Lawmakers considering bill to require annual active shooter drills in Georgia schools
ATLANTA - A new bill going through the Georgia state Legislature could have students taking part in active shooter drills every year.
House Bill 147, or the "Safe Schools Act" would create another yearly drill that students and staff would have to practice, just like they would for fire drills.
But this one would provide way with ways to protect themselves if there is an active shooter at their school.
Under the legislation, schools would have to conduct an "intruder alert drill" for all students, school administrators, and teachers by Oct. 1 of each school year.
The State Senate is expected to vote on the bill shortly.
Opponents argue the exercise could leave children traumatized, but public safety experts say the drills would make schools safer.
"We have to have a plan in the event that we have an active shooter in our schools," Former Director of DeKalb County Public Safety Cedric Alexander said.
Alexander argued that schools should have a clear strategy.
"So that people know what to do where to go, how to exit, how to think about protecting themselves and their families," he said.
An active shooter drill is performed by the Livingston Police Department, the Park County Sheriff's Office, and Livingston Fire Department EMS at Park High School on April 27, 2018 in Livingston, Montana. (Photo by William Campbell/Corbis via Getty I
Mason Goodwin with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition says lawmakers should instead focus on the root causes of mass shootings.
"Gun legislation, things like mental-health resources, make those investments instead of traumatizing kids with active shooter drills," he said.
The bill would also require training school administrators, teachers, and support staff and mandate schools submit safety plans to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
The proposed legislation would make it up to each individual school system or public school to allow parents to possibly opt out of the drills with a written request.
You can read the full text of the bill below: