HB 268 Georgia House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Education; safety, health, and well-being of students and school communities; provide

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the safety, health, and well-being of students and school communities; to create an Office of Safe Schools within the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; to provide technical assistance for local school systems to develop policies and procedures for their threat management teams; to develop a state-wide behavioral threat management operational process; to provide for definitions; to amend Code Section 16-11-37 of the O.C.G.A., relating to terroristic threats and acts and penalties, so as to provide for the offense of threatening the death of or serious injury to individuals who are or likely to be at school; to amend Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 of the O.C.G.A., relating to inspection of public records, so as to provide for an exemption; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Feb 4, 2025 Signed Apr 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

LC 49 2328S/RCS → HB 268/AP* · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to expand its scope from primarily focusing on behavioral health and student safety to include emergency management, mobile panic alert systems, and school mapping data. The bill now references additional state codes related to juvenile justice and emergency management, broadening its applicability beyond just education to include emergency response coordination and threat management systems.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from amending only Chapter 2 of Title 20 (elementary and secondary education) to also amending Chapter 11 of Title 15 (juvenile code) and Chapter 3 of Title 38 (emergency management), adding emergency alert systems and threat management databases.

SCOPE

The bill now covers juvenile justice and emergency management in addition to education, adding provisions for mobile panic alert systems and school mapping data.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements for public schools to implement mobile panic alert systems that connect disparate emergency services technologies for real-time coordination during security emergencies.

Added requirements for schools to procure and maintain school mapping data, with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency authorized to adopt related rules.

New requirements for evidence-based suicide awareness and youth violence prevention training programs, including anonymous reporting programs and student violence prevention clubs.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the grade threshold for student transfer provisions from 'fifth grade' to 'third grade', potentially affecting more students during enrollment transfers.

FISCAL

Added provisions for reimbursement grants to local school systems that hire qualified student advocacy specialists, replacing the previous focus on behavioral health coordinators.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded juvenile court jurisdiction to include additional terroristic acts involving schools and modified provisions for transferring cases from juvenile to superior courts.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 31, 2025 · House Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

44–9

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 55

Mar 31, 2025

D Democratic22

12 Yea 8 Nay 2

54% Yea

R Republican33

32 Yea 1 Nay

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 28, 2025

Signed into law

Act 17

upper

Apr 28, 2025

Signed into law

House Date Signed by Governor

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Introduced

House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Senate Read and Referred

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Introduced

House Hopper

lower

6 primary · 0 co-sponsors