More States Mandate Panic Alarms in Schools Under Alyssa’s Law

Growing Trend: States Implement Panic Alarms in Schools

This year, three states have enacted legislation mandating or permitting the use of advanced panic alarm systems in schools. These systems, which can be mobile, wearable, wireless, or silent, are designed to facilitate swift communication with emergency responders.

With the addition of Illinois, Virginia, and West Virginia, there are now 13 states with such laws, 10 of which were enacted from 2023 onwards. A dozen other states are currently considering similar legislation.

Referred to as Alyssa’s Law, these measures are named in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old victim of the tragic 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The nonprofit organization Make Our Schools Safe, founded by Alhadeff’s mother, has been a key advocate for this legislation.

Despite being grouped under the same name, Alyssa’s Law encompasses a variety of technologies. Some laws mandate specific devices for schools, while others offer flexibility in choosing an emergency alert system. For instance, Texas mandates silent panic alert technology in classrooms, whereas in Utah, specific school staff must wear mobile alert devices. Virginia’s law allows, but does not require, school boards to equip staff with wearable silent panic alarms. The connectivity of these devices to police or emergency services, as well as funding strategies, varies from state to state.

The financial implications of implementing these systems can differ significantly. For example, Gwinnett County in Georgia, the state’s largest school board, allocated $7 million for the CrisisAlert system from CENTEGIX, a company based in Atlanta that provides emergency response systems to educational and healthcare institutions. This system features a wearable button for school staff to signal for help.

CENTEGIX’s recent report disclosed that during the 2025-2026 school year, over 346,000 alerts were generated by its panic-button systems. Of these, 88% were for routine issues like fights and students leaving without permission, 10% were medical emergencies, and 2% were for suspicious behavior or campus-wide emergencies.

“Wearable incident response badges help reduce delays by enabling staff to discreetly initiate alerts from anywhere on campus,” the report states. “Their value comes not only from speed, but from their ability to deliver clear, reliable communication.”

However, Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, expressed skepticism. He argued that the small percentage of alerts for actual emergencies indicates that mandating such technologies may not be necessary for schools.

For more information, Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be contacted at [email protected].