Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility House passes Alyssa’s Law to get panic alarms installed into schools

House passes Alyssa’s Law to get panic alarms installed into schools

Legislation named in honor of student killed in Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    September 29, 2026 | 3:59 PM

HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 – To ensure the safety of students and staff in schools across Pennsylvania, the state House has passed legislation introduced by state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, that would require schools to consider installing panic alarms to quickly respond to emergencies.

House Bill 634 would require schools to consider implementing a panic alarm system within their classrooms during annual safety and security reviews. These silent alarms would connect a specific classroom to law enforcement responders and signal a life-threatening emergency.

“Feeling safe in the classroom where they spend most of the year should be the bare minimum expectation that students, teachers and school staff have,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “This legislation will take practical steps to ensure that in the case of a shooting or another emergency, law enforcement can act faster in these moments where every second used or wasted can mean the difference between life and death.”

The legislation, also known as Alyssa’s Law, has been backed by Make Our Schools Safe, which was founded by Lori and Ilan Alhadeff following the death of their 14-year-old daughter Alyssa in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

“As Alyssa’s mother, I know firsthand that in an emergency, every second matters,” said Lori Alhadeff, co-founder and CEO of Make Our Schools Safe. “Alyssa’s Law is about giving teachers and school staff a direct, immediate way to call for help when lives are at risk. I am deeply grateful to Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz for her leadership on H.B. 634 and for continuing to move this lifesaving legislation forward in Pennsylvania.

“No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child in a place where they should be safe. By passing Alyssa’s Law, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to strengthen emergency response and help protect students and educators across the Commonwealth.”

“Being able to stand side-by-side with Lori and Ilan to advance this lifesaving legislation and having the opportunity to learn more about the incredible life that Alyssa lived has been deeply moving,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “I am deeply grateful to the Alhadeffs for their work in Pennsylvania and across the nation to turn devastation and mourning into remembrance and action so that Alyssa is never forgotten and other families do not have to experience the same grief that they have.”

House Bill 634 will now advance to the state Senate for consideration. Pennsylvania is one of 14 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, with a version of Alyssa’s Law moving through the legislative process. If signed into law, Pennsylvania would join 13 other states, including Texas, Florida and New York, in putting a version of Alyssa’s Law on the books.