23 LC 49 1174-EC
H. B. 147
- 1 -
House Bill 147
By: Representatives Wade of the 9
th
, Jones of the 47
th
, Dubnik of the 29
th
, Erwin of the 32
nd
,
Hitchens of the 161
st
, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
1
elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for a school safety and anti-gang2
endorsement for eligible certificated professional personnel issued by the Professional3
Standards Commission; to require school safety plans to be submitted to the Georgia4
Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; to require intruder alert drills in5
all public schools in this state; to require public schools to report completion of such drills6
to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; to provide for7
parents and guardians to opt their children out of such drills; to provide for a definition; to8
provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for9
other purposes.10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:11
SECTION 1.12
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safe Schools Act."13 23 LC 49 1174-EC
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SECTION 2.
14
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and15
secondary education, is amended in Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6, relating to certificated16
professional personnel, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:17
"20-2-209.1.
18
(a) No later than December 31, 2023, the Professional Standards Commission, in19
consultation with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency,20
the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, shall21
create a school safety and anti-gang endorsement for eligible certificated professional22
personnel, as determined pursuant to rules and regulations of the Professional Standards23
Commission, who elect to complete a training program, approved by the Professional24
Standards Commission, in multidisciplinary best practices for promoting and preserving25
safe schools and for identifying and deterring youth gangs.26
(b) The Professional Standards Commission, in consultation with the Georgia Emergency27
Management and Homeland Security Agency, shall establish measures to assess the fidelity28
of training and implementation for individuals who receive the school safety and anti-gang29
endorsement.30
(c)(1) All eligible certificated professional personnel, as determined pursuant to rules and31
regulations of the Professional Standards Commission, who are employed in a public32
school in this state, complete a school safety and anti-gang training program approved by33
the Professional Standards Commission, and provide to the Professional Standards34
Commission verification of such completion from an approved provider shall receive the35
school safety and anti-gang endorsement.36
(2) Postsecondary educational institutions with a teacher certification program approved37
by the Professional Standards Commission are encouraged to include training in38
multidisciplinary best practices for promoting and preserving safe schools and for39
identifying and deterring youth gangs in such program."40 23 LC 49 1174-EC
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SECTION 3.
41
Said chapter is further amended in Article 27, relating to loitering at or disrupting schools,42
by revising subsections (a) and (e) of Code Section 20-2-1185, relating to school safety plans43
and drills, as follows:44
"(a) Every public school shall prepare a school safety plan to help curb the growing45
incidence of violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide46
a safe learning environment for Georgia's children, teachers, and other school personnel.47
Such plan shall also address preparedness for natural disasters, hazardous materials or48
radiological accidents, acts of violence, and acts of terrorism. School safety plans of public49
schools shall be prepared with input from students enrolled in that school, parents or legal50
guardians of such students, teachers in that school, community leaders, other school51
employees and school district employees, and local law enforcement, juvenile court, fire52
service, public safety, and emergency management agencies. As part of such plans, public53
schools shall provide for the coordination with local law enforcement agencies and the54
local juvenile court system. School safety plans shall include, at a minimum, the following55
strategy areas:56
(1) Training school administrators, teachers, and support staff, including, but not limited57
to, school resource officers, security officers, secretaries, custodians, and bus drivers, on58
school violence prevention, school security, school threat assessment, mental health59
awareness, and school emergency planning best practices;60
(2) Evaluating and refining school security measures;61
(3) Updating and exercising school emergency preparedness plans;62
(4) Strengthening partnerships with public safety officials; and63
(5) Creating enhanced crisis communications plans and social media strategies.64
School safety plans of private schools may be prepared with input from students enrolled65
in that school, parents or legal guardians of such students, teachers in that school, other66
school employees, and local law enforcement, fire service, public safety, and emergency67 23 LC 49 1174-EC
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management agencies. Such plans shall be reviewed and, if necessary, updated annually.
68
Such plans of public schools shall be submitted to the local emergency management69
agency,
and the local law enforcement agency, and the Georgia Emergency Management70
and Homeland Security Agency for approval."71
"(e)(1) Every public school shall conduct drills with students, school administrators,72
teachers, and other school personnel on the execution of school safety plans in such form73
and at such intervals based upon guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management and74
Homeland Security Agency.75
(2) By October 1 of each school year, every public school shall conduct an intruder alert76
drill for students, school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel based upon77
guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.78
Each local school system or public school governing body shall promptly report to the79
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency the completion of such80
drills. All students shall participate in intruder alert drills provided for in this paragraph;81
provided, however, that the governing body of a local school system or public school may82
provide an option for a child's parent or legal guardian to elect, in writing, that such child83
not participate in intruder alert drills. As used in this paragraph, the term 'intruder alert84
drill' means a set of procedures designed to familiarize the occupants of a building with85
ways to protect themselves against potential threats posed by an intruder who possesses86
or is suspected of possessing a weapon, as defined in Code Section 20-2-742."87
SECTION 4.88
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.89