House Bill 643
By: Representatives Townsend of the 179th, Hilton of the 48th, Ballard of the 147th, Rice of
the 139th, Dubnik of the 29th, and others
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 provide for 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 in locations determined in collaboration
with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies; to provide for the purpose,
content, and minimum standards of such key boxes; to provide for policies and regulation;
to provide for the creation and maintenance of records; 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>"20-2-1186.
(a) The local board of education or other governing body of each public and private
elementary and secondary school in this state shall be authorized to provide for the
</ins>
<ins>installation at each school building of at least one exterior key box that meets or exceeds
Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037.
(b) Each key box required by subsection (a) of this Code section shall:
(1) Be installed at an appropriate location for permitting local law enforcement officers
and emergency management personnel emergency access to such building, the precise
location of which shall be determined by such local board of education or other governing
body in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies and local emergency
management agencies of the jurisdiction in which such school building is located; and
(2) Contain:
(A) Such keys and other access control devices as are necessary to access each building
and room located on the entire school grounds; and
(B) Accurate maps of the entire school grounds that:
(i) Identify and label access points to each building's interior, including, but not
limited to, rooms, doors, stairwells, and hallways, each of which shall include any
identifiers or names utilized by staff and students;
(ii) Identify and label locations of critical utilities, key boxes, automated external
defibrillators, and trauma kits or other emergency response aids; and
(iii) Identify and label areas at or near each building, including parking areas, athletic
fields, surrounding roads, outbuildings, and neighboring properties.
(c)(1) 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.
(2) Each local board of education or other governing body of each public and private
school that elects to provide for the installation of a key box as provided for in this Code
section shall establish key audit mechanisms and processes in collaboration with local
law enforcement officers and emergency management personnel to ensure the creation
and maintenance of a record of each instance such key box is accessed.
</ins>
<ins>(d) Information to be included with any key box required by subsection (a) of this Code
section shall be exempt from public disclosure to the extent provided in Code Section
50-18-72.
(e)(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 required by 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 required by 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.