- Bill: HB 634
- Read the Full Legislation
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Pennsylvania does not yet require panic alert systems, but it already requires significant school safety infrastructure under Act 44 of 2018 and related statutes. Public schools must:
Alyssa’s Law is state legislation requiring K-12 schools to adopt rapid, direct-to-911 panic-alert technology. Pennsylvania hasn’t yet passed a version of it. Schools operate instead under the state’s existing school safety requirements.
Pennsylvania does not yet require panic alert systems, but it already requires significant school safety infrastructure under Act 44 of 2018 and related statutes. Public schools must:
Alyssa’s Law is named for Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student killed in the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Her mother, Lori Alhadeff, became a leading voice pushing for school safety reform. She founded the nonprofit Make Our Schools Safe. The law’s advocates push for legislation that gives every classroom a direct, silent line to law enforcement during an emergency (without triggering school-wide alarms that could escalate danger or tip off a threat).
Pennsylvania has considered versions of Alyssa’s Law for several legislative sessions. HB 634 is the furthest any Pennsylvania bill has advanced, clearing the House by a near-unanimous 200-3 vote. Advocacy groups have pushed for Pennsylvania to adopt the law. As of late September 2026, the bill awaits action in the Senate.
HB 634, as passed by the House, would require school safety teams to consider implementing a panic alarm system as part of their annual safety and security review, and document that consideration. It would not mandate installation outright. If the Senate advances the bill as written, Pennsylvania would join Tennessee and New York as a state required to “consider” implementation.
A district that already completes its triennial PCCD safety assessment is in a strong position to document that evaluation. Districts that install and test a system now, before the Senate acts, can fold real results into that review (instead of a hypothetical one).
HB 634 passed the Pennsylvania House on September 29, 2026, by a vote of 200-3. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, would require school safety and security committees to consider a panic alarm system during their legally mandated annual review. There is no indication yet of how quickly the Senate will act, or whether it will amend the bill toward a firmer requirement.
As with every state’s version of Alyssa’s Law, silent panic alarm systems are additions to a school’s safety infrastructure. They are not replacements for existing classroom phones, intercoms, or other established communication devices.
Alyssa’s Law has now passed in New Jersey (2019), Florida (2020), New York (2022), Texas, Tennessee (2023), Utah and Oklahoma (2024), Georgia, Washington, and Oregon (2025), Virginia and West Virginia (2026), and most recently Illinois (2026). Pennsylvania is not yet on this list, but HB 634’s 200-3 House vote suggests it may join soon.
Several states have gone further than what HB 634 currently proposes:
Districts treating a consideration requirement as their finish line are likely underestimating where this is heading nationally. A federal ALYSSA Act and a Safer Schools Act are both pending. Either would require Pennsylvania schools to meet Alyssa’s Law-style requirements (regardless of state law).
Pennsylvania schools have several active funding sources for school safety and security, from state grants to newly reopened federal programs.
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s School Safety and Security Grant funds physical security upgrades. This includes panic alert and emergency communication technology for public, charter, and nonpublic schools. Eligible applicants apply through PCCD’s annual grant cycle.
The federal School Violence Prevention Program, administered by the COPS Office at the U.S. Department of Justice, is a primary federal funding source for school safety technology nationwide. The FY26 cycle offered up to $500,000 per award over a 36-month period, with a 25% local cash match. Its Grants.gov and JustGrants deadlines have already passed, however. Districts should watch for the FY27 announcement.
The BJA STOP School Violence Program opened its FY2026 cycle on September 21, 2026. It offers 15 awards of up to $2 million each for state governments and public institutions of higher education (Category 1). It also offers 80 awards of up to $1 million each for local governments, school districts (including public charter schools), nonprofits, private K-12 schools, and tribal governments (Category 2). Each is a 36-month award. The Grants.gov deadline is October 30, 2026, and the JustGrants deadline is November 6, 2026.
The School Safety Enhancement Program provides roughly $93 million nationally across approximately 30 awards. It is limited to State Educational Agencies, which may pass funding to local districts. The FY26 application deadline of July 28, 2026 has closed. Pennsylvania districts interested in a future cycle should coordinate with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program makes roughly $300 million available nationally for nonprofit organizations (including private and religious K-12 schools) at high risk of a targeted attack. The FY26 deadline of July 24, 2026 has closed. Eligible Pennsylvania schools should plan ahead for the next cycle.
Districts that stack state and federal programs, and complete a security assessment before applying, get the most out of Pennsylvania’s funding landscape. A completed PCCD assessment is required for most competitive federal applications anyway.
Punch Rescue provides resilient hardware and software designed to work when it matters most. For Pennsylvania schools, that means a system ready to satisfy whatever standard HB 634 ultimately sets. It also means a documented, working evaluation to put in the district’s PCCD safety assessment today.
The Rescue Card is a wearable panic button worn by teachers and staff. When pressed, it silently triggers an emergency alert. There’s no phone required. Rescue Repeaters extend signal coverage across a campus, covering classrooms, gymnasiums, portable buildings, and outdoor areas where WiFi dead zones are common.
Rescue Alert Stations anchor the system’s communication infrastructure. They come with approximately six hours of battery backup to maintain operation during power disruptions. This hardware is designed to work where app-based systems routinely fail, in the areas of campus with weak or no WiFi signal. These are precisely the spaces where staff are most vulnerable and least able to reach a phone.
Punch Rescue integrates with RapidSOS. This is a platform that connects activated panic button alerts directly to 911 and public safety agencies. The moment a Rescue Card is pressed, RapidSOS transmits real-time incident data (including location and alert type) to the appropriate dispatch center. That’s the kind of direct PSAP link any future Pennsylvania mandate is likely to require.
Punch Rescue integrates with Mappedin to embed dynamic indoor facility maps directly within the response dashboard. When an alert is triggered, first responders receive accurate, room-level location data. This supports the kind of detailed site information PCCD assessments already expect districts to maintain.
Punch Rescue integrates with Lightspeed System’s Notify technology for emergency communication coordination, automated response plan distribution, and mass notifications. When an incident occurs, administrators, staff, and first responders receive the right information automatically. There are no manual steps required during a moment of crisis.
With HB 634 still moving through the Senate, Pennsylvania districts have a window to get ahead of the requirement instead of scrambling to meet it. When evaluating systems, you need to ask:
Punch Rescue is built to answer yes to all of the above. It’s also highly customizable to meet unique school district needs and specifications.
The law has not yet fully passed. HB 634 passed the Pennsylvania House 200-3 on September 29, 2026. It’s now pending in the Senate.
As passed by the House, HB 634 would require school safety teams to consider and document evaluation of a panic alarm system. They don’t yet have to install one. The Senate could change this before final passage.
Districts can install and test a panic alert system now, fold the results into their next PCCD safety and security assessment, and apply for state and federal funding that’s currently available. It’s not necessary to wait for a mandate to force a timeline.
HB 634 passed the Pennsylvania House by a 200-3 vote on September 29, 2026, and would require school safety teams to consider, and document, a panic alarm system during their annual review. It still needs Senate approval and the Governor’s signature.
Most panic buttons leave you guessing about device status, battery life, and system health. Punch Rescue provides real-time visibility across your entire infrastructure, so you know your school is ready when it matters most.
