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Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73

§7281 National activities for school safety

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 70— - STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - 21ST CENTURY SCHOOLS › Part Part F— - National Activities › Subpart subpart 3— - national activities for school safety › § 7281

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must use some of the money set aside under section 7251(b)(1) for a program called Project SERV to give education-related help to eligible groups after a violent or traumatic crisis. The Secretary can also use some of those funds for other safety and well‑being work during and after school. That can be done directly or by giving grants, contracts, or agreements to others, such as providing technical help to states and school districts or doing a national study. Money for Project SERV stays available until it is all spent. Schools or agencies getting extended services grants can use them to start or strengthen violence‑prevention efforts that help restore the learning environment. To get those funds, an applicant must file an application (or an addition to a current application) showing ongoing disruption or risk, describing the planned activities, and giving a budget and budget explanation. Awards depend on the Secretary’s decision and money available. Funds cannot pay for building construction, renovation, repair, or permanent infrastructure. Eligible entity: a local educational agency or college where learning was disrupted; or the Bureau of Indian Education for its schools.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §7281

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)From the funds reserved under section 7251(b)(1) of this title, the Secretary—
(A)shall use a portion of such funds for the Project School Emergency Response to Violence program (in this section referred to as “Project SERV”), in order to provide education-related services to eligible entities; and
(B)may use a portion of such funds to carry out other activities to improve students’ safety and well-being, during and after the school day, under this section directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with public or private entities or individuals, or other Federal agencies, such as providing technical assistance to States and local educational agencies carrying out activities under this section or conducting a national evaluation.
(2)Amounts reserved under section 7251(b)(1) of this title for Project SERV are authorized to remain available until expended for Project SERV.
(b)(1)Funds made available under subsection (a) for extended services grants under Project SERV may be used by an eligible entity to initiate or strengthen violence prevention activities as part of the activities designed to restore the learning environment that was disrupted by the violent or traumatic crisis in response to which the grant was awarded.
(2)(A)An eligible entity desiring to use a portion of extended services grant funds under Project SERV to initiate or strengthen a violence prevention activity shall—
(i)submit, in an application that meets all requirements of the Secretary for Project SERV, the information described in subparagraph (B); or
(ii)in the case of an eligible entity that has already received an extended services grant under Project SERV, submit an addition to the original application that includes the information described in subparagraph (B).
(B)An application, or addition to an application, for an extended services grant pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i)A demonstration of the need for funds due to a continued disruption or a substantial risk of disruption to the learning environment.
(ii)An explanation of the proposed activities that are designed to restore and preserve the learning environment.
(iii)A budget and budget narrative for the proposed activities.
(3)Any award of funds under Project SERV for violence prevention activities under this section shall be subject to the discretion of the Secretary and the availability of funds.
(4)No funds provided to an eligible entity for violence prevention activities may be used for construction, renovation, or repair of a facility or for the permanent infrastructure of the eligible entity.
(c)In this section, the term “eligible entity” means—
(1)a local educational agency, as defined in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 7801(30) of this title, or institution of higher education in which the learning environment has been disrupted due to a violent or traumatic crisis; or
(2)the Bureau of Indian Education in a case where the learning environment of a school operated or funded by the Bureau, including a school meeting the definition of a local educational agency under section 7801(30)(C) of this title, has been disrupted due to a violent or traumatic crisis.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Prior sections 7281 to 7281b and 7283 to 7283g were repealed by Pub. L. 114–95, § 5, title IV, § 4001(b)(1)(C), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1806, 1967, effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs. section 7281, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5601, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1866, authorized Secretary to provide additional assistance to meet special circumstances. section 7281a, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5602, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1866, related to eligibility. section 7281b, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5603, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1867, related to maximum amount. section 7283, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5611, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1867, provided that subpart 21 of subpart D of former subchapter V of this chapter could be cited as the “Women’s Educational Equity Act of 2001” and related to findings. section 7283a, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5612, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1868, related to statement of purpose. section 7283b, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5613, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1868; amended Pub. L. 107–279, title IV, § 404(d)(7), Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1986, authorized program. section 7283c, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5614, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1871, related to applications. section 7283d, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5615, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1871; amended Pub. L. 107–279, title IV, § 404(d)(5)(D), (8), Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1986, related to criteria and priorities. section 7283e, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5616, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1872, related to report requirement. section 7283f, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5617, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1872, related to administration. section 7283g, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5618, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1873, related to amounts to be used to carry out certain activities.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2015 Amendment note under section 6301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 7281

Title 20 — Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73