H.R. 461·Middle School Beginner
A Bill to Restore Lockers in Public Middle Schools
Rep. Park (D-NJ)
Public middle schools must provide every student a personal locker for books and belongings.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
Public middle schools shall provide one functional, lockable locker per enrolled student.
Sec. 2 — Funding
$45 million in facility grants.
Sec. 3 — Enforcement
Department of Education facility audits.
Sec. 4 — Effective Date
Within 18 months.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 461 — A Bill to Restore Lockers in Public Middle Schools
- Funding source
- $45M from ED school-infrastructure grants.
- Timeline
- Compliance within 18 months.
- Realistic — most schools already have lockers; this funds restoration.
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Education facility audits.
- Yes — standard facilities oversight.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Loss of facility-modernization grants.
- Source citation
- AAP / Skaggs (2014), 'Backpack Safety' — pediatrics.aappublications.org.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 50s
Strongest counter-argument
Lockers are obsolete — students use Chromebooks and binders.
Your pre-emptive answer
AAP (2014) found backpacks exceeding 10% of body weight cause measurable spinal issues. The average middle-school load is 17%. Lockers aren't nostalgia — they're spine health.