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Written by: E. George
Published June 17, 2025 @ 10:30 AM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A new law set to take effect July 1 will require all public K–12 schools across Georgia to adopt advanced emergency response systems designed to enhance communication and coordination during school crises. The measure, known as Ricky and Alyssa’s Law, is named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff and Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, a student and a teacher whose tragic deaths have galvanized national and local efforts to improve school safety and emergency preparedness.
Alyssa Alhadeff was a 14-year-old freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when she was killed on February 14, 2018, in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. A bright and passionate soccer player, Alyssa was among the 17 victims of the mass shooting, and her death prompted her family to become vocal advocates for school safety reform.
Her mother, Lori Alhadeff, co-founded Make Our Schools Safe, a national nonprofit organization focused on improving school security infrastructure and protocols.
Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall was a 39-year-old math teacher and assistant football coach at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. On September 18, 2024, during a school shooting, Aspinwall was fatally shot while attempting to protect his students.
According to reports, he heard a commotion outside his classroom and went to investigate, where he was shot in the chest. His students tried in vain to help him, pulling him back into the classroom and using their own shirts to try to stop the bleeding.
Aspinwall did not survive the attack, and his actions are remembered as a heroic attempt to shield his students from harm.
Passed during the 2025 legislative session as Senate Bill 17, the law mandates both a mobile panic alert platform and comprehensive digital mapping of school facilities to support rapid, coordinated responses from first responders.
The legislation aims to standardize emergency protocols by requiring schools to install mobile alert systems that can integrate with multiple emergency service providers in real time. These platforms must interface seamlessly with Next Generation 911 technology, ensuring that local and state first responders can be alerted and mobilized instantly during an emergency.
In addition to the alert infrastructure, the law requires school districts to obtain detailed digital mapping data for all campuses. These maps must include accurate layouts of classrooms, entry points, utility lines, emergency equipment, and surrounding features formatted to integrate with public safety software. The maps must be verified annually to ensure their accuracy and utility in emergency situations.
Implementation is required by July 1, 2026. School districts will need to work closely with local law enforcement when sourcing and maintaining this mapping data, which is intended to serve as a vital navigation tool for first responders in high-stakes situations.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency is responsible for developing standardized mapping regulations and ensuring the security of data. The law also provides civil liability protections for school boards, districts, and personnel involved in the creation and use of these emergency tools, except in cases involving gross negligence or willful misconduct.
With this measure, Georgia becomes the tenth state to enact such legislation, joining a growing national movement to strengthen school safety following a series of tragic school shootings. By naming the bill after Alyssa and Ricky, lawmakers emphasize both the urgency of action and the profoundly personal cost of inaction, turning loss into lasting legislative change.