State Representatives Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Angie King (R-Celina) provided sponsor testimony in House Finance Committee on House Bill 106, the Save Our Schools (SOS) Act (formerly known as Alyssa’s Law) – legislation that works to enhance safety in Ohio school districts and communities by creating a pilot grant program that will allow schools the opportunity to purchase a variety of panic alert systems as well as artificial intelligence firearm detection software. These panic alert systems work to help accelerate law enforcement response time when life-threatening emergencies occur on school campuses. 

“Ohio’s students and teachers deserve to feel safe and secure when going to school,” said Miller. “The SOS Act allows schools of all sizes to take proactive steps and to be equipped for emergency situations.”

The Department of Public Safety will equally distribute grants to schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas to ensure that the funds can be distributed throughout Ohio. This allows schools the option to purchase systems that best fit the needs of their specific school district. Criteria for the systems include:

• The ability to contact law enforcement
• The ability to initiate a campus wide lockdown notification
• The requirement that the system is developed in the United States
• Has successfully been deployed in other schools or state organizations.

House Bill 106 awaits further consideration in House Finance Committee.

Watch Rep. Melanie Miller’s full testimony here.