---
title: HB 47. School Security Protection and Safety Infrastructure Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb47
cite_as: HB 47, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb47
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb47.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb47/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69344
date: 2025-01-16
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb47.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 47
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-14
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Viola Davis
- Sandra Scott
- Kim Schofield
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB47/2025
upstream_id: 1919177
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school safety
- school funding
- weapon detection
- education policy
- Quality Basic Education Act
---
# HB 47. School Security Protection and Safety Infrastructure Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 47
By: Representatives Davis of the 87th, Scott of the 76th, and Schofield of the 63rd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 5 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to program weights and funding requirements under the "Quality Basic
Education Act," so as to provide for QBE funding assistance to eligible public schools to
improve school safety infrastructure; to provide for eligibility; to provide for allowable uses
of such funding; to provide for policies, procedures, regulations, and requirements; to
provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and
applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "School Security Protection and Safety
Infrastructure Act."
SECTION 2.
Part 5 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to program weights and funding requirements under the "Quality Basic Education
Act," is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-183, relating to program weights to reflect
funds for maintenance and operation of facilities, as follows:
"20-2-183.
(a) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds
to provide for the maintenance and operation of facilities essential for housing instructional
programs and essential supportive educational services, subject to appropriation by the
General Assembly.
(b)(1) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient
funds to provide funding assistance to reimburse eligible public schools for actual costs
incurred to reduce school violence and improve school safety and security. Such funds
may be referred to as school security protection and safety infrastructure funds.
(2) The State Board of Education shall annually determine the amount of state funds
needed to provide funding assistance to eligible public schools as set forth in paragraph
(1) of this subsection, subject to the following conditions:
(A) No public school shall be considered eligible for such funding assistance unless
such school complies with such policies, procedures, regulations, and other
requirements as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (3) of
this subsection; and
(B) Expenditures allowable under this subsection shall be limited to:
(i) Mobile surveillance camera trailers;
(ii) Onsite command centers;
(iii) Weapon detection technology for large events, daily campus entry, or any other
school function;
(iv) Systems designed to detect cigarettes, cigars, consumable vapor products, or
alternative nicotine products, as such terms are defined in Code Section 48-11-1; or
(v) Systems designed to detect marijuana as such term is defined in Code Section
16-13-21.
(3) The State Board of Education shall adopt policies, procedures, regulations, and other
such requirements as appropriate:
(A) To determine whether a public school is eligible for funding assistance under this
subsection;
(B) To establish procedures and requirements for public schools seeking funding
assistance under this subsection;
(C) To establish procedures for the Department of Education to evaluate requests by
public schools for funding assistance under this subsection;
(D) To calculate the maximum amount of funding assistance each eligible public
school is eligible to receive under this subsection, subject to appropriations by the
General Assembly;
(E) To annually assess whether and to what extent funding assistance provided to
eligible public schools under this subsection is having the intended impact of reducing
school violence or improving school safety and security; and
(F) As may be necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall be applicable beginning with the
2026-2027 school year and continuing each school year thereafter.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 47 would create a state funding stream under Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act to reimburse public schools for security equipment like surveillance trailers and weapon detection systems, starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
### Plain-language summary
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.
### What it does
- 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.
### Who it affects
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.
### Why it matters
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.
### Key provisions
- 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.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-14)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-16)
- Sponsors: Viola Davis, Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69344
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb47.md?full=1