Kentucky bill that would implement wearable alarm systems for school staff advances

Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader on Mar 12, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the second year in a row, a bill that would allow Kentucky school staff members to wear silent panic alert systems has passed out of a state House committee.

Alyssa’s Law, a measure aimed at improving school safety and emergency responses to incidents at schools, was approved Wednesday by the House Committee on Primary and Secondary Education. House Bill 643 would establish the framework for schools to implement wearable, silent panic alert systems for staff.

According to the legislation, a “wearable panic alert system” is a device that acts as a silent security system, which the user manually activates that sends a signal to the local 911 and emergency responders.

The bill says school districts “may” implement the system but does not require it.

As with the 2025 legislation, House Bill 643 is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Jackson, R-Bowling Green.

In 2025, Jackson filed Alyssa’s Law’s, which was unanimously passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 98-0, but was not heard in the Senate before the end of the legislative session.

“As a former school administrator, school safety is one of my top priorities,” Jackson said in a news release this week. “We must ensure our districts have the tools they need to protect students so educators can focus their time and energy on delivering a high-quality classroom education.”

The bill is called Alyssa’s Law in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Eleven states have adopted Alyssa’s Law, beginning with New Jersey in February of 2019, the news release said.

Eighteen states, including Kentucky, have the measure pending before their legislature in 2026, the news release said.

If passed, Kentucky Center for School Safety would provide a 50% match for the purchase and implementation of the systems as funds are available.

Kentucky school districts that have already implemented similar program would be eligible for 50% matching funds for the continuing maintenance costs of the system.

About 14 public school districts in Kentucky, including Meade, Logan and Warren counties, have implemented or are in the process of implementing a silent panic alert system, the news release said.

Fayette County schools officials told the Herald-Leader last year that they were in the process of implementing a similar system. They did not immediately comment Thursday.

Jackson said the panic alert system won’t replace school resource officers, which are required by state law in each school building as funding allows.

According to the Kentucky Center for School Safety, there are 841 school resource officers employed across the commonwealth.

The bill now goes before the full House of Representatives for consideration.