Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) are set to introduce the Safer Spaces for All Act, which would modify and expand the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program to allow institutions to use grant funding for additional purposes.

The legislation is a companion to a bill in the House by Reps. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Don Bacon (R-NE). It would allow institutions to use grant funding to pay full-time security staff, pay off-duty police officers to provide security and spend 5% of grant funding to pay administrative staff to apply for and manage grant funding.

“In light of the recent surge in anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and other violent hate-based incidents in the United States, the importance of programs that provide religious communities with increased security cannot be overstated,” Bennet said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to confront prejudice everywhere, and the Safer Spaces for All Act is an essential step forward for Colorado.”

The bill is being supported by local Jewish and Islamic groups. It follows a firebombing attack last year on an Israeli hostage awareness march in Boulder, Colo., which killed a Holocaust survivor, Karen Diamond.

“Antisemitism, Islamaphobia, and other forms of hate have no place in our country,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we see hate rear its ugly head all too often. This bill will ensure that Americans feel secure when they enter their places of worship.”

JEWISHColorado and the local Jewish Community Relations Council said in a statement that the bill “would provide institutions the flexibility to use NSGP funding where it can have the greatest impact — making the program more accessible, responsive, and effective.”

Rafaat Ludin, the executive director of the Downtown Denver Islamic Center, said that having off-duty police on site for prayers has been crucial to creating a safe environment.

“Having an off-duty Denver Police Officer present during our daily and Friday prayers transformed our security landscape. While physical fortifications are essential, they cannot replace the immediate deterrence and peace of mind that a trained officer provides,” Ludin said. “For our community to truly feel secure while fulfilling our daily worship, grant programs like the NSGP must allow funding for active security personnel.”