US EditionGeorgia lawmakers agree on school safety bill after Apalachee High School shooting
- The Georgia Senate and House gave final approval to House Bill 268 on Monday, sending it to Governor Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
- House Bill 268 was developed in response to the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in September, where a 14-year-old was accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers.
- While an original plan for a student-tracking database faced opposition from both Democratic and Republican constituencies and was removed from the bill, elements of that plan, such as quicker transfer of student records and a statewide alert system for students who have threatened or committed violence, remain.
- Republican Representative Holt Persinger, the bill's sponsor, stated, "We've got to communicate if there's a threat," and the House proposed spending $25 million on the initiative starting July 1, though senators refused to allocate any funds, leading to budget negotiations.
- The approved bill mandates quicker transfer of student records, creates mental health coordinator positions in each of Georgia's 180 school districts, establishes an anonymous reporting system, requires panic buttons for school employees, demands electronic campus maps, and defaults to adult prosecution for 13- to 16-year-olds charged with serious violent acts at school.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Georgia Public Broadcasting
roughdraftatlanta.comGeorgia lawmakers OK bill to create school safety protocols as response to Apalachee High shooting
A bill that sets up new security protocols that are intended to prevent another school shooting in Georgia is now in the governor’s hands.
Associated Press News
Georgia lawmakers agree on school safety bill after Apalachee High School shooting
Georgia lawmakers said repeatedly that a student-tracking database had been removed from a school safety bill. But parts of that plan survive.
capitol-beat.org
mainstreetnews.comGeorgia legislature passes comprehensive school safety bill
ATLANTA – The Georgia legislature on Monday passed a sweeping school safety bill that seeks to identify students who intend to do harm and bolster mental health services for them. House Bill 268 drew broad bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly Monday, passing the Senate 45-9 and then the House of Representatives 154-12. The House had already approved the bill by a similar margin in early March but had to ratify Senate change
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