Day 32: Senate School Safety Legislation & House Distraction-Free Schools Bill Advance
- Legislative Team
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
The House and Senate had extensive floor debates, though neither chamber considered education bills. The House Education Committee approved "Ricky and Alyssa's Law," while a House Judiciary Subcommittee approved additional penalties for students who make terroristic threats at school. The Senate Children and Families Committee approved HB 340, the Distraction Free Schools Act.
Panic Alert System and School Mapping Bill Approved by House Ed Committee
The House Education Committee approved the following bills:
SB 17 by Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas), “Ricky and Alyssa’s Law,” requires school districts to implement a mobile panic alert system, such as Centegix, that connects directly with emergency services. Districts must procure detailed digital mapping of each public and private school in their district and provide the maps on paper and in digital format. Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), Rep. Sandy Donatucci (R-Buford), Rep. Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville), and Rep. Miriam Paris (D-Macon) each questioned the inclusion of private schools in the bill, expressing concern that private schools do not receive any state funding for school safety like public schools. Anavitarte responded that he prefers congruency with how all schools interact with law enforcement. Dubnik asked Anavitarte if removing private schools from the bill would be a friendly amendment, but Anavitarte said he did not want them removed. A spokesperson from GEMA said the agency would prefer to leave private schools in the bill since those seeking to do harm to schools may search out schools they know have less security. Dubnik offered the amendment to remove private schools, which passed. The bill then passed unanimously and moves to House Rules for consideration.
SB 44 by Sen. Sam Watson (R-Bonaire) reduces the minimum required millage rate from 14 to 10 mills, broadening eligibility for equalization grants to support school districts with lower property tax revenues. SB 44 also proposes a 25 percent reduction in equalization awards for districts not meeting the minimum millage requirement. The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) would prepare an annual report on each local school system's initial and adjusted equalization grant amounts. The committee discussed the mechanics of equalization before moving the bill forward to House Rules.
SB 154 by Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) was characterized by the author when he presented it in committee as a "proactive cleanup bill" in preparation for President Donald Trump's administration's plans to eliminate the U.S. Dept. of Education (USED). The bill strikes references to USED from the Georgia code. Hatchett said he intends to prepare Georgia if the federal department is shuttered, as USED is responsible for licensure approvals for several professions, including social workers and professional counselors. The bill passed with no dissenting votes and moves to Rules.
House Subcommittee Passes Terroristic Threats Against Schools Legislation
The House Judiciary Non-Civil Subcommittee passed SB 61, by Sen. Dolezal (R-Cumming). It seeks to create several new crimes related to schools, including terroristic threats and terroristic acts against schools. Crimes related to the latter would be moved from Juvenile Court to Superior Court. It also requires information sharing between courts, state agencies, and public schools when children are subject to electronic monitoring or other restrictions. Additionally, SB 61 mandates annual site threat assessments for public schools to be conducted by law enforcement or individuals certified by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA). It also revises school safety plan requirements, emphasizing input from various stakeholders and coordination with local law enforcement.
Several advocates spoke against the bill, citing concerns about the school-to-prison pipeline. An amendment by subcommittee Democrats to remove several provisions of the bill failed, and the bill moved forward on a party-line vote. It now awaits consideration by the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
K-8 Phone-Free Schools Bill Advances
PAGE-supported legislation banning student use of mobile phones during the school day in grades K-8 passed the Senate Children and Youth Committee with one dissenting vote. HB 340 by Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners) prohibits student use of cell phones from bell to bell. PAGE shared educator survey data with the committee demonstrating the numbers of middle and high school teachers who flag student use of phones as a significant problem.
The bill moves on to the Senate Rules Committee, which will consider scheduling it for a floor vote.
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, March 20 - Committee Work Day
6 a.m. Senate Public Safety First Responders Subcommittee, 450 CAP
9 a.m. House Judiciary Non-Civil, 132 CAP
1 p.m. House Education Curriculum Subcommittee, 415 CLOB
2 p.m. House Education Policy Subcommittee, 415 CLOB
5 p.m. Senate Judiciary HB 267 Subcommittee, 125 CAP
Thursday, March 21 - Legislative Day 33
8 a.m. Senate Ed, 307 CLOB
1 p.m. Senate Ed, 450 CAP
Friday, March 22 - Legislative Day 34