Committee backs HB 268 to require school threat-assessment teams and an S3 information database

A Georgia legislative committee voted to give House Bill 268 (LC492304S) a favorable recommendation after adopting an amendment that requires the Office of Safe Schools to establish a process to request closure of a student27s record on the S3 database.

The measure, presented by Representative Persinger, would require school systems to adopt behavioral threat-assessment teams to identify and manage potential threats, mandate use of an anonymous reporting app that meets standards, create an S3 database "managed under Grama" to log credible threats that can follow students between schools, create grant-funded "qualified behavioral health coordinator" positions at the system level, and increase penalties for certain threats. "This also creates the S3 database that will be managed under Grama to be able to log credible threats to school systems so that if a student does transfer that information can be relayed to the receiving school as well," Representative Persinger said.

Why it matters: supporters said the bill's purpose is early identification and treatment of students who pose credible threats so school systems can provide services and reduce the risk of serious incidents. Opponents and some members raised questions about data access, how a student might be removed from or have a case closed in the database, demographic tracking, and the role of anonymity in reporting.

Key provisions and clarifications

- Behavioral threat-assessment teams: HB 268 requires local,…