House GOP to offer ‘school safety’ response to Florida shooting

House Republican leaders are working on a legislative package to bolster school safety in response to a deadly shooting at a Florida high school, and the results of that effort could be released as soon as this week, according to a member of GOP leadership.

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said it will build off an existing piece of legislation.

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“We’re gonna fix it, add to it, take some things away from it, and move it,” Stivers told The Hill on Monday.

“You may see something introduced this week, but obviously you won’t see it passed this week,” he added, referring to the shortened work week in the House. “But pretty quickly. You’ll see it soon.”

President Trump has been pushing hard for legislative action on gun control following a deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead.

Stivers said the House effort will be aimed at improving safety on school campuses, but it will also include some gun-related measures as well.

“We’re gonna do a lot on school safety,” Stivers said. “Part of that’s gun stuff, but part of that’s school safety stuff.”

He also said that a bipartisan bill to improve the existing background check system — known as the Fix NICS Act — will be a part of the proposal.

The House already passed that bill last December, but only after it was paired with a contentious bill to allow people to use permits for carrying concealed weapons across state lines.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, told the The Hill that he thinks there would be some willingness to support a stand-alone background checks bill if some of their due process concerns are addressed.

Meadows said he has been texting with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) over the weekend about some potential solutions to address gun violence.