ATLANTA (AP) — On Tuesday, Georgia House members approved a school safety bill with a 159-13 vote. Supporters claim this legislation aims to prevent incidents like the tragic school shooting in September, which resulted in the deaths of two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School.

However, some lawmakers express concerns over the proposed creation of a statewide student database that would collect disciplinary, mental health, and law enforcement information to assess students potentially prone to violence. Additionally, while the House passed a bill on the same day offering tax incentives for gun storage devices or training, Democrats argue that the Republican-majority General Assembly is not adequately addressing gun control.

Republican House Speaker Jon Burns from Newington passionately advocated for House Bill 268, taking the unusual step of leaving the dais to deliver a speech in its favor.

“I believe this legislation will foster a new culture in our school systems, where we proactively support children facing mental health challenges,” Burns stated, emphasizing the bill's goal to assist troubled students before they resort to violence.

The bill now advances to the Senate, which has so far approached the issue with less comprehensive measures compared to the House's 64-page proposal. One Senate measure that has progressed out of committee suggests more limited information sharing and proposes adult prosecution as the default for more crimes involving 13 to 16-year-olds.

Beyond the database, the House bill requires faster record transfers when a student changes schools, establishes at least one new position in each of Georgia’s 180 school districts to coordinate mental health treatment for students, mandates police agencies to report any student threats of harm at school, and sets up a statewide anonymous reporting system.

The push to share information is driven by the belief among many that the Barrow County school system was unaware of the warning signs exhibited by the 14-year-old accused in the shooting. Officials note that creating the database will necessitate additional legal work to ensure compliance with federal privacy laws concerning health data and educational records. However, critics fear the data might lead to a blacklist, potentially discriminating against racial or religious minorities.

“There isn’t nearly enough focus on mental health, and there’s an excessive emphasis on surveillance, overcriminalization, and privacy invasion of our students and their families,” stated Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, a Democrat from Smyrna.

The bill proposes that each school system establish a behavioral threat management team to intervene when school officials learn of student threats of violence. The state would develop guidelines for assessing threats, focusing on credible ones. These teams could access the database for additional information on students under scrutiny. Students threatening violence would be removed from in-person classes while school officials determine an appropriate response.

House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin, a Republican from Homer, asserted that the bill would help prevent violence.

“Save a life today, vote for this bill,” Erwin urged fellow House members.

The measure also includes suicide and violence prevention classes for older students and requires an assessment after a student has been absent for a certain number of days.

House Democrats backed House Bill 79, offering tax incentives for purchasing gun safes or locks or obtaining gun training. Nonetheless, Democrats argued on Tuesday that more is needed, even as the bill passed 165-8 and moved to the Senate. They advocate for a law requiring adults to secure guns when children are present.

Officials report that Colin Gray, the father of the accused Apalachee High shooter, Colt Gray, bought his son an assault-style rifle and allowed him easy access, despite knowing or having reason to know his son posed a danger to others.

“Nothing should haunt us more in this chamber than a missed opportunity, and nothing should shame us more than failing to learn from our mistakes,” said Rep. Michelle Au, a Democrat from Johns Creek.