School safety legislation has already been filed based on recommendations from a study committee several local lawmakers served on last year.
“The School Safety Study Committee was one of – if not the most – impactful and important study committees that I have been a part of,” state Sen. John Albers, a Republican who represents part of Sandy Springs and who chaired the study committee, said in a press release. “The issues discussed and testimonies heard were not just a way of procedure, rather, words that were turned into action through the pieces of legislation filed.”
One piece of legislation proposes a state constitutional amendment to allow ESPLOST funds to be allocated towards the security of schools, including additional staffing, such as specialized mental health counselors.
Another is titled the “Keeping Georgia’s Schools Safe Act” which would address offenses for minors in possession of a firearm; require school safety plans, including performing threat assessments, drills and education prevention and reporting; and establish a task force to prevent, discover and respond to any threats to public or private schools.