Bill would mandate panic buttons at Michigan schools
MichiganVotes Monday kicks off with a look at a school safety bill
As seen on MichiganVotes.org:
If House Bill 6465 and House Bill 6466 were to pass and be signed into law, Michigan schools will be required to install at least one panic button, connected to local law enforcement, to be used in case of emergency.
The requirement would be funded a $6.7 million appropriation from the Michigan Legislature.
State Rep. Brenda Carter, D-Pontiac, submitted the bills on Oct. 11, and they were referred to the House Education Committee. Lansing has been inactive, so there has been no further action on them.
The bills would require Michigan public school boards to ensure that “at least 1 panic alarm for use in a school security emergency, including, but not limited to non-fire evacuation, a lockdown, or an active-shooter situation” be installed in every school building.
“The panic alarm described in this subsection must be directly linked to the local law enforcement agency that is designated as a first responder for the school building in which the panic alarm is included, and the panic alarm must be capable of immediately transmitting a signal or message to the local law enforcement agency upon its activation,” reads a portion of HB 6466.
The bills are tie-barred, meaning that both must become law to take effect.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.