Bill would mandate panic alarms in Georgia’s public schools

The Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta was built in 1889 and was designed to resemble the Neoclassical architectural style of the United States Capitol, in Washington. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)

Georgia Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R–Dallas, introduced a measure requiring panic alarms in Georgia’s public schools.

Senate Bill 17 honors Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, and Coach Richard “Ricky” William Aspinwall, the defense coordinator at Apalachee High School, who was killed during September’s tragic shooting near Winder.

The measure would require Georgia public schools to install mobile panic alarm systems directly linked to emergency responders and state and local law enforcement. Additionally, the bill mandates that each local school system procure school mapping data for each public and private school within its boundaries.

Similar legislation bearing the name Alyssa’s Law has been enacted in New Jersey, Florida, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and Oklahoma. With Anavitarte’s proposal, Georgia joins more than ten other states working to pass such a school safety measure.