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, multidisciplinary behavioral threat-assessment teams (BTAM teams) in school systems to evaluate and respond to reported threats. The teams are intended to make local determinations and recommend services or referrals to law enforcement where appropriate.

- S3 database and GRAMA/Grama: The bill creates an S3 database described in committee as a mechanism for sharing records about credible threats so receiving schools have historical information when a student transfers. Representative Persinger and GEMA Deputy Director Linda Cribley described the S3 record as documenting both open and closed cases: "If a BTM team elevates a threat they have a choice to keep it local or they can elevate it to S3. . . . If a case is closed because positive interventions were successful, that would be within the S3 record that the case was resolved," Cribley said.

- Reporting app and anonymity: HB 268 requires an anonymous reporting app meeting certain standards. Committee discussion included a failed motion to replace the word "anonymous" with "private." Proponents of anonymity told the committee that anonymous reporting is important to ensure people report potential threats; others urged consideration of transparency to discourage false reporting.

- Behavioral health coordinators and grants: The bill creates positions for system-level "qualified behavioral health coordinators" and authorizes grants to fund those positions. Committee members clarified that the grant-funded coordinators are system-level positions (not necessarily placing mental health counselors in every school building) and that the program's scale would be based on district population.

- Appeals/closure process (amendment adopted): To address repeated questions about how a student could be removed from an S3 record after successful interventions, the committee adopted an amendment directing the Office of Safe Schools to develop, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, "a process for a student or his or her parent or guardian to request the closure of such student27s case on the S3 database." Legislative counsel read the proposed insertion during the meeting and described it as adding a responsibility for the Office of Safe Schools.

Committee debate and concerns

Members pressed for clarity on multiple operational points: which agencies and roles would have access to S3 records, whether private schools could opt in and access records, whether the Department of Juvenile Justice would require a coordinator, and whether teams and users would receive recurring training. Committee members asked whether demographic and background data (race, gender, grade) would be tracked for students placed in the system so the state can monitor potential disparities; presenters said student information would be part of the record when a case is elevated as a credible threat and that that data could be reviewed.

A motion to replace the bill27s repeated term "anonymous" reporting with "private" reporting was moved and seconded but failed on a voice vote after members argued both for preserving anonymity to encourage reporting and for transparency to discourage false reports.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment: Add requirement that Office of Safe Schools develop a process to request closure of a student27s S3 case (read into record to require coordination with State Board of Education and DBHDD). Outcome: adopted by voice vote.

- Amendment: Replace references to "anonymous" reporting with "private" reporting throughout the bill. Outcome: failed by voice vote.

- Final committee recommendation: Motion that HB 268 (LC492304S) receive a 22do pass22 recommendation. Outcome: passed by voice vote.

What happens next

The committee adopted the closure-process language and recommended the bill for further consideration. Committee members and agency representatives said additional implementation details27including training, record access rules, and data tracking practices27would be handled by the Office of Safe Schools and participating agencies as the measure is implemented or as follow-up language is developed.

Ending

The committee27s action advances House Bill 268 in the legislative process while leaving implementation details to the Office of Safe Schools, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and local school systems.