When it comes to workplace safety, panic button laws are making a significant difference across the United States. These laws aim to protect vulnerable workers, especially those in industries like hospitality, janitorial services, and education, by requiring employers to provide employees with access to emergency alert devices. From Sacramento, California to Washington State and New Jersey to Texas, panic button legislation is reshaping how organizations prioritize employee safety.

This Silent Beacon article is meant to help inform and dive into the specifics of panic button laws, their applications in various states, and how they are positively impacting employees and employers alike. Silent Beacon specializes in local ordinance and panic button law compliance, please contact us here if you have any further questions.

What Are Panic Button Laws?

Panic button laws mandate that certain employers provide their employees with portable emergency contact devices (commonly referred to as “panic buttons”). These devices allow workers to summon immediate on-site assistance when faced with emergencies, such as harassment or unsafe behavior.

The adoption of these laws reflects growing awareness of workplace risks and a commitment to creating safer environments for employees. While laws vary by state and city, the overarching goal remains the same—to ensure no employee feels alone or helpless in a high-risk situation.

2025-2027: A Landmark Era for Panic Button Legislation

The next several years represent a pivotal period for panic button compliance across the United States. With new laws taking effect, compliance deadlines approaching, and federal rulemaking advancing, organizations across education, healthcare, retail, and general industry must prepare now. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the legislation driving this transformation.

K–12 Education: School Safety Takes Center Stage

Georgia HB 268 – Ricky and Alyssa’s Law

Georgia has joined the growing movement to protect students and staff with the passage of HB 268 – Ricky and Alyssa’s Law, signed in 2025.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to public and private K–12 schools statewide
• Mandatory compliance deadline: July 1, 2026
• Requires mobile panic alert systems with real-time coordination with law enforcement and emergency responders

This comprehensive legislation ensures that every Georgia school, regardless of public or private status, has the infrastructure to alert authorities instantly during emergencies.

Texas SB 838 – Alyssa’s Law

Texas has enacted its own version of Alyssa’s Law through SB 838, creating substantial demand for panic alert solutions across the state’s vast school system.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to public school districts and open enrollment charter schools
• Compliance required by the 2025–2026 school year
• 2026 is the first full compliance validation year
• Drives demand for mobile and wearable panic solutions, especially in rural and multi-campus districts

Given Texas’s geographic diversity and the prevalence of multi-campus districts, mobile and wearable panic devices are particularly valuable for ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Utah HB 84 – School Safety Amendments

Utah has taken a proactive approach with HB 84, specifically emphasizing wearable technology for classroom protection.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to public and charter schools
• Requires wearable panic alert devices for classroom staff
• Enforcement and full operational adoption continue through 2025–2026
• Creates replacement and expansion opportunities as usage scales

Utah’s emphasis on wearables ensures teachers have immediate access to emergency alerts without needing to reach a fixed location.

Oklahoma – Alyssa’s Law for School Panic Alerts

Oklahoma’s Alyssa’s Law became effective July 1, 2024, making 2025–2026 a critical period for enforcement and system optimization.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to public school districts statewide
• Effective July 1, 2024
• 2025–2026 focuses on enforcement, remediation, and replacement of inadequate systems
• Requires mobile panic alert systems integrated with 911 and first responder coordination

Schools that implemented basic solutions initially may need to upgrade to meet the law’s coordination requirements with emergency services.

Washington SB 5004 – Emergency Response Systems in Schools

Washington State continues its commitment to safety with SB 5004, passed in 2025.

Key Requirements:

• Effective July 27, 2025
• Requires districts to implement or upgrade emergency response systems
• Panic alerts explicitly included as qualifying technology
• District reporting and implementation continues through 2026

This legislation builds on Washington’s existing isolated worker protections, extending safety technology requirements into educational settings.

Oregon HB 3038 – Alyssa’s Law

Oregon’s approach through HB 3038 represents an important first step toward comprehensive school safety requirements.

Key Requirements:

• Passed May 2025
• Applies to K–12 school governing bodies
• Requires schools to formally consider panic alarm systems during safety plan reviews
• Statute references wearable or wireless panic devices
• Likely precursor to a stronger statewide mandate by or after 2027

While not yet a mandate, Oregon’s legislation signals the direction of future requirements and encourages proactive adoption.

Hospitality & Isolated Worker Protections

Washington State H.B. 1524 – Major Expansion for Isolated Workers (2026)

Washington has significantly expanded its workplace safety protections with House Bill 1524, signed by Governor Bob Ferguson on April 16, 2025, and set to take effect January 1, 2026. This legislation represents a major expansion beyond the state’s existing RCW 49.60.515, extending panic button requirements to a broader category of vulnerable workers.

Who Qualifies as an “Isolated Employee”:

H.B. 1524 introduces the legal concept of “isolated employees,” defined as workers who:

• Spend at least 50% of their working hours without a supervisor or coworker present, OR
• Perform work in areas where two or more coworkers or supervisors cannot immediately respond to an emergency without being summoned

Industries Now Covered:

• Hotels and motels
• Retail establishments
• Security guard entities
• Property services contractors

Key Requirements Under H.B. 1524:

Panic Button Specifications:

• Must be designed to be carried by the employee
• Must be simple to activate without delays from passwords or system startup
• Must provide an effective signal when activated
• Must enable responders to accurately identify the employee’s location

Mandatory Training Requirements:

• Prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment
• Prevention of sexual discrimination
• Protection for employees reporting violations
• Proper panic button use and response protocols

Documentation and Compliance:

• Employers must maintain detailed records of training completion
• Must keep records of panic button purchases and utilization
• Property services contractors must submit annual reports to L&I
• All records must be available to the Department of Labor and Industries upon request

Enforcement Penalties:

• $1,000 fine for each willful violation
• Repeat willful violators face escalating penalties between $2,000–$10,000
• “Willful” is defined as knowing and intentional actions that are neither accidental nor the result of a bona fide dispute

This comprehensive expansion of Washington’s worker protection laws represents one of the strongest workplace safety measures in the nation.

State-Level Hotel Panic Button Mandates

New Jersey – State Bill S2986

• Applies to hotels with over 100 guest rooms
• Requires panic buttons to protect employees from violent acts, including sexual assault and harassment
• Device must be easily accessible and capable of summoning immediate help from security officers, managers, or supervisors

Illinois – Hotel & Casino Safety Act (SB 75)

• Mandates that all hotel and casino employees working alone must be provided with a notification device
• Requires hotels to furnish a list of anti-sexual harassment policies to protect all employees

Massachusetts – Bill H.1657

• Requires hotel employers to provide panic buttons to employees working in guest rooms or enclosed areas alone
• Mandates the development of an educational program to inform employees about panic button use and their rights when activating them

Las Vegas, Nevada

• Mandates that housekeepers in casinos must be equipped with panic buttons to ensure their safety while performing their duties

New York City, New York

• Unionized hospitality workers have been entitled to personal panic buttons since 2013, establishing one of the earliest precedents for hotel worker protection

California Local Ordinances – Leading the Nation

California cities have been particularly active in implementing hotel worker protections:

Florida – Miami Beach Local Ordinance

Miami Beach requires hotels and hostels to provide panic buttons to all employees who work alone in guest rooms or restrooms. The devices must be provided at no cost to the employees.

Pending Hospitality Legislation

Several states have pending bills that may expand hospitality worker protections:

• Georgia – Senate Bill 389
• Pennsylvania – House Bill No. 987

Retail Industry: Protecting Frontline Workers

New York Retail Worker Safety Act

New York has enacted comprehensive protections for retail employees through the Retail Worker Safety Act, creating significant compliance obligations for retailers statewide.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to retail employers statewide
• Policy, training, and notice requirements effective June 2, 2025
• Silent response button requirement effective January 1, 2027 for retailers with 500 or more employees
• 2026 is the primary year for vendor selection, pilots, and enterprise deployment

Retailers must begin planning now to meet the 2027 deadline, with 2026 serving as the critical implementation window.

Healthcare and Social Services: Protecting Caregivers

Illinois SB 1435 – Hospital Employee Panic Button Bill

Illinois is advancing protections for hospital workers through SB 1435, introduced in January 2025.

Key Details:

• Applies to hospitals if enacted
• Introduced January 2025
• Not yet enacted but expected to continue through 2026 legislative sessions
• Hospitals and behavioral health organizations are proactively adopting panic buttons due to liability and safety concerns

Even before formal enactment, healthcare organizations in Illinois are implementing panic button solutions to address workplace violence risks.

Connecticut Public Act 24-19 – Home Health Care Worker Safety Grant Program

Connecticut has created a funding mechanism to accelerate safety technology adoption for home healthcare workers.

Key Details:

• Applies to home health agencies and access agencies
• Grant funding active through 2025 and into 2026
• Funds emergency alert buttons, GPS tracking, buddy systems, safety training, and risk mitigation tools
• Creates near-term purchasing power and long-term technology adoption

This grant program removes financial barriers for agencies seeking to protect their mobile workforce.

Federal OSHA Healthcare and Social Assistance Workplace Violence Prevention Standard

At the federal level, OSHA is advancing a comprehensive workplace violence prevention standard with nationwide implications.

Key Details:

• Applies nationwide to healthcare and social services employers
• Rulemaking active as of 2025
• Expected to drive compliance planning and enforcement activity in 2026–2027
• Likely requires demonstrable safety controls such as panic buttons, lone worker alerts, and rapid escalation mechanisms

This federal standard will create a baseline requirement across all states, potentially surpassing individual state mandates.

General Industry: Workplace Violence Prevention Expands

California SB 553 – Workplace Violence Prevention in General Industry

California’s groundbreaking SB 553 extends workplace violence prevention requirements beyond traditional high-risk industries.

Key Requirements:

• Applies to most employers including retail, real estate, nonprofits, social services, and government workplaces
• Enforcement active with permanent Cal/OSHA standard required by December 31, 2026
• 2025–2026 drives adoption of real safety controls such as panic buttons, lone worker alerts, and documented response workflows

California’s broad application of workplace violence prevention requirements makes this one of the most impactful pieces of legislation nationwide.

Existing State Protections: Foundation for Current Laws

Sacramento’s Leadership in Safety

Sacramento, California, is among the cities leading the charge for employee protection. The city passed the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (Chapter 5.78) in January 2020. This legislation applies to hotels and motels with 25 or more rooms, requiring employers to provide panic buttons to employees at no cost.

Key Employer Responsibilities in Sacramento:

• Accessible Devices: Employers must ensure that panic buttons are easy for employees to activate quickly.

• Free Devices for Workers: Employees must not face any costs when being provided safety devices.

• Training: Hotels may also be required to train staff on how to properly use panic buttons and when activation is appropriate.

Approximately 75% of Sacramento’s hotels and motels are affected by this ordinance, demonstrating the city’s firm stance on worker safety.

Impact on Sacramento’s Workforce

Since its implementation, Sacramento’s legislation has empowered hotel staff to take control of their safety. Employees have reported feeling more secure knowing they have tools to call for immediate assistance during emergencies. Meanwhile, employers have seen an improvement in employee morale and workplace satisfaction, as this law reduces employee vulnerability.

Washington State’s Game-Changing Measures

Moving to the Pacific Northwest, Washington State has also introduced comprehensive legislation, known as RCW 49.60.515, aimed at protecting isolated workers. Effective January 2020 for hotels with 60 or more rooms, this law expanded to additional employers by January 2021.

Who’s Covered by Washington Law?

Panic button provisions in Washington protect employees in roles such as janitors, security personnel, hotel housekeepers, and room service attendants who frequently work alone or in secluded areas.

Requirements for Employers in Washington State

• Adoption of a formal anti-sexual harassment policy.

• Mandatory training for all managers and employees to prevent harassment and discrimination.

• Provision of panic buttons to employees for immediate assistance.

The law also requires employers to keep accessible resources on harassment policies and training materials, ensuring organizations stay transparent and proactive.

New Jersey’s Lone Worker Safety Rules

On the East Coast, New Jersey has set a high standard for worker protection. The state enacted S.2986 in January 2020, requiring hotels with 25 or more rooms to equip employees working alone in guest rooms with panic buttons.

Reinforced Measures for Safety

New Jersey’s law goes beyond just the panic button requirement. It mandates that hotels must keep records of incidents involving harassment or assault and take steps to prevent repeat offenses. Visitors accused of harassment can be banned from staying at the hotel for up to three years, establishing long-term accountability.

The provision empowers hotel employees to act without fear of retaliation, allowing them to stop work and leave dangerous areas if they feel unsafe.

Compliance Timeline at a Glance