SUMMARY: 

LC 41 1831

Would require the Department of Education in conjunction with Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) and the Department of Public Safety to begin on January 1, 2020 and every year after that shall issue a report of recommendations of school design. GEMA/HS will offer recommendations on the inclusion of safety innovations.

Beginning on August 1, 2019 any school safety plan must be based upon the operation guide for preventing targeted school violence, issued by the United States Secret Service. Such plan will need to be submitted to GEMA/HS for approval. Local school systems should also submit their plan to their local emergency management agency and local law enforcement agency.

By August 1, 2022, GEMA/HS shall conduct a site visit of each public school to determine if their school safety plan is adequate.

Each public school with guidance from GEMA/HS and in coordination with their local law enforcement agency shall conduct safety drills on reacting to potential mass casualty incidents at least once each school year. Participation of students in this safety drill shall be at the discretion of the school.

Beginning July 1, 2019 each school year the local board of education shall provide an annual report to the public with information from the prior school year related to school safety planning.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will be required to develop and distribute to every public school a digital copy of information that can be used to advertise any smart phone or other digital application developed by the Department of Public Safety, GBI, GEMA/HS that allows citizens to report suspicious, unsafe, or unlawful activity. And each local school board would be required to display this information in a prominent area.

The Board of Homeland Security will act as the oversight of all these collaborations. 

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