A state lawmaker is proposing legislation for the 2025 General Assembly aimed at strengthening school safety in Kentucky classrooms.
In coordination with “Kentucky Safe Schools Week,” which runs now through Oct. 26, Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, has announced he will be filing “Alyssa’s Law,” model legislation other states have used to give teachers and other school personnel a quicker way to notify law enforcement of dangerous situations.
“Alyssa’s Law” calls for the installation of silent panic alarms linked to law enforcement. It is named in honor of New Jersey native Alyssa Alhadeff, who was among the 17 people killed in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting in February 2018. In addition to New Jersey, other states enacting the law include Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and New York.
“Our first priority, of course, is stopping potential safety issues from ever occurring, but when we have an armed intruder or a fight between students, seconds count,” Aull said. “Schools across the country are putting technology like this to use so teachers and their co-workers can make administrators and, if necessary, first responders immediately aware of a safety concern. My legislation would cost little, but the added peace of mind would be worth every penny.”
Aull said he was aware of schools in other states, as well as Kentucky’s Meade County, which use wearable technology that could also be used to quickly notify law enforcement and/or school administrators.
“Alyssa’s Law just makes sense, and I want to make sure more districts here in Kentucky have access to that lifesaving equipment and the money they need to afford it,” he stated. “As the father of two school-aged children, I would feel better knowing their schools have a notification system up and running, and as a legislator, I’m going to do all I can to make it a reality statewide.”
(Photo: State Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today and Ken Howlett, News Director
