Provides that each public elementary and secondary school building shall be equipped with at least one panic alarm for use in a school security emergency including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation; defines terms; makes related provisions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5489
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, HARCKHAM, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Educa-
tion
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring panic alarm
systems in schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Alyssa's Law".
2 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 409-n to
3 read as follows:
4 § 409-n. Installation of panic alarm systems in schools. 1. As used in
5 this section, "panic alarm system" means a silent security system signal
6 generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a
7 life-threatening or emergency situation requiring a response from law
8 enforcement. Such silent security system may include one or more of the
9 following: wired panic button or buttons, wireless panic button or
10 buttons or a mobile or computer application.
11 2. Each public elementary and secondary school building shall be
12 equipped with a panic alarm system for use in a school security emergen-
13 cy including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or
14 active shooter situation. The alarm shall be directly linked to local
15 law enforcement authorities or, in the case of a school building located
16 in a municipality in which there is no municipal police department, a
17 location designated by the superintendent of state police, and shall
18 immediately transmit a signal or message to such authorities upon acti-
19 vation. The alarm shall not be audible within the school building.
20 3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a school
21 district to alter or install any components of a panic alarm system if
22 such school district has a panic alarm system activated that complies
23 with the requirements of this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07506-01-3
S. 5489 2
1 4. Any funds expended for the purchase or installation of a panic
2 alarm system as required by this section shall be eligible for building
3 aid reimbursement pursuant to subdivision six-c of section three thou-
4 sand six hundred two of this chapter.
5 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
6 within one year of the effective date of this act, all school districts
7 shall be in compliance with the provisions of this act. Effective imme-
8 diately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
9 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
10 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
