ATLANTA (AP) — For Richard Aspinwall, advocating for legislation to enhance safety in Georgia schools is a way to honor his son's legacy.

Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, a dedicated math teacher and football coach, was among four individuals tragically shot at Apalachee High School in September while trying to protect his students.

“My son was a man of integrity,” Aspinwall remarked on Monday. “I raised him to be that way — to stand up for the kids.”

Aspinwall and his wife Rita visited the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on Monday to endorse proposals introduced by the state House speaker. These include establishing a statewide student database containing disciplinary, mental health, and law enforcement information to assess students who might pose a threat of violence.

The initiative to share information is fueled by the belief that the Barrow County school system was not fully aware of the warning signs exhibited by the 14-year-old accused in the shooting.

“We understand that the lack of information transfer and sharing regarding the student accused of this horrific act contributed to the events of that day,” House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, stated on Monday.

However, privacy advocates caution that such a data repository could be intrusive, noting that federal law enforcement agencies have found it impossible to predict which students might turn violent based solely on this type of information.

Burns proposed a comprehensive plan that mandates each school system to form a threat assessment team comprising school administrators, mental health professionals, and law enforcement to evaluate potential threats. He also wants schools to report threats via an online platform and ensure every school district employs at least one mental health coordinator to connect students with counseling services.

The speaker expressed his support for the $50 million funding that Gov. Brian Kemp intends to allocate to schools this spring for security enhancements, while also advocating for additional spending to establish the database and fund mental health coordinators. Burns indicated that the House’s budget proposal would be revealed next week.

Kemp has proposed a modest increase in spending to allow schools to hire additional school psychologists, though no extra funds were earmarked for counselors, school social workers, or mental health services. The $50 million is in addition to $109 million already allocated for schools in the current state budget.

At least two proposed Senate bills advocate for increased information sharing. Senate Bill 61, sponsored by Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, mandates that school records be transferred within 10 days when a student moves to a new school and requires juvenile justice and child welfare agencies to notify a school when a student is under electronic monitoring or house confinement. Senate Bill 54, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Emanuel Jones of Decatur, proposes creating a database of threats against schools and mandates in-school mental health services for any student listed in the database.

Under Burns’ plan, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency would manage the database. This agency is already offering voluntary threat assessment training to school districts.

Florida's initial attempt to create a similar database was hindered by federal privacy laws that restrict the public release of health and educational records. House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin, a Homer Republican, stated that months of research indicate Georgia can share information “with the appropriate individuals.”

Georgia lawmakers are also suggesting measures to address a surge of threats and hoaxes following the Apalachee shooting. The House Republican plan would mandate that a student making a threat be suspended until law enforcement and school officials determine they can safely return. Dolezal’s bill suggests that making terroristic threats against a school should be considered a felony, and suspects aged 13 to 16 should be tried in adult court. Cases could be transferred to juvenile court if district attorneys and judges concur.

Republican state senators are also supporting a proposal for every school system to provide employees with wearable panic alarm systems. Apalachee teachers used wearable panic buttons to swiftly alert authorities about the shooting.

Burns also endorses tax incentives for individuals purchasing gun safes or gun locks. However, House and Senate Democrats are promoting a plan requiring adults to secure their firearms when children are present. Officials have noted that Colin Gray, the father of the accused shooter Colt Gray, provided his son with an assault-style rifle and easy access, even though he knew or should have known his son posed a threat to others.

“We aim to prevent such irresponsible actions from happening in the first place,” stated state Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat.