1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 2023 . 2. Uses of COPS grants to hire veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers Section 1701(b)(12) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10381(b)(12) ) is amended by inserting , and the hiring and training of veterans and retired law enforcement officers to serve as school resource officers after offenses . 3. Preferential consideration of applications for certain grants Section 1701(c) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10381(c) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by striking or at the end; (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: (4) for hiring and training veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers. . 4. Technical assistance Section 1701(d) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10381(d)(3) ) is amended by inserting after paragraph (3): (4) Mental Health Screening and Training The Attorney General may provide technical assistance to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, and to other public and private entities using funds under this section for purposes described in subsection (b)(12) to provide school resource officers with an annual mental health screening and an annual training on tactics and response. . 5. Definitions Section 1709(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10389(4) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting , veteran, or retired law enforcement officer after career law enforcement officer ; (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and