FORTIFY Act Funds School Police Gear and Vehicles: Technical Help Added for Rural Districts

The FORTIFY Act (Funding Officers and Resources To Increase Facility Youth Protection Act) is designed to expand the federal matching grant program for school security. Essentially, it takes an existing pool of money and explicitly broadens what districts can spend it on, focusing heavily on law enforcement personnel and their equipment.

Federal Money for SROs and Their Toys

Under current law, school security grants are already available, but this bill gets specific about where the money can go. The FORTIFY Act now allows grant funds to be used for hiring School Resource Officers (SROs). But it doesn’t stop there. Crucially, the bill specifies that this federal money can also be used to purchase firearms and protective gear for those SROs, as well as specialized vehicles like ATVs, golf carts, scooters, and bicycles (SEC. 2).

Think of it this way: if your local school district was previously using grant money for, say, better cameras or stronger doors, they can now use it to put an armed officer in the hallway, buy that officer's vest and sidearm, and even fund the golf cart they use to patrol the perimeter. For parents and community members, this is the core of the bill—it’s a clear federal push to prioritize the funding of armed personnel and their associated equipment in schools.

Making Grants Accessible to Underserved Areas

The bill also addresses a common problem with federal funding: it often bypasses smaller, rural, or underserved districts that lack the staff or expertise to navigate complex grant applications. The FORTIFY Act mandates that the Attorney General provide technical assistance to help these rural and geographically underserved areas successfully apply for and secure these school security grants (SEC. 2). This is a solid, practical measure aimed at leveling the playing field. If you’re a superintendent in a small, remote district, this provision means you should get direct help filling out the paperwork, which could unlock significant funds for your school.

The Real-World Trade-Offs

While the technical assistance is a clear benefit for equity in grant access, the expansion of funding for SROs and their gear introduces a significant policy debate into the federal funding stream. For communities that view SROs as a necessary layer of protection, this bill provides a direct funding mechanism. However, for parents, students, and advocates concerned about the militarization of schools—the increased presence of armed law enforcement—this bill directly finances that expansion. It may put pressure on school districts to prioritize hiring SROs over other initiatives, like hiring more counselors or mental health staff, simply because the federal money is now explicitly earmarked for the officers and their equipment. The bill requires reporting on whether the technical assistance actually helped rural areas get the grants, but the core impact is the explicit focus on funding armed personnel.