One year after Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte said Georgia had “moved to protect schools” by passing House Bill 268—which mandated wearable panic buttons for staff and accelerated student records transfers—while Democrats criticized the absence of secure gun‐storage requirements, what concrete changes have occurred for student safety in Georgia?

Question

One year after Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte said Georgia had “moved to protect schools” by passing House Bill 268—which mandated wearable panic buttons for staff and accelerated student records transfers—while Democrats criticized the absence of secure gun‐storage requirements, what concrete changes have occurred for student safety in Georgia?

Accepted Answer

Since HB 268 took effect on July 1, 2025, every public school in Georgia has installed mobile panic‐alarm systems linked directly to law enforcement and submitted digital campus maps annually to emergency agencies (AP News, April 28, 2025)). The law also created behavioral threat assessment teams and required mental health coordinators in all 180 districts, expanding Georgia’s Apex counseling program from serving one‐third to over half of its students by August 2025 (AP News, April 28, 2025)). Meanwhile, the Senate approved SB 17—“Ricky and Alyssa’s Law”—to standardize panic alert implementation statewide, awaiting the governor’s signature after bipartisan support in January 2025 (Georgia Senate Press Office, Jan 16, 2025)). However, no legislation mandating secure firearm storage in homes was enacted despite Democrats’ calls; Rep. Michelle Au’s safe‐storage bill failed to receive a committee hearing during the 2025 session (Georgia Recorder, Sept 4, 2025)).

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