What Is the Jewish American Security Act and What Would It Do?

As antisemitism has affected schools, places of worship, community institutions, and online spaces, many Americans are asking what government can do to strengthen protections for Jewish communities. 

The bipartisan Jewish American Security Act (JASA), recently introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK) and Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), is bipartisan, bicameral comprehensive legislation designed to strengthen America's response to antisemitism. The bill addresses antisemitism across multiple sectors of society, including schools, places of worship, community institutions, and online platforms, while strengthening protections for Jewish Americans and improving coordination across the federal government.

How Would the Jewish American Security Act Protect Jewish Communities?

The legislation addresses antisemitism across three major areas:

• Strengthening civil rights protections for Jewish students.
• Expanding security for synagogues, Jewish schools, community centers, and other at-risk nonprofit institutions.
• Increasing transparency and accountability for online platforms where antisemitic content spreads.

What Does This Mean for Antisemitism in Schools?

Among its many provisions are important education measures that would help schools better prevent, report, and respond to discrimination prohibited under federal civil rights law. 

Federal law already prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in schools that receive federal funding under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Jewish students are protected under Title VI when they experience discrimination based on their shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

Yet many students who experience antisemitism never report it. They may not know where to file a complaint, who is responsible for handling it, or believe that their concerns will be taken seriously. Schools, meanwhile, do not always have clear or consistent procedures for responding.

What Would the Jewish American Security Act Do for Jewish Students?

The legislation would improve how schools prevent and respond to discrimination in three key ways.

1. Require a Title VI coordinator at schools.

Every public K–12 school district and every college and university receiving federal funding would designate a staff member responsible for overseeing Title VI compliance. That person would serve as a clear point of contact for students and families experiencing discrimination, including antisemitic harassment.

2. Establish clear reporting procedures.

Schools would be required to create accessible, well-publicized procedures so students and families understand where to report discrimination, how the reporting process works, and what to expect after raising concerns.

3. Require schools to respond.

When discrimination is reported, schools would be required to investigate concerns, support affected students, keep those who reported informed, and take appropriate corrective action when discrimination is found.

Together, these provisions are intended to make existing civil rights protections easier to access and more effective in practice.

How Would the Legislation Strengthen Security for Jewish Communities?

The bill goes beyond education by strengthening the physical security of Jewish communities and improving coordination with law enforcement.

It would significantly expand the Nonprofit Security Grant Program by authorizing up to $1 billion annually, improving grant administration, modernizing eligible security equipment, and providing greater flexibility for nonprofit organizations to hire off-duty law enforcement officers and contracted security personnel based on demonstrated security needs.

The legislation would also authorize Department of Justice grants to help state and local law enforcement increase patrols, training, and other security assistance for at-risk houses of worship and religious communities.

In addition, it directs the FBI to conduct regular assessments of domestic and transnational antisemitic threats and publicly release declassified findings to improve transparency, preparedness, and public awareness.

What Would the Bill Do About Online Antisemitism?

Recognizing that antisemitism increasingly spreads online, the legislation includes new transparency and reporting requirements for large online platforms.

Social media companies with at least 50 million monthly U.S. users would be required to publish public reports every six months describing how they identify, review, and remove antisemitic content; how their algorithms may amplify such content; how enforcement changes affect the amount of antisemitic content that remains online; and how they work with law enforcement to address online hate.

The legislation would also require an annual federal report examining the relationship between online antisemitic content and real-world violence while recommending ways to improve transparency and accountability across the technology sector.

Who Would Benefit?

Although the legislation responds directly to the alarming rise in antisemitism, many of its provisions strengthen systems that benefit broader communities.

All students would gain clearer reporting procedures and stronger civil rights protections. Houses of worship of all faiths and nonprofit organizations eligible for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program would receive additional security support. Law enforcement would receive additional resources to protect at-risk communities. Greater transparency from online platforms could lead to safer online environments for all users  

Why Does This Legislation Matter?

The Jewish American Security Act demonstrates a growing bipartisan recognition that combating antisemitism requires practical, coordinated solutions across government, education, and civil society.

Many of the bill's provisions reflect recommendations outlined in AJC's Combating Antisemitism Playbook, a first-of-its-kind roadmap that provides practical strategies for leaders across 13 sectors of society, including education, government, business, technology, law enforcement, and civil society, to prevent and respond to antisemitism. The Playbook emphasizes that addressing antisemitism requires a whole-of-society approach built on shared responsibility and coordinated action.

For example, one of AJC Playbook's recommendations for Congress is strengthening security for synagogues, Jewish schools, and other Jewish institutions by fully funding and expanding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Another recommendation is to strengthen accountability and transparency for technology platforms. The Jewish American Security Act advances both of these recommendations. 

The legislation also comes amid growing concern about antisemitism in the United States. According to AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, 91% of American Jews said they felt less safe as a Jewish person in the United States following antisemitic incidents over the previous year, and more than half reported changing their behavior out of concern for their safety. 

The report also concerns levels of antisemitism on campus, online and at Jewish institutions. The State of Antisemitism in America Report found that 42% of American Jewish college students report experiencing antisemitism during their time on campus, and that 73% of American Jews, say they have experienced antisemitism online—either by seeing or hearing it or by being personally targeted. Additionally, over one in four American Jews (28%) say the Jewish institutions with which they are affiliated—including synagogues, Jewish schools, JCCs, Jewish Federations, or any other organizations—were the target of antisemitism in the past five years, including antisemitic threats (18%), graffiti (16%), and antisemitic attacks (4%).  

The legislation complements the work of AJC's Center for Education Advocacy, which partners with school leaders, students, parents, and higher education institutions to strengthen educational environments where Jewish students can thrive. By improving reporting procedures, clarifying schools' responsibilities under Title VI, and strengthening accountability, the bill would help schools better support students experiencing antisemitism and other forms of unlawful discrimination. 

What Can You Do?

Combating antisemitism requires action across every sector of society, from schools and campuses to government and civil society.

The Jewish American Security Act is one example of how policymakers can strengthen protections for Jewish communities and make technology platforms safer for users, while improving existing systems that benefit all students and help institutions respond more effectively to discrimination.

You can support these efforts by encouraging leaders at the local, state, and federal levels to advance policies that combat antisemitism, strengthen the safety and security of Jewish communities, and ensure Jewish Americans can live, learn, and participate openly in public life. Please share this information about the Jewish American Security Act with your U.S. Senator and Representative, and tell them why their support matters to you. 

Take action and learn more at AJC.org/ActAgainstAntisemitism.