WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill to improve school safety and to help schools and local law enforcement coordinate in preventing gun violence in the campus.
The House passed the the STOP School Violence Act 2018 by a rare bipartisan vote of 407-10 Wednesday.
The Bill will now go to the Senate for vote.
It was the first gun-related legislation by Congress after a mass shooting in a South Florida school shook America's conscience.
Nicolas Cruz, 19, who was expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland for disciplinary reasons, killed 17 people after returning to the campus with an assault rifle on February 14.
It triggered fresh calls for gun control, a national boycott campaign, and mass street protests.
The State of Florida last week enacted a law banning the purchase of firearms by young adults between the ages of 18-21.
The House-passed bill would authorize federal grants of $500 million over 10 years to improve training and coordination between schools and local police and help identify signs of potential violence before they occur.
President Donald Trump hailed the passage of the Bill by the House as 'a major step toward securing our schools.'
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