Beginning July 1st, 2025, All Public K-12 Schools In Georgia Will Have Panic Buttons Installed — Here’s What That Means

Georgia is introducing many new laws this coming July, including a one that will require all public schools in the state to install a mobile ‘panic button’ to alert local authorities in the event of a crisis.

The law, SB 17, says, according to the Georgia General Assembly,

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 11 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 and Article 10 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public school property and facilities and state-wide first responder building mapping information system, respectively, so as to enact “Ricky and Alyssa’s Law”; to require local school systems to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting disparate emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple state and local first responder agencies in the event of a school security; to authorize the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to adopt rules and regulations for the requirements for school mapping data; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Basically… a mobil panic alert system in all school systems will help to alert local authorities, should a crisis arise. Real-time digital mapping will also make it easier for local authorities to find and protect students, teachers, staff and others.

You can see the full law which will go into effect, as well as who sponsored the bill on the Georgia General Assembly’s website, here.

Why is it called Ricky and Alyssa’s Law?

SB 17 is named Ricky and Alyssa’s Law, after Richard Aspinwall, who was killed in last year’s Apalachee High School shooting, here in Winder, Georgia, and Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland.