Ohio Senate Bill Would Require Panic Buttons at Schools

(TNS) — Staff at all public and most private schools in Ohio would have to wear silent panic buttons that can alert local law enforcement when there is trouble, including mass shootings, under a newly introduced Ohio Senate bill.

Senate Bill 313 is known as Alyssa’s Law, named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died.

The state would spend $25 million to purchase the systems, which would have to be in place by the 2025-2026 school year, said bill sponsor Sen. Michele Reynolds, a Republican, at a Monday afternoon news conference at the high school in her suburban Columbus hometown. She was accompanied by Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s mother, who has worked to get the bill passed in seven other states.

“No child should fear for their life in the classroom,” Reynolds said. “No teacher should have to be a human shield.”

Polling has shown that Ohioans favor some gun control measures to stop mass shootings. However, the GOP-controlled legislature has only loosened firearms restrictions in recent years, including allowing open carry across the state. When local governments have tried to enact their own gun control laws, the state has preempted them.

Reynolds said that she prefers Alyssa’s Law over gun control.

“This approach aligns with our values of local empowerment and practical problem-solving,” she said. “We’re not creating new bureaucracies or infringing on constitutional rights.”
New Jersey, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma and Florida have passed Alyssa’s Law. In the country’s most recent school shooting, at Apalachee High School in Georgia, the school had just implemented a silent panic alert technology separately from Alyssa’s Law. Two students and two teachers died, but law enforcement credited the system for its quick response that likely prevented more deaths.

During the Parkland shooting, Alhadeff said she was texting with Alyssa after she was shot.

“I told Alyssa to run and hide, that help was on the way,” Lori Alhadeff said. “And unfortunately in that critical moment, help didn’t arrive quick enough. In principle, Alyssa’s law is simple: Time equals life.”

By not worrying about calling 911, staff can focus on locking down the school and moving students to safety, she said.

There are several systems on the market. They are often embedded in employee badges. If a teacher hits the button multiple times — with the Centegix sample badge shown at Monday’s press conference, it is eight times — local law enforcement is contacted and the building is locked down.

If a school employee pushes the button fewer times — with Centegix, it is three times — the system indicates a less severe problem, such as a student needing help for a medical issue. Instead of connecting to local law enforcement, the alert is sent to the administration and school resource officer.

“We need to get our kids and teachers to safety as quickly as possible and reduce the response time for our first responders,” said Lori Alhadeff, who is also chair of the Broward County School Board, the sixth largest in the country.

Reynolds introduced the bill Sept. 10. Both chambers are out for a break and won’t return to Columbus until after the Nov. 5 election. She said she hasn’t yet had the opportunity to talk to legislative leaders and colleagues about her bill. In general, making schools safer is a priority to the Republican caucus that controls the Senate, she said.

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