---
title: SB 466. Local Board of Education; install key boxes at each school building in locations determined in collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb466
cite_as: SB 466, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb466
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb466.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb466/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72914
date: 2026-02-06
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb465.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb467.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb466.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 466
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-05
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Timothy Bearden
- John Albers
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB466/2025
upstream_id: 2110011
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school safety
- emergency response
- education law
- local government liability
---
# SB 466. Local Board of Education; install key boxes at each school building in locations determined in collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies; require
## Text
Senate Bill 466
By: Senators Bearden of the 30th and Albers of the 56th
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 in locations determined in collaboration
with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, contingent upon funding;
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:
"20-2-1187.
(a) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, 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 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 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 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."
SECTION 2.
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.
A Georgia Senate bill would require every public and private K-12 school to install exterior key boxes so police and emergency responders can get quick access to buildings, once state funding is provided.
### Plain-language summary
Currently Georgia law does not require schools to have key boxes that let first responders quickly get into school buildings during an emergency. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's school safety code requiring local boards of education and private school governing bodies to install at least one exterior key box at each school building.
The key box would have to meet a national safety standard (Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037) and be placed where local police and emergency management agencies agree it should go. It would need to hold keys and access devices for the whole campus, not just one building. Schools must adopt policies to carry this out. The requirement only kicks in if the General Assembly provides funding, and the bill shields schools, local governments, and their employees from civil lawsuits over installing or using the boxes unless an employee acted with gross negligence or bad faith.
### What it does
- Requires local boards of education and private school governing bodies to install at least one exterior key box at each school building, but only if the General Assembly appropriates funding for it.
- Sets a minimum safety standard for the key boxes, requiring them to meet or exceed Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037.
- Requires the box location to be chosen jointly by school officials, local law enforcement, and local emergency management agencies.
- Requires the key box to contain keys and access devices for every building and room on the school grounds, not just the exterior door.
- Requires schools to adopt policies and procedures to carry out the key box requirement.
- Grants civil immunity to schools, local governments, and their employees for damages from installing or using the key boxes, unless an employee acted with gross negligence or bad faith.
### Who it affects
Public and private elementary and secondary schools in Georgia, local boards of education and other school governing bodies, local police departments and emergency management agencies that help choose key box locations, and school employees who would gain civil liability protection.
### Why it matters
If funded, the bill would give first responders a standardized way to quickly enter school buildings during emergencies like an active shooter or fire, potentially speeding response times. Schools would take on a new installation and policy-writing task, though the mandate only takes effect once the state provides money for it.
### Key provisions
- Adds new Code section 20-2-1187 to Georgia's school loitering and disruption law (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 27).
- Subsection (a) makes the key box requirement contingent on the General Assembly actually appropriating funds for it.
- Subsection (b) requires the box to meet Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037 and to be placed at a location chosen with local law enforcement and emergency management input, containing access devices for the entire campus.
- Subsection (c) requires schools to adopt implementing policies and procedures.
- Subsection (d) gives schools, local governments, and agencies full civil immunity for key box related damages, and gives their employees immunity unless they acted with gross negligence or bad faith.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-05)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-06)
- Sponsors: Timothy Bearden, John Albers
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72914
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb466.md?full=1