The bill H. 3258 aims to enhance school safety in South Carolina by mandating the acquisition and implementation of mobile panic alert systems in all public schools and charter schools by July 1, 2026. Under the new Section 59-66-35, each school district is required to implement a system that connects various emergency services technologies for real-time coordination with law enforcement and first responders. The bill also allows districts to adopt additional strategies for emergency coordination and exempts those that have already implemented compliant systems from procuring new capabilities.

Furthermore, the Department of Education is tasked with identifying vendors that meet the system requirements and providing a list to schools by January 1, 2026. It will also conduct mandatory annual training for school resource officers and personnel on the use of the panic alert system. The State Board of Education is responsible for creating regulations to enforce this new requirement. The bill will take effect upon the Governor's approval.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 59-66-35
04/09/2025: 59-66-35
04/14/2025: 59-66-35
04/22/2025: 59-66-35
04/23/2025: 59-66-35
Latest Version: 59-66-35
12/06/2024: 59-66-35