U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the 3 million members of the National Education Association, who educate and support 50 million students in 14,000 communities across America, we urge you to vote YES on the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022 (H.R. 6538). Votes on this legislation may be included in the NEA Report Card for the 117th Congress.
NEA members are dedicated to providing students with an education that instills a love of learning, sparks creativity and curiosity, and helps develop the tools for success. This can only happen in an atmosphere of safety, in which students can engage in the hard work of learning and feel secure in their schools, communities, and homes.
Throughout our country, however, the nagging worry that a shooting could occur at any time, in any place, consigns Americans of all ages to lives of fear and anxiety. Parents worry about where they can take their children and feel safe—and they worry even more when their children are out of their sight.
The Active Shooter Alert Act is a pragmatic response to our epidemic of gun violence. The legislation would create a national system for sending AMBER-style alerts during an active-shooter emergency. This would be crucial in disseminating accurate information quickly, warning people in the vicinity who are vulnerable. A national coordinator would work with state and local governments to coordinate elements of the network and establish procedures for responding to active shooters. Additionally, the legislation would require the Government Accountability Office to study and report on state and local responses to active shooters and situations requiring that a public alert or warning be issued.
The members of NEA know that our nation’s students will not truly be safe until we address the root of our crisis: There are far too many guns on our streets, from small towns to major cities. We support the Active Shooter Alert Act because it attempts to reduce harm during a shooting, and we continue to ask members of Congress to work toward passing the commonsense gun reforms, such as raising the minimum age for purchasing semiautomatic weapons from 18 to 21 and requiring universal background checks, that Americans are demanding. We ask that you vote YES on the Active Shooter Alert Act.
Sincerely,
Marc Egan
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
