New York Alyssa’s Law Overview
As New York prepares for the back-to-school season, it’s the perfect time for schools to review their safety protocols and ensure compliance with statewide laws and regulations.
New York Senate Bill S.7132B, aka Alyssa’s Law, was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul on June 23, 2022. Alyssa’s Law, named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, requires schools in various states to implement or consider implementing silent panic alert systems linked directly to first responders and law enforcement agencies.
Already passed into law in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington, Alyssa’s Law has quickly gained traction around the country.
What New York Schools Need to Know to Comply
Alyssa’s Law in New York went into effect immediately upon passage, requiring district-wide school safety teams across the state to consider the installation of panic alarm systems when reviewing district-wide safety plans.
The bill text defines “panic alarm system” as “a silent security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation requiring a response from local law enforcement or, in the case of a school building located in a municipality in which there is no municipal police department, a location designated by the superintendent of state police.” Panic alarm systems may include one or more of the following:
- Wired panic button or buttons
- Wireless panic button or buttons
- Or a mobile or computer application
How Raptor Solutions Align with New York Alyssa’s Law Requirements
Raptor provides multiple alerting methods that enable staff to silently and efficiently call for help during emergencies—ensuring compliance with Alyssa’s Law requirements. Designed to work under duress, Raptor Alert and Raptor Badge Alert provide a silent panic alert system for school staff. The system:
- includes an option to silently alert and share critical information through RapidSOS with 911 dispatchers.
- is compatible with all standard Public Safety Answering Points and emergency calling infrastructure, and is RapidSOS Ready, accelerating the transfer of critical emergency alert data to 911 and with first responders during emergencies.
- enables users to initiate an alert via a wearable badge, the Raptor Alert mobile panic app, or any web-enabled device, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and hard-wired connections throughout the campus.
Grants Supporting New York Mobile Panic Alarm System Implementation
The FY25 COPS SVPP grant program provides $73M to school boards and districts nationwide and includes “technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency” as an allowable expense. Additionally, schools awarded funds from FY24 federal grant programs, such as COPS SVPP, BJA STOP, and the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) have until 2027 to spend their awarded funds.
At the state level, Smart Schools Bond Act (SSBA) funds under the “High-Tech Security” category may be used to support panic alarm system implementation, provided the expense is pre-approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as part of the applicant’s Smart Schools Investment Plan (SSIP).
Want to learn more about how Raptor can support your district or school with Alyssa’s Law compliance this back-to-school season? Schedule a demo.
Related Resources
