HB 47: School Security Protection and Safety Infrastructure Act; enact

Georgia's school funding formula, the Quality Basic Education Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-183), currently allocates money for building maintenance and instructional programs. This bill adds a new funding category specifically for school safety infrastructure. It directs the State Board of Education to calculate how much state money is needed each year to reimburse public schools for actual costs spent reducing school violence and improving safety and security. To qualify, a school must comply with policies the State Board of Education is required to adopt covering eligibility, application procedures, evaluation of requests, and how much money each school can receive. Reimbursable purchases are limited to mobile surveillance camera trailers, onsite command centers, weapon detection technology, and detection systems for vapor products, nicotine products, or marijuana. The law would take effect July 1, 2025, and apply starting with the 2026-2027 school year, subject to the legislature actually appropriating the funds.

• Adds a new subsection to Georgia's school funding law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-183) creating 'school security protection and safety infrastructure funds' to reimburse public schools for safety spending.
• Requires the State Board of Education to annually calculate how much state funding is needed to reimburse eligible schools, subject to legislative appropriation.
• Limits reimbursable purchases to mobile surveillance camera trailers, onsite command centers, weapon detection technology, and vapor, nicotine, or marijuana detection systems.
• Directs the State Board of Education to write rules for school eligibility, application procedures, funding calculations, and annual evaluation of whether the funding is reducing violence or improving safety.
• Sets an effective date of July 1, 2025, applicable beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and each year after.

Georgia's public K-12 schools and school districts, which could apply for reimbursement funds; the State Board of Education and Department of Education, which must write rules and evaluate applications; and students and staff at schools that purchase the covered safety equipment.

Schools seeking money for surveillance cameras, command centers, or weapon and drug detection systems would have a defined state funding channel to apply to, rather than relying solely on local budgets. The actual amount of help depends on future state appropriations, so the practical impact varies by year and by whether a school meets the Board's eligibility rules.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'School Security Protection and Safety Infrastructure Act.'
• Section 2 adds subsection (b) to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-183, creating school security protection and safety infrastructure funds to reimburse eligible public schools for actual safety costs.
• Section 2 requires the State Board of Education to annually determine the amount of state funds needed for this assistance, subject to General Assembly appropriations.
• Section 2 limits allowable expenditures to mobile surveillance camera trailers, onsite command centers, weapon detection technology, and detection systems for vapor products, nicotine products, or marijuana.
• Section 2 directs the State Board of Education to adopt rules on eligibility, application procedures, funding calculation methods, and annual impact assessments.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applicable starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

1. 2025-01-16House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-15House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-14House Hopper (House)

• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)Primary sponsor
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)

• school safety
• school funding
• weapon detection
• education policy
• Quality Basic Education Act