HB14 would authorize Kentucky school districts, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, to implement wearable panic alert systems in school facilities. These systems are defined as silent, manually activated devices that send a nonaudible emergency signal to 911 and other emergency responders, with the goal of speeding response to school security emergencies. The bill also requires approved systems to connect with emergency dispatch infrastructure, alert designated school personnel, provide responders with the activator’s location and movement, support real-time coordination, and integrate multiple school safety data sources such as cameras and access-control information.
If a district chooses to procure such a system, the bill requires staff training before the school year begins, coordination with local law enforcement on access protocols, and provision of a wearable device to each staff person. It also creates a Wearable Panic Alert Grant Program through the Center for School Safety, allowing grants to cover 50% of implementation or maintenance costs if funds are available. The bill further amends the school safety fund statute to allow the Center to distribute these grants and preserves the remainder of the fund for per-pupil distribution to districts for school safety and student discipline purposes. The act may be cited as Alyssa’s Law.
Impact
HB14 would add a new section to KRS Chapter 158 and amend KRS 158.446, expanding the state’s school safety framework to include optional wearable panic alert technology and a related grant program. It would affect school districts, the Center for School Safety, local law enforcement agencies, and school personnel by establishing standards for approved systems, training, data access, and emergency coordination. The bill does not mandate adoption statewide, but it creates a state-supported pathway for districts to purchase and maintain these systems using school safety funds.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill: it passed the House on third reading by a 98-0 vote. No committee transcripts were provided, but the unanimous floor vote suggests broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the recorded action. The bill’s framing as a school safety measure and its citation as Alyssa’s Law likely contributed to favorable reception.
Contention
The main policy questions raised by the bill’s text are practical rather than ideological: whether districts should adopt the technology, how much it will cost, how the 50% grant match will be funded, and how much access law enforcement should have to school security data such as cameras, maps, and access controls. Potential concerns could include privacy, implementation burden, interoperability with 911 systems, and whether smaller districts can afford the remaining costs even with grant support. No specific opposition is documented in the provided materials, but these are the most likely areas of debate.