referred to as the Center ), to be operated by the United States Secret Service, at the direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security. (b) Functions The functions of the Center shall include the following: (1) Training in the area of best practices on threat assessment. (2) Consultation on complex threat assessment cases or programs. (3) Research on threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence, consistent with evidence-based standards and existing laws and regulations. (4) Facilitation of information sharing on threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence among agencies with protective or public safety responsibilities, as well as other public or private entities. (5) Development and implementation of evidence-based programs to promote the standardization of Federal, State, and local threat assessments, best practices in investigations involving threats, and the prevention of targeted violence. (c) Safe school initiative In carrying out the functions described in subsection (b), the Center shall establish a national program on targeted school violence prevention, focusing on the following activities: (1) Research The Center shall— (A) conduct evidence-based research into targeted school violence and school threat assessment