Georgia 2023-2024 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB147 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	23 LC 49 1174-EC~~/AP~~
	1	+	23 LC 49 1174-EC
2	2		H. B. 147
3	3		- 1 -
4		-	House Bill 147 ~~(AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)~~
	4	+	House Bill 147
5	5		By: Representatives Wade of the 9
6	6		th
7	7		, Jones of the 47
8	8		th
9	9		, Dubnik of the 29
10	10		th
11	11		, Erwin of the 32
12	12		nd
13	13		,
14	14		Hitchens of the 161
15	15		st
16	16		, and others
17	17		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
18	18		AN ACT
19	19		To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
20	20		1
21	21		elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for a school safety and anti-gang2
22	22		endorsement for eligible certificated professional personnel issued by the Professional3
23	23		Standards Commission; to require school safety plans to be submitted to the Georgia4
24	24		Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; to require intruder alert drills in5
25	25		all public schools in this state; to require public schools to report completion of such drills6
26	26		to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; to provide for7
27	27		parents and guardians to opt their children out of such drills; to provide for a definition; to8
28	28		provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for9
29	29		other purposes.10
30	30		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:11
31	31		SECTION 1.12
32		-	This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safe Schools Act."13 23 LC 49 1174-EC~~/AP~~
	32	+	This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safe Schools Act."13 23 LC 49 1174-EC
33	33		H. B. 147
34	34		- 2 -
35	35		SECTION 2.
36	36		14
37	37		Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and15
38	38		secondary education, is amended in Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6, relating to certificated16
39	39		professional personnel, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:17
40	40		"20-2-209.1.
41	41		18
42	42		(a) No later than December 31, 2023, the Professional Standards Commission, in19
43	43		consultation with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency,20
44	44		the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, shall21
45	45		create a school safety and anti-gang endorsement for eligible certificated professional22
46	46		personnel, as determined pursuant to rules and regulations of the Professional Standards23
47	47		Commission, who elect to complete a training program, approved by the Professional24
48	48		Standards Commission, in multidisciplinary best practices for promoting and preserving25
49	49		safe schools and for identifying and deterring youth gangs.26
50	50		(b) The Professional Standards Commission, in consultation with the Georgia Emergency27
51	51		Management and Homeland Security Agency, shall establish measures to assess the fidelity28
52	52		of training and implementation for individuals who receive the school safety and anti-gang29
53	53		endorsement.30
54	54		(c)(1) All eligible certificated professional personnel, as determined pursuant to rules and31
55	55		regulations of the Professional Standards Commission, who are employed in a public32
56	56		school in this state, complete a school safety and anti-gang training program approved by33
57	57		the Professional Standards Commission, and provide to the Professional Standards34
58	58		Commission verification of such completion from an approved provider shall receive the35
59	59		school safety and anti-gang endorsement.36
60	60		(2) Postsecondary educational institutions with a teacher certification program approved37
61	61		by the Professional Standards Commission are encouraged to include training in38
62	62		multidisciplinary best practices for promoting and preserving safe schools and for39
63		-	identifying and deterring youth gangs in such program."40 23 LC 49 1174-EC~~/AP~~
	63	+	identifying and deterring youth gangs in such program."40 23 LC 49 1174-EC
64	64		H. B. 147
65	65		- 3 -
66	66		SECTION 3.
67	67		41
68	68		Said chapter is further amended in Article 27, relating to loitering at or disrupting schools,42
69	69		by revising subsections (a) and (e) of Code Section 20-2-1185, relating to school safety plans43
70	70		and drills, as follows:44
71	71		"(a) Every public school shall prepare a school safety plan to help curb the growing45
72	72		incidence of violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide46
73	73		a safe learning environment for Georgia's children, teachers, and other school personnel.47
74	74		Such plan shall also address preparedness for natural disasters, hazardous materials or48
75	75		radiological accidents, acts of violence, and acts of terrorism. School safety plans of public49
76	76		schools shall be prepared with input from students enrolled in that school, parents or legal50
77	77		guardians of such students, teachers in that school, community leaders, other school51
78	78		employees and school district employees, and local law enforcement, juvenile court, fire52
79	79		service, public safety, and emergency management agencies. As part of such plans, public53
80	80		schools shall provide for the coordination with local law enforcement agencies and the54
81	81		local juvenile court system. School safety plans shall include, at a minimum, the following55
82	82		strategy areas:56
83	83		(1) Training school administrators, teachers, and support staff, including, but not limited57
84	84		to, school resource officers, security officers, secretaries, custodians, and bus drivers, on58
85	85		school violence prevention, school security, school threat assessment, mental health59
86	86		awareness, and school emergency planning best practices;60
87	87		(2) Evaluating and refining school security measures;61
88	88		(3) Updating and exercising school emergency preparedness plans;62
89	89		(4) Strengthening partnerships with public safety officials; and63
90	90		(5) Creating enhanced crisis communications plans and social media strategies.64
91	91		School safety plans of private schools may be prepared with input from students enrolled65
92	92		in that school, parents or legal guardians of such students, teachers in that school, other66
93		-	school employees, and local law enforcement, fire service, public safety, and emergency67 23 LC 49 1174-EC~~/AP~~
	93	+	school employees, and local law enforcement, fire service, public safety, and emergency67 23 LC 49 1174-EC
94	94		H. B. 147
95	95		- 4 -
96	96		management agencies. Such plans shall be reviewed and, if necessary, updated annually.
97	97		68
98	98		Such plans of public schools shall be submitted to the local emergency management69
99	99		agency,
100	100		and the local law enforcement agency, and the Georgia Emergency Management70
101	101		and Homeland Security Agency for approval."71
102	102		"(e)(1) Every public school shall conduct drills with students, school administrators,72
103	103		teachers, and other school personnel on the execution of school safety plans in such form73
104	104		and at such intervals based upon guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management and74
105	105		Homeland Security Agency.75
106	106		(2) By October 1 of each school year, every public school shall conduct an intruder alert76
107	107		drill for students, school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel based upon77
108	108		guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.78
109	109		Each local school system or public school governing body shall promptly report to the79
110	110		Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency the completion of such80
111	111		drills. All students shall participate in intruder alert drills provided for in this paragraph;81
112	112		provided, however, that the governing body of a local school system or public school may82
113	113		provide an option for a child's parent or legal guardian to elect, in writing, that such child83
114	114		not participate in intruder alert drills. As used in this paragraph, the term 'intruder alert84
115	115		drill' means a set of procedures designed to familiarize the occupants of a building with85
116	116		ways to protect themselves against potential threats posed by an intruder who possesses86
117	117		or is suspected of possessing a weapon, as defined in Code Section 20-2-742."87
118	118		SECTION 4.88
119	119		All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.89