Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Alyssa’s Law (House Bill 5107) on August 7, 2026. Named after Alyssa Alhadeff who died in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, Alyssa’s Law is a bill passed at the state level to require or recommend that schools implement silent panic alerting systems. Illinois now joins 12 other states that have enacted Alyssa’s Law.
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What Is Alyssa’s Law in Illinois?
Alyssa’s Law in Illinois recommends mobile panic alert systems to be implemented at school districts and private schools no later than the beginning of the 2028-2029 school year. This bill is not a requirement for Illinois schools, but it does outline what that system must be capable of when a school chooses to move forward.
The key requirements of Illinois’ Alyssa’s Law state that the mobile panic alert system must
- connect to diverse emergency service technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple first responder agencies
- integrate with existing local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) infrastructure to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations
- be tested at least annually in coordination with the PSAP and first responder agencies
Additionally, Illinois’ HB 5107 outlines several other considerations, including
- coordination with the school’s local 911 authority for integration requirements before purchasing and installing a mobile panic alert system
- the scalability of the system in case of a school expansion
- the reliability of the system to transmit information across internet and cellular networks
- how easily it integrates with existing safety systems
- the efficiency of the alerting notifications to first responders
- testing, training, and drill requirements
- the interoperability with tools like crisis response mapping
Schools in Illinois can use these guidelines to help in their decision-making process to choose a system that provides immediate, silent alerting anywhere on campus.
How Raptor Supports Illinois’ Panic Alarm Requirements
As a leading provider of school safety solutions, Raptor offers Illinois schools a purpose-built panic alert system for silent alerting by staff anywhere on campus. Raptor Alert and Raptor Badge Alert are proven silent panic alert systems for school staff that meet and exceed the state’s recommendations by:
- enabling staff to immediately and silently send critical incident details directly to PSAP and 911 dispatchers
- supporting multiple alerting options via a wearable device, mobile app, or desktop
- initiating push notifications, text messages, strobe alerts, desktop alerts, and PA announcements simultaneously through a single activation that integrates with other safety systems
- providing staff and first responders with precise location details of the incident, with floor-location accuracy
- using a dedicated Long Range (LoRa) network to deliver alerts instantly, independent of cellular signal or Wi-Fi availability
- providing battery level notifications for both users and administrators to help ensure devices remain charged and ready when needed
- integrating with Raptor’s Emergency Management platform to support preparation, response, and recovery for drills and real-world incidents
What Schools Need to Consider to Meet Illinois' Alyssa's Law Requirements
With the recommendation from the Illinois state legislature to implement silent panic alert systems in schools, administrators will need to evaluate their needs and choose a system that can grow as their needs evolve.
Every purchase of Raptor Alert or Raptor Badge Alert includes Raptor’s Emergency Management Software, which provides integration with other safety systems and crisis response mapping as recommended in Illinois’ Alyssa’s Law. When a 911 alert is initiated, first responders receive incident data, but when they arrive on scene, they can access more detailed campus maps, like those from Critical Response Group (CRG), in the Raptor dashboard.
What Funding Is Available for Illinois Schools?
Any Illinois schools that applied to the FY26 COPS SVPP, School Safety Enhancement Program, and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and were awarded funding may be able to use those funds for mobile panic alert systems.
The FY26 BJA STOP School Violence Program will be available for application this fall and funds are often awarded for panic alert technology.
Check our grants and funding tracker to see what’s currently available in your state.
Other States with Alyssa's Law
Several states have already passed Alyssa’s Law and many other states have pending legislation.
Related Resources
Understand your options for choosing the most reliable panic alert system for your school in our guide: A Case for Wearable Panic Alerts: Helping Schools Choose and Adopt the Right One
