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Committee approves bill requiring panic-alert systems and interior mapping for schools
Summary
Senate Bill 17 (Ricky and Alyssa's Law) would require mobile panic-alert systems in schools and structured property/floor mapping to aid emergency responders. Sponsor and committee members said many districts already use alert systems; committee approved the measure by voice vote.
Senate Bill 17, named in testimony as Ricky and Alyssa's Law, would require schools to implement mobile panic-alert systems (referred to in testimony as Alyssa's alert or similar) and to maintain interior floor-plan mapping to aid first responders during emergencies.
The sponsor said the bill is intended to reduce response time in violent incidents and other emergencies by giving public-safety personnel immediate access to interior layouts and identifiers for rooms, doors and hallways. He and committee members noted multiple uses for mobile alerts beyond active-threat scenarios, including medical emergencies and fights that require fast attention.
The sponsor told the committee that many school systems already have some form of mobile panic alert and that more than half of Georgia school systems have implemented alert systems; mapping practices vary by district. Members asked about estimated per-school costs; the sponsor estimated installation per school would likely be under $10,000 and noted recent state investments in school security. Committee members urged attention to interoperability and accuracy of systems and to coordination with 911 and public-safety partners.
A committee motion to approve the bill passed by voice vote in the excerpted hearing.
