HB 564: Georgia Prevention and Plan Act; enact

Georgia schools currently have no single statewide plan for quickly getting mental health help to students after a crisis like a violent incident, a threat, or a natural disaster. House Bill 564, called the Georgia Prevention and Plan Act, would require the Department of Education to build such a plan in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the state's Suicide Prevention Program, and mental health experts. The plan would have to be made available to all local school districts in Georgia by January 1, 2026. The Department of Education would also be allowed to create promotional materials, training programs, and curricula to teach students and school staff how to recognize and report severe mental illness, and to adopt any rules needed to carry out the new law.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop a statewide mental health crisis plan for rapidly serving students after violence, threats, disasters, or other crises.
• Requires the plan to be developed in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Suicide Prevention Program, and mental health experts.
• Sets a January 1, 2026 deadline for making the plan available to all local school districts (local education agencies) in Georgia.
• Authorizes the Department of Education to create and distribute promotional materials, training programs, and curricula for students and school staff to recognize and report severe mental illness.
• Directs the Department of Education to adopt rules and regulations to put the new requirements into effect.

Public school students and staff across Georgia, local school districts that must receive and use the state's crisis plan, the Department of Education, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and the state's Suicide Prevention Program, all of which have new roles under the bill.

If enacted, Georgia schools would gain a standard statewide plan for responding to mental health needs after a crisis, rather than each district figuring it out alone. Students and staff could also receive new training on recognizing and reporting severe mental illness, changing how schools prepare for emergencies.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Georgia Prevention and Plan Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-779.5, defining 'local education agency' by reference to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-167.1.
• Subsection (b) requires the Department of Education to develop the mental health crisis plan in consultation with named state agencies and mental health experts.
• Subsection (c) sets a January 1, 2026 deadline for distributing the plan to all local education agencies.
• Subsection (d) authorizes development and distribution of training materials and curricula on recognizing and reporting severe mental illness.
• Subsection (e) requires the Department of Education to adopt implementing rules and regulations.
• 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)

• school mental health
• student safety
• school crisis response
• education policy
• suicide prevention