To prevent future school shootings like the one that occurred at Apalachee High School last September, House Speaker Jon Burns said he will support the development of a statewide database that would contain information about students’ mental health history.
The information would be immediately transferred to critical school administrators, mental health counselors and law enforcement within a few days of a child arriving at a new school, under the plan.
“Every child deserves the option to learn in a safe environment,” Burns said, in a news conference Monday, where he unveiled a suite of legislation aimed at boosting school safety, including technological efforts and increases in mental health funding.
Colt Gray, the 14-year-old boy who Barrow County prosecutors charged with murdering four people at Apalachee, had a history of mental health strife, his grandmother has reported, but she said she was unable to get him the care he needed. This package of bills would be designed to identify those students at risk of causing violence and intervene to provide them support, Burns said. He did not specify what kind of data would be shared.
None of the measures Burns proposed involve stricter gun control, which many Democrats argue is needed to curb school shootings. But the speaker indicated that he would be open to additional gun safety measures.
Senate Democrats have also pushed for a statewide database that would share student information as a way to prevent future deadly shootings like the one in Barrow County.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
The Republican legislation announced Monday would also encourage students and staff to anonymously report suspicious and concerning behavior to an app. Each public school would be required to produce a threat management plan to both assess potential safety concerns as well as compile resources for students who may be struggling with mental health issues. Burns also said $50 million would be allocated in the state for school safety grants.
“There’s no doubt that the pressures of adolescents are becoming increasingly difficult for our children, leading to a significant increase in mental health issues concerns,” he said.
Later in the day, Burns spoke to a combined group of Senate and House education committee members to emphasize his desire to address school safety needs.
State Rep. Katie Dempsey, who oversees the behavioral health portion of the budget, said some funding for youth mental health would be proposed in the midyear budget amendment, which will be released Thursday. A larger lift for school guidance counselors and other mental health needs will be pushed for the state budget that starts July 1.
Jeff Breedlove, the chief of communications and policy for the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, said advocates should not fear misuse of student information.
“We have to get past the stigma of addiction and mental health concerns so we can use data and technology to save lives,” he said.
Burns was flanked by Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, who responded to the Apalachee shooting, and Richard and Rita Aspinwall, parents of Ricky Aspinwall, a teacher and football coach who was killed in the shooting.
In addition to mental health concerns, Burns has also renewed his interest in passing legislation that would encourage firearm safety.
Last year, the House passed House Bill 972, sponsored by state Rep. Mark Newton, which would have provided a tax credit to gun owners to purchase safe storage equipment and lock away their weapons. However, it failed to gain traction in the Senate.
Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers, have been pushing Republicans to go further in making gun use safer.
State Rep. Michelle Au filed legislation that would require gun owners to keep firearms away from children or be punished if they don’t.
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