorism threats. Right now, school security efforts happen in different places without much coordination between federal agencies. This bill brings together key government officials—including people from the Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and cybersecurity experts—to work together on a unified approach to keeping schools and early childhood programs safer.

The council will be responsible for making sure that security plans, policies, and activities across different federal agencies work together smoothly rather than overlapping or conflicting. Think of it like having a central meeting place where the Secret Service, emergency management officials, and cybersecurity experts can share information and coordinate their efforts instead of each agency working independently. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary will choose one person to lead this council and make sure everyone stays on the same page.

The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress every year starting in January 2023 about what the council has accomplished. These reports need to include information about whether their efforts are actually working and whether they're talking to people outside the federal government—like school administrators, local law enforcement, and parents—to understand what schools actually need. This accountability measure ensures the council isn't just meeting internally but is genuinely trying to improve security based on real-world feedback from the people running schools and daycare centers.

School and Daycare Protection Act

Payne, Donald M.

School and Daycare Protection Act This bill establishes in the Department of Homeland Security a council to ensure the coordination of activities, plans, and policies to enhance the security of schools and preschools against acts of terrorism.