ATLANTA — Six months after the shootings at Apalachee High School left four dead, the Georgia House passed two bills aimed at gun safety and reducing threats and violence at Georgia schools.
The school safety package was a major legislative goal for Republican House Speaker Jon Burns.
In fact, he wrote a letter just days after the shooting outlining his plan to address those issues.
Burns’ package includes creating a state database through GEMA to track potential threats against schools. Students can call anonymously to report concerns and worries.
It also has a component to increase access to student mental health resources.
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Even Democrats voted for the bill, though many worried it didn’t go far enough.
Burns told Channel 2’s Richard Elliot that this bill was one of his top priorities this session and he’s happy with its passage.
“This House continues to lead when it comes to championing measures that prioritize for our children, safety, security and well-being of all of our children here in Georgia,” Burns said.
The House also passed a companion bill that would create tax credits for the purchase of a gun safe storage device and firearm safety course. They now go to the Senate.
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