SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1475        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 252

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Richard T. Moore

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to school safety.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1475        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 252

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act relative to school safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 8A of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as most recently appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the third paragraph of subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following:-

“Plans shall be developed in consultation with the school principal, school nurse, school athletic director, team physicians, coaches, trainers, and local police, fire and emergency personnel, as appropriate.  Schools shall practice the response sequence at the beginning of each school year and periodically throughout the year and evaluate and modify the plan as necessary.  School officials shall review the response sequence with local fire and police officials at least once per year, and shall conduct periodic walk-throughs of school campuses.  Plans shall be submitted once every 3 years to the department of elementary and secondary education, the local police department and the local fire department, on or before September 1, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.  Plans shall be updated in the event of new construction or physical changes to the school campus.”

SECTION 2.  Section 3A of chapter 70B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following new subsection:-

(a) There shall be a school building advisory board comprised of the state auditor or a designee, the inspector general or a designee, the superintendent of the state police or designee, the state fire marshal or designee, the director of the Massachusetts emergency management agency, and the executive director of the authority, who shall serve as the secretary to the advisory board and shall be a nonvoting member of the board, and 17 members to represent the following nongovernmental organizations, to be appointed by those organizations: the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Mayors Association, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, the Massachusetts Buildings Trades Council, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Massachusetts Alliance of Small Contractors, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts, the American Institute of Architects-Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, acting jointly, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, and the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts.  The advisory board shall assist the authority in the development of general policy regarding school building construction, renovation, reconstruction, maintenance and facility space, preservation of open space and minimization of loss of open space, thoughtful community development, cost management, adequate provisions for safety and security, and shall provide technical advice and input to the authority.  The advisory board shall meet at least quarterly.

SECTION 3.  Section 14 of chapter 70B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended  by inserting after the word “equipment” in line 5, the following:- “, including upgrades necessary for enhanced safety and security,”.

SECTION 4.  Chapter 70B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:-

Section 20.  The authority shall, in cooperation with any school district or municipality, submit any plans or blueprints approved by the authority, associated within any approved construction, renovation, or reconstruction of a school building to the local police department, fire department, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and any regional law enforcement entity.  Said plans shall identify any points of entry into a school building, any emergency access routes for ingress or egress and any other public safety features, including, but not limited to: fire hydrants, utility access points, and stairwells.  Any department in receipt of said plans shall maintain a copy of such on file and may submit comments to the authority and school district.  Any plans submitted pursuant to this section shall be deemed confidential, and exempt from the definition of public records in clause twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4.