Georgia House passes sweeping school safety bill after school shooting

ATLANTA - The Georgia House overwhelmingly passed a school safety bill on Tuesday in response to the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School that left two teachers and two students dead, according to the Associated Press. Lawmakers are divided over whether the legislation strikes the right balance between student safety and privacy rights, while debates over gun control continue.

House Bill 268 passes in House

What we know:

House Bill 268 passed by a 159-13 vote in the Georgia House and now moves to the Senate. The bill includes several key provisions aimed at preventing school violence, including the creation of a statewide student database. This database would store disciplinary, mental health, and law enforcement records, allowing schools to assess students who may pose a threat. Additionally, the bill requires schools to transfer student records more quickly when students change schools.

The legislation mandates that each Georgia school district create at least one new position dedicated to coordinating mental health treatment for students. It also requires the formation of behavioral threat management teams in schools, which would intervene when a student makes a threat. The state will establish guidelines for assessing threats, and students determined to be a danger would be removed from in-person classes while administrators decide on a course of action.

The bill also calls for suicide and violence prevention education for older students, aiming to provide resources to students before crises escalate into violence.

Push for stronger school safety measures

The backstory:

The push for stronger school safety measures follows the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School. The attack resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students, prompting renewed legislative focus on preventing future school violence.

Officials believe that the Barrow County school system was unaware of the full extent of warning signs displayed by the 14-year-old accused shooter. The suspect’s father, Colin Gray, allegedly purchased an assault-style rifle for his son and gave him easy access to it, despite signs that the teenager posed a potential threat to others.

Lawmakers argue that House Bill 268 is necessary to address the gaps in communication between schools, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. However, privacy advocates warn that the proposed solutions may have unintended consequences.

House Speaker makes speech

What they're saying:

Republican House Speaker Jon Burns strongly supported the bill, going as far as stepping down from his position on the dais to give a speech in its favor. He emphasized the bill’s focus on early intervention, stating, "I believe this legislation will usher a new culture in our school systems, where we run towards our children facing struggles with mental health."

Critics, however, worry that the legislation places too much emphasis on surveillance and criminalization rather than addressing mental health in a meaningful way.

 Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, a Democrat from Smyrna, expressed concern about privacy violations, stating, "There isn’t nearly enough on mental health, and there’s too much on surveillance, overcriminalization, and the invasion of privacy of our students and their families."

Gun control remains another point of contention. Rep. Michelle Au, a Democrat from Johns Creek, urged lawmakers to do more to prevent gun violence, saying, "Nothing should haunt us more in this chamber than a missed opportunity, and nothing should shame us more than failing to learn from our mistakes."

Despite opposition, Republican House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin argued the bill is necessary, saying, "Save a life today, vote for this bill."

Warning against database

The other side:

While supporters of House Bill 268 believe it will improve school safety, opponents warn that the creation of a statewide student database could disproportionately target racial and religious minorities. They argue that storing mental health and disciplinary records in such a system may unfairly label certain students as threats, leading to long-term consequences for their education and future opportunities.

Democratic lawmakers have also criticized the Republican-controlled General Assembly for not taking stronger action on gun control. They argue that the focus on surveillance and record-sharing does little to prevent access to firearms, which they see as a root cause of school shootings.

Separate Senate measure

What's next:

The bill now moves to the Georgia Senate, where lawmakers are considering a less comprehensive approach to school safety. A separate Senate measure focuses on more limited information sharing but also includes a provision that would make adult prosecution the default for more crimes committed by minors aged 13 to 16.

Additionally, the House passed House Bill 79, which offers tax incentives for people who purchase gun safes, locks, and firearm training. While this measure received broad support, Democrats continue to push for stronger gun safety laws, such as requiring gun owners to lock up firearms when children are present.

With the legislative session continuing, debate over the balance between security, privacy, and gun control is expected to intensify as the Senate takes up the school safety measures.