TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill filed this week in Florida would bring a new emergency system to the state, dubbed a “Ya Ya Alert.”
The bill — SB 814 — was filed on Tuesday by state Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens), and it would set up a system for “imminent threat alerts.”
Under the proposal, if an incident pops up that poses an imminent threat to the public, law enforcement must issue a Ya Ya Alert to all schools and childcare facilities within at least 3 miles of the incident.
BUT WHAT IS A “YA YA ALERT?”
These Ya Ya Alerts are intended to inform schools and childcare facilities about any imminent threats, which include all of the following factors:
A person has been killed or seriously injured by a suspect with a deadly weapon.
The suspect flees the scene of the offense.
Law enforcement determines the suspect poses an imminent threat to public safety.
Once an alert go out, these institutions must then lock their doors, and encourage people to lock down and watch out for any suspicious activity.
The legislation was filed in honor of 9-year-old T’Yonna Major, whom deputies said was slain alongside two others by a gunman in Pine Hills back in 2023.
[BELOW: News 6 investigates criminal history of deadly Pine Hills shootings suspect]
“Honoring T’Yonna Major means doing more than offering condolences; it means taking action,” said state Rep. RaShon Young, who filed an identical bill in the House. “This bill strengthens how quickly we can warn schools and child care centers when danger is near.”
Even aside from Ya Ya Alerts, though, the bill mandates that imminent threat alerts be immediately disseminated to the public via an emergency alert system and along dynamic highway signs.
If approved during next year’s Legislative session, the bill is slated to take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
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