Dive Summary:

• The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved a proposal Wednesday that would allow the Education Department to use federal funds to help districts rebuild schools that suffer shootings, suicides or other traumatic events.
• The expansion of Washington's role for special circumstances was agreed upon by Democrats rewriting No Child Left Behind, and Republicans on the panel opposed it on the grounds that it moves the Education Department into the construction business.
• The proposed changes were prompted by events such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., last year, and they would ultimately impact a fairly small Education Department program that has, since 2001, given over $33.5 million to 106 schools recovering from traumatic events.

From the article:

... "We have provisions for emergencies and disasters declared by the president that have construction of public buildings that are damaged," said Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the top Republican on the panel. "This seems to be a pretty big jump from a crisis management plan to" being responsible for 50 percent of the cost of new schools. ...