On April 15, The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (NJSDA) announced in a broadcast memo the opening of the Alyssa’s Law compliance application on NJDOE’s homeroom portal, as well as an Aug. 12, 2020 deadline for compliance with “Alyssa’s Law.”
This law, which was signed by the governor on Feb. 6, 2019, requires public school buildings to be equipped with a panic alarm linked to local law enforcement.
The law was named for former New Jersey resident Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who was one of 17 people killed during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Fla.
All districts are required to demonstrate compliance with Alyssa’s Law using the Homeroom application regardless of whether they intend to apply for a school security grant authorized by the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.
In December 2019, the NJSDA adopted regulations addressing Procedures for Compliance with Alyssa’s Law and, in collaboration with NJDOE, issued Preliminary Guidance on Alyssa’s Law Compliance and School Security Grants.