Alyssa's Law is Coming to Michigan

Why is it Called Alyssa's Law?

Alyssa Alhadeff was a 14-year-old student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland Florida. She was a victim on February 14, 2018, when a former student killed 17 people in a mass school shooting.

Alyssa’s mother, Lori Alhadeff founded a nonprofit organization, Make Our Schools Safe, which is aimed at providing safety features tailored to the specific needs of schools. With her help, the legislation was expedited in the wake of the tragedy and the final version of the law was named in Alyssa’s memory.

Will Alyssa's Law Come to Michigan?

Very likely. Michigan House Representative Brenda Carter introduced HB 4241 in March 2023. Rep. Carter described the purpose of the bill: “The panic alarm system in each school can help save precious seconds and quite possibly, save lives in an emergency situation, including an active shooting.” 

HB 4241 requires that every Michigan school must install a panic alarm for use in the event of a school security emergency, including:

• non-fire evacuations
• lockdowns 
• active shooter scenarios 

Panic alarms must be “directly linked to the local law enforcement agency designated as a first responder for the school building.” They must also be capable of transmitting a signal or message to the agency immediately upon activation. These requirements apply to Michigan public schools (including school buildings operated by school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies). 

HB 4241 defines a panic alarm as “a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation, either virtually from a phone or computer system or non-virtually, of a device or an alternative mechanism intended to communicate to law enforcement life-threatening or emergency situations that require a response from law enforcement.” 

When Alyssa's Law Come to Michigan?

The bill is currently pending as lawmakers decide how such a measure would be funded, but with other states passing similar measures each year, Michigan is expected to take the next step soon.

Most recently, State Sens. Michael Webber and John Damoose introduced legislation to implement mobile panic alert systems throughout the state’s public and nonpublic schools to ensure real-time coordination between schools, 911, law enforcement and first responders. Damoose’s SB 77 would amend the state school aid budget to make $6.7 million available during the current fiscal year for schools to begin implementation.

Where has Alyssa's Law Already Been Passed?

School panic alert system legislation, often referred to as Alyssa’s Law, has been enacted in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Texas. Bills have also been introduced in Arizona, Nebraska, Georgia, Virginia and Oregon. Other states, including Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Delaware and North Carolina, have provided funding for school panic alert systems without requiring the systems by law.