GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia House has passed a bill that would require weapons detectors in every public school building across the state, including elementary schools.
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If the measure becomes law, Georgia would become the first state in the country to mandate weapons detectors in all public schools.
Currently, districts like Gwinnett County Public Schools are in the process of installing weapons detectors in middle and high schools, but have no plans to add them in elementary schools, including Level Creek Elementary.
House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) sponsored the bill, calling it a necessary step to protect students.
“This is about keeping Georgia students safe,” Efstration said.
The bill passed the House Tuesday by a vote of 151 to 11.
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Efstration pointed to the deadly 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in his district as part of the motivation behind the legislation.
“When we go to the airport, we see these different places and it’s very reasonable to extend these measures also to Georgia public schools,” he said.
The bill would require local school districts to use existing state grants to pay for the systems. It does not include new funding, a concern raised by several lawmakers.
“We are here debating another unfunded mandate,” said Bryce Berry (D-Atlanta).
Some Democrats who voted in favor of the bill said they view it as only a first step.
“Metal detectors are not a victory,” Berry said. “They are a mission and a mission that we have failed somewhere else.”
Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek) added that broader gun access issues must also be addressed.
“The final common pathway of all gun violence is not the absence of metal detectors, but easy access to a gun,” Au said.
The bill now heads to the Georgia Senate. If approved there, it would go to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
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