HB564: HB564 Georgia Prevention and Plan Act; enact

Georgia law currently has no requirement for a statewide plan to rapidly connect students with mental health services after a school crisis such as an act of violence, a threat of violence, or a natural disaster. House Bill 564, called the 'Georgia Prevention and Plan Act,' adds a new section to Georgia's education code directing the Department of Education to build such a plan. The Department must work with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the state Suicide Prevention Program, and mental health experts to design the plan and make it available to every local school system (called a local education agency) by January 1, 2026. The Department may also create training materials and curricula to help students and school staff recognize and report severe mental illness, and it must adopt rules to carry out the new requirements.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop a statewide mental health crisis plan aimed at quickly getting mental health services to students after violence, threats, natural disasters, or other crises.
• Sets a January 1, 2026 deadline for the plan to be distributed to every local school system in Georgia.
• Directs the Department of Education to consult with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the state Suicide Prevention Program, and mental health experts while building the plan.
• Authorizes (but does not require) the Department of Education to create promotional materials, training programs, and curricula to teach students and school staff to recognize and report severe mental illness.
• Requires the Department of Education to adopt rules and regulations to put the new requirements into practice.

The bill affects the Georgia Department of Education, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the state Suicide Prevention Program, local school systems (local education agencies), and the students and school staff who would receive the crisis plan, training materials, and curricula.

If enacted, Georgia schools would have a state-developed plan for quickly connecting students with mental health support after a violent incident, threat, or disaster, rather than each district figuring this out on its own, and staff and students could receive new training on spotting serious mental illness.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Georgia Prevention and Plan Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-779.5 to Georgia's education law, defining 'local education agency' by reference to Code Section 20-2-167.1.
• Subsection (b) requires the Department of Education, working with behavioral health officials and mental health experts, to develop a mental health crisis plan for rapid response to school crises.
• Subsection (c) requires the plan to be made available to all local education agencies in Georgia by January 1, 2026.
• Subsection (d) authorizes development of promotional materials, training programs, and curricula for students and school personnel on recognizing and reporting severe mental illness.
• Subsection (e) requires the Department of Education to adopt rules and regulations to implement the new Code section.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-24House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-21House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-20House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Primary sponsor
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-042)

• student mental health
• school safety
• education policy
• crisis response planning