Gov. Kemp's amended budget includes $50 million in school safety grants
ATLANTA (WJBF) – The Georgia Senate has given the green light on three legislative bills to improve school safety in the state.
Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones said these bills will build on school safety initiatives to keep both students and teachers safe.
Just last week, Governor Brian Kemp signed the FY 2025 amended budget which allocates $50 million dollars for school safety grants.
Senate Bill 17, or Ricky and Alyssa's Law, will require all Georgia schools to have mobile panic alarms to alert first responders.
Senate Bill 61 will strengthen the state's law so attempted murders and terror acts towards schools by juveniles will be tried as adults.
Senate Bill 179 will require transferring students to show their academic and disciplinary records to the new school within 10 days, and let the parents or guardian to know about the transfer within 5 days.
Lawmakers are using the school shooting last year at Appalachee High School on how to strengthen safety.
'In this situation at Apalachee High School, that was not as appropriate as it could have been. Certainly the security officers limited the mortality related to that shooting,' said State Senator Ben Watson.
State house lawmakers will review the bills in committee and may add changes to the legislation, but will have to do so before session ends up on April 4.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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