BILL NUMBER: S3620

SPONSOR: CARLUCCI
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
requiring panic alarms in schools

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

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 and that the alarm will be directly linked to
local law enforcement.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends the education law by defining "emergency
light" and "panic alarm." This section also requires all public elemen-
tary and secondary public school buildings be equipped with at least one
panic alarm for use in school security that would.  be directly linked
to local law enforcement authorities.
              

Section two of the bill relates to the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This bill is in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a Bergen County, New Jersey
native from Woodcliff Lake who was among the 17 people who were killed
in the Parkland, Florida, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School on Feb. 14, 201E. Alyssa's death is a stark reminder of the
dangers of gun violence and the need for adequate school security meas-
ures. The State Legislature needs to do everything in its power to
prevent these tragedies from occurring within our public schools.

This bill requires that all public elementary and secondary schools be
equipped with a panic alarm for use in a school security emergency
including, but not limited to, a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or
active shooter situation. The panic alarm, which will not be audible
within the school building, must be directly linked to law enforcement
authorities and must immediately transmit a signal or message to the
authorities upon activation. The bill defines "panic alarm" as a silent
security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device
intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation that
requires a response from law enforcement.  The bill also requires that
all public elementary and secondary schools be equipped with a red emer-
gency light that is affixed to the exterior of the school building in a
highly visible location above or near the front entrance visible from
the nearest public roadway or, if the school building is not visible
from the nearest public roadway, then on that roadway. The bill requires
that the emergency light be linked to the school's panic alarm so that
it turns on when the panic alarm is activated.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.