SB54: SB54 State Board of Education; establishment of a program and state-wide database relating to threats to safety made on or impacting school campuses; require

25 LC 39 4489 Senate Bill 54 By: Senators Jones of the 10th, Jones II of the 22nd, Sims of t he 12th, Lucas of the 26th, Orrock of the 36th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to state board of education, so as to require the esta blishment of a program and2 state-wide database by the State Board of Education relating to threats to safety made on or3 impacting school campuses; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for4 other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state8 board of education, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:9 "20-2-20.1.10 (a) No later than July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall establish an emergency11 alert response system to be provided to public elementary and s econdary schools in this12 state that allows:13 (1) School administration to notify law enforcement of threats made on or impacting a14 school campus;15 S. B. 54 - 1 - 25 LC 39 4489 (2) School administration to notify local emergency first responders of an active threat16 to safety upon a school campus; and17 (3) A public elementary or secondary school to communicate wit h neighboring local18 school systems about threats made on or impacting a school camp us or emergency19 procedures initiated upon a school campus due to an active threat to safety.20 (b) No later than July 1, 2027, the State Board of Education s hall establish a secure21 state-wide database for use by public elementary and secondary schools in this state to22 report and monitor incidents of safety threats made on or impacting a school campus. The23 name of any person who threatens the safety of a school shall be included in such database;24 provided, however, that no student shall be entered on any such database until the threat25 to school safety has been investigated and verified by local la w enforcement and the26 student has been evaluated by a certificated school social work er from the local school27 system, if any are employed by the school system. The State Bo ard of Education shall28 develop standards for determining when a verified threat qualifies for inclusion of a person29 within the database and a method for petitioning for removal from any database developed30 pursuant to this subs ection. Any such remova l standards shall include a required31 evaluation of the student by a certified school social worker. Such database shall be32 accessible only to designated personnel at each public elementary or secondary school in33 this state. When a student has been added to the database esta blished pursuant to this34 subsection, the local school system shall provide the parents o r guardians of the student35 with recommendations for counseling services and provide the st udent with available36 specialized mental health services while in school.37 (c) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to consul t with the Georgia38 Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Georgia Bureau of39 Investigation, and local boards of education and other elementa ry and secondary school40 governing bodies for purposes of this Code section."41 S. B. 54 - 2 - 25 LC 39 4489 SECTION 2.42 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.43 S. B. 54 - 3 -