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HB234
XD8UG7Z-2
By Representative Baker
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 06-Feb-25
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First Read: 06-Feb-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public school safety; to require designated
school employees with access to students during the school day
to be equipped with mobile emergency rapid response systems
that meet certain requirements; to require the State Board of
Education to approve vendors and adopt rules; and to authorize
the use of various funding sources for the systems.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
Alyssa's Law.
Section 2. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(1) EMPLOYEE. An employee of the State Department of
Education, any local board of education, or any public charter
school who has access to students during the school day. This
term includes, but is not limited to, teachers,
administrators, administrative staff, custodial staff,
maintenance staff, cafeteria staff, nurses, counselors, media
specialists, coaches, and bus drivers.
(2) GOVERNING BODY. Each local board of education and
the governing body of each public charter school.
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the governing body of each public charter school.
(3) MOBILE EMERGENCY RAPID RESPONSE SYSTEM. A device
that shall be wearable or in the personal possession of the
individual which, upon activation: (i) immediately connects
directly to the locally serving public safety answering point;
and (ii) provides accurate location information to the room
and floor level inside the facility and to specific areas that
are part of school grounds including, but not limited to,
parking lots, playgrounds, and athletic fields.
(4) PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT. The same meaning as
Section 11-98-1, Code of Alabama 1975.
(b)(1) No later than October 1, 2030, and subject to
annual dedicated school safety funds, each governing body
shall:
a. Adopt a policy designating which employees in the
corresponding school system must be equipped with a mobile
emergency rapid response system and when that system must be
worn; and
b. Equip each designated employee with a mobile
emergency rapid response system. When activated by an
employee, the system must immediately connect to school system
or school emergency services and the local public safety
answering point.
(2) Each governing body shall provide regular training
to employees on the use of the mobile emergency rapid response
system used by the school.
(c)(1) The State Board of Education shall develop a
list of approved vendors from which each governing body may
purchase approved mobile emergency rapid response systems. No
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purchase approved mobile emergency rapid response systems. No
vendor may be approved if the vendor manufactures any covered
equipment or services, as determined by the Federal
Communication Commission's List of Equipment and Services
Covered by Section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications
Networks Act of 2019, Public Law 116-124.
(2) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
administer this section.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, each governing body may use funding from any of the
following sources to comply with this section:
(1) The K-12 Capital Grant Program created pursuant to
Section 29-4-51, Code of Alabama 1975.
(2) The Education Trust Fund Advancement and Technology
Fund created pursuant to Section 29-9-4, Code of Alabama 1975.
(3) The School Security and Fire Safety Fund created
pursuant to Section 3 of Act 2024-356, 2024 Regular Session,
now appearing as Section 16-22B-3, Code of Alabama 1975.
(4) Any other available funds or funding sources.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
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1, 2025.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Ways and Means
Education
................06-Feb-25
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................20-Feb-25
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
................20-Mar-25
Yeas 58
Nays 30
Abs 13
John Treadwell
Clerk
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