What is Alyssa's Law (panic-alert legislation)?

Alyssa's Law is panic-alert legislation that requires public schools to install silent panic alarms that link directly to law enforcement or 911 for rapid emergency response.

Under New Jersey's law, the first state to enact it, a panic alarm is a silent security system signal, manually activated, that is directly linked to local law enforcement, immediately transmits a signal on activation, and is not audible inside the school building. The law is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old victim of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It is distinct from school mapping laws: Alyssa's Law concerns silent panic alerts to law enforcement, not the creation of facility maps or floor plans.

Defined from authoritative sources

This definition is drawn from the sources below, last verified 2026-06-23. How we verify.

1. New Jersey P.L.2019, c.33 (A764), Alyssa's Law statutory text verified 2026-06-23
2. Make Our Schools Safe: Alyssa's Law verified 2026-06-23

Keep reading

• School mapping mandateDefinition
• Site plan / floor plan standard for first respondersDefinition
• Responder-ready mapDefinition

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