BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Alyssa's Law, which requires schools to consider silent panic alarm systems when reviewing school safety plans.
"I am proud of the work we have done to pass a nation-leading bill package to crack down on the scourge of gun violence, but this is an ongoing fight and we cannot stop there," Hochul said.
"We will continue to take aggressive action until every child in New York is safe to pursue an education without the fear of senseless tragedy. That's why I am proud to put pen to paper on Alyssa's Law, a real and meaningful piece of legislation that will require school districts to evaluate systems that can save precious minutes - and lives - in the event of an active shooter situation."
The law is named after Alyssa Alhadeff who was killed in the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2019. Her parents have started a foundation in her honor advocating for the use of silent panic alarm systems in schools.
The bill requires schools to consider the alarm system when developing school safety plans and authorizes the inclusion within the building level safety plan.
Signing of this law comes shortly after a shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The silent alarms would aim to help get law enforcement notified as soon as possible.
At the bill signing, Hochul also addressed the public education plan surrounding the state's newly expanded Red Flag Laws.
Teachers, school boards, superintendents, school related professionals, principals, and parent-teacher association will receive training on how and when to complete the necessary paperwork to file an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) as well as address questions.
Hochul also announced a series of roundtables for local and county law enforcement to discuss new policies and procedures required under the law and best practices for implementation of New York's expanded Red Flag Laws. These talks will be led by State Police and the Municipal Police Training Council.
Trainings will also be created for emergency call center professionals.
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