Bill
H 3258
South Carolina districts must implement a mobile panic alert system in every school by July 1, 2026, enabling real-time coordination with emergency services.
Status and key dates
- Bill number: H 3258 (adds S.C. Code § 59‑66‑35)
- Introduced / Prefiled: Dec 5, 2024 / Jan 14, 2025
- House action: Passed House (roll call Yeas 108 – Nays 0 on 04/22/2025); amended 04/22/2025
- Current status (most recent): Referred to Committee on Education; committee hearing scheduled 06/16/2025, 1:00–5:00 PM
- Effective date: Upon approval by the Governor
- Deadlines in the bill: vendor list available to schools by January 1, 2026; systems implemented in every school by July 1, 2026
Purpose and intent
The bill requires every public school district and charter school in South Carolina to acquire and implement a mobile panic alert system to improve real‑time coordination among local and state law enforcement and first responder agencies during school security emergencies.
Main provisions
- New statutory section: adds Section 59‑66‑35 to Chapter 66, Title 59.
- Mandatory implementation: Before July 1, 2026, each public school district and charter school must, under the direction of the State Department of Education (SDE), acquire and implement a mobile panic alert system in each school.
- System requirements: the panic alert system must:
- connect disparate emergency services technologies to ensure real‑time coordination between local and state law enforcement and other first responders;
- integrate with existing local public safety answering‑point (PSAP) infrastructure (as defined in S.C. Code § 23‑47‑10) to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations.
- Training: the system must provide annual training to all public school resource officers and public school personnel in districts using the system on proper use of the panic button alert system (text varies by draft — final language requires annual training).
- Flexibility and exemptions:
- Districts may adopt additional coordination strategies or systems to achieve the real‑time coordination goal.
- A district that already has a mobile panic alert system meeting the statutory capabilities is not required to procure additional capabilities.
- Vendor identification and procurement support: SDE, in consultation with the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and Department of Public Safety (DPS), must identify vendors whose systems meet the statutory requirements and publish that vendor list no later than January 1, 2026.
- Rulemaking: The State Board of Education, through SDE, may promulgate regulations to implement the section.
Who is affected
- Directly affected: all public school districts and charter schools in South Carolina, public school resource officers, and school personnel (training requirement).
- Indirectly affected: local and state law enforcement, local PSAPs, first responder agencies, and vendors of panic alert systems.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Expected benefits: improved interoperability and faster coordinated responses during school emergencies; standardized baseline capabilities statewide.
- Implementation challenges: costs for procurement, integration with a variety of local PSAPs and legacy systems, cybersecurity and privacy protections (not addressed in the bill), and capacity to deliver required training.
- Administrative role: SDE (with SLED and DPS) will play a central role in vendor selection guidance and in implementing regulations to operationalize the statute.
For reference: bill text adds S.C. Code § 59‑66‑35 and references PSAP definitions in S.C. Code § 23‑47‑10.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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