The Georgia Senate approved a bill on Thursday that would significantly enhance criminal penalties for students who make threats against their schools. Senate Bill 61, introduced by Republican lawmakers, passed in a 33-22 vote.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, and other leading Republicans, will now go to Georgia’s House of Representatives.
The bill comes in the wake of the Apalachee High School shooting in early September that left four dead and nine injured.
The legislation targets students aged 13 to 17 and would enable them to be tried as adults for charges of terroristic threatening. It also would allow young offenders to face superior court if they attempt to commit or conspire to commit terroristic threatening.
Under the new law, crimes such as aggravated assault with a firearm and armed robbery could be prosecuted in a higher court, carrying more severe consequences for offenders.
Superior courts also would gain exclusive original jurisdiction over cases involving terroristic threats or acts targeting public and private schools, as well as attempts or criminal conspiracies to commit specific offenses. These cases would be subject to the Class A designated felony provisions under the bill, if approved.
