WEST virginia legislature

2025 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 434

By Senators Grady, Bartlett, Fuller, and Helton

[Reported February 25, 2025, from the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-9F-11, relating to requiring the West Virginia Board of Education to promulgate a rule to implement a wearable panic alert system at every public school; specifying required capabilities of the wearable panic alert system; requiring each county board to provide each employee assigned to a public school facility with a wearable alert device; requiring annual training on the protocol for and appropriate use of the panic alert device; and requiring each county board to ensure that all security data within a public school facility is accessible by a local law-enforcement agency and to coordinate with the local law-enforcement agency to establish appropriate access protocols.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 9F. SCHOOL ACCESS SAFETY AND CRISIS RESPONSE ACT.

§18-9F-11. Wearable panic alert system, "Alyssa's law".

(a) The state board in conjunction with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management shall promulgate by December 31, 2025, a legislative rule in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq., and if necessary may promulgate an emergency rule in accordance with that article, which shall implement a wearable panic alert system at every public school in the state.

(b) Each wearable panic alert system shall be capable of integrating with local public safety answering point infrastructure to transmit 9-1-1 calls and mobile activations and initiating a campus-wide lockdown notification.

(d) Each county board shall provide each employee assigned to a public school facility with a wearable panic alert device that allows for immediate contact with local emergency response agencies.

(e) Prior to the first day of school each year, each county board shall ensure that all employees assigned to a public school facility receive training on the protocol for and appropriate use of the panic alert device.

(f) Each county board shall ensure that all security data within a public school facility is accessible by a local law-enforcement agency and coordinate with the local law-enforcement agency to establish appropriate access protocols. Accessible security data includes cameras, maps, and access control.