WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019 (S. 265), bipartisan legislation that would create a task force of experts to provide recommendations for a national strategy to keep communities safe from targeted violence through threat assessment and management. Specifically, the legislation would help provide resources, training, and assistance in establishing and operating locally driven threat assessment and management units.

“We cannot allow mass casualty events to become the new normal in America, and it is imperative that we take strong proactive steps to prevent them,” said Senator Tillis. “The bipartisan TAPS Act utilizes an innovative approach that is proven to be effective, creating a uniform program to identify threats and provide states with the opportunity to receive the training and resources necessary to save lives and keep our communities safe.” 

“We must proactively engage with experts in the field of threat assessments in order to help prevent future tragedies,” Senator Rubio said. “We have the expertise to implement systems to identify and stop dangerous individuals before they commit an act of violence, but we have yet to fully and effectively develop and utilize it to prevent future attacks. By bringing threat assessment experts together and utilizing evidence-based behavioral threat assessment and management processes, this bill will help equip our communities with the tools they need to prevent future tragedies. I want to thank Senators Sinema and Tillis for leading this effort with me in the Senate and Congressman Babin for his continued leadership in the House.”
 
“We must provide law enforcement with the tools they need to keep Arizona families safe and secure,” said Senator Sinema. “I will work every day to protect Arizonans from senseless, tragic acts of violence.”

Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A one-pager of the legislation is available here.

The TAPS Act of 2019 will:

• Develop guidelines and best practices that can be utilized across government;
• Provide States the training, resources, and support they need in order to stand up community-based, multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and management units; and
• Establish a temporary task force made up of experts in behavioral threat assessment and management to make recommendations to Congress for a National Strategy for preventing targeted violence.

Endorsing Organizations: The Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (NCSBI), Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), San Diego County District Attorney, San Diego County Office of Education, The Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), The University of California Council of Chiefs of Police.

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