The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 1327:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 27 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to loitering at or disrupting schools, so as to require the local board of education or
other governing body of each public and private elementary and secondary school in this
state to install key boxes at each school building; to provide for an exception; to provide for
the purpose, content, and minimum standards of such key boxes; to provide for policies and
procedures; to provide for immunity from civil liability; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 27 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
loitering at or disrupting schools, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
<ins>"20-2-1187.
(a) Unless a local board of education or other governing body has implemented a
documented and formal process for the implementation of a rapid access program for first
responders that enables the law enforcement officers, who are most likely to be the first to
</ins>
<ins>respond to an emergency, with access to any locked external or internal door locks, the
local board of education or other governing body of each public and private elementary and
secondary school in this state shall provide for the installation at each school of at least one
exterior key box that meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037.
(b) Each key box under subsection (a) of this Code section shall:
(1) Be installed at an appropriate location for permitting local law enforcement officers
emergency access to such building, the precise location of which shall be determined by
such local board of education or other governing body; and
(2) Contain such keys and other access control devices as are necessary to access each
building and room located on the entire school grounds.
(c) The local board of education or other governing body of each public and private
elementary and secondary school in this state shall adopt such policies and procedures as
are necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section.
(d)(1) Local boards of education, other public and private school governing bodies, local
school systems, other public and private schools, and local governments and agencies
shall be immune from civil liability for any damages arising out of the installation and
use of key boxes under subsection (a) of this Code section.
(2) Employees of local boards of education, other public and private school governing
bodies, local school systems, other public and private schools, and local governments and
agencies shall be immune from civil liability for any damages arising out of the
installation and use of key boxes under subsection (a) of this Code section unless it is
shown that such employee acted with gross negligence or bad faith."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.