1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Teachers Empowered Against Classroom Harm Act of 2023 or the TEACH Act of 2023 . 2. Eliminating barriers between willing school staff and their right to defend their students (a) Eliminating prohibition on training teachers with effective defensive tools Section 8526 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7906 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (5), by inserting or after the semicolon; (2) in paragraph (6), by striking ; or at the end and inserting a period; and (3) by striking paragraph (7). (b) Prioritizing funding for schools that protect students (1) Prohibition (A) In general The Secretary of Education may not disburse to or obligate any funds for any State, local government, or eligible entity (as defined in section 3) that restricts the possession of firearms in excess of section 922(q) of title 18, United States Code, within school zones as defined in section 921(a)(26) of such title. (B) Definitions In this paragraph: (i) Local government The term local government means any county, parish, city, town, township, village or other general purpose political subdivision of a State with the power to levy taxes and expend Federal, State, and local funds and exercise governmental powers. (ii) State The term State means each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. (2) Conforming amendment Section 922(q) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (4). (c) Respecting the right to constitutionally carry a firearm as protected by a majority of these United States Section 922(q)(2)(B) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating clauses (iii) through (vii) as clauses (iv) through (vii), respectively; and (2) by inserting after clause (ii) the following: (iii) if the individual possessing the firearm is otherwise eligible or entitled to carry a firearm under the laws of the State in which the school zone is located