The United States Senate has taken up consideration of The School Safety Clearinghouse Act, a measure that would create a centralized database holding information on school safety measures. 

The federally funded and held archive would provide a vetted "resource where officials can find best practices for school security and design," according to Senator David Purdue of Georgia, one of the sponsors of the bill. According to the American Institute of Architects, who lobbied Congress on behalf of the bill, the legislation would provide state and local officials with "unbiased information for making their schools safer through design."

In a statement reported by The Hill, Senator Perdue added, "As an engineer by trade, I believe the first step to improving school security is addressing the structural safety of schools. Our bill would simply create a resource where state and local officials can find best practices for school security and design." 

Information held within the database, which would be managed by the Department of Homeland Security, would include recommendations from architects, engineers, first responders, building security experts and mental health advocates, according to an AIA press release.

The legislation marks the latest phase of a growing effort on the part of the AIA advocating for the government to address school violence "through a design-centered approach" and follows the unveiling of the group's school safety campaign initiative launched in 2018. 

In recent years, as the tragedy of mass shootings has grown in scale, the AIA has pushed to exert its members' design expertise in helping to make schools safer from mass shooters. The approach has generated a great deal of controversy among members and non-members alike. Nevertheless, school projects are already incorporating designs that include "shadow zones" where students and teachers can hide from potential shooters.