Bill Text: FL S0790 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: School Emergency Procedures
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-05-03 - Died in Education [S0790 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0790-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 SB 790 By Senator Brandes 22-00490E-13 2013790__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to school emergency procedures; 3 amending s. 1006.07, F.S.; defining and distinguishing 4 emergency lockdown drills from emergency evacuation 5 drills; requiring that emergency lockdown drills be 6 conducted at least as often as emergency evacuation 7 drills; encouraging local law enforcement officers or 8 fire officials to participate in and to review at 9 least one emergency lockdown drill at each school each 10 year; requiring a designated staff member to submit an 11 after-drill report to the school district after an 12 emergency drill; providing requirements for the after 13 drill report; requiring that each school annually 14 review and revise its safety policies and procedures 15 as needed; providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 1006.07, 20 Florida Statutes, are reordered and amended, and subsection (6) 21 of that section is amended, to read: 22 1006.07 District school board duties relating to student 23 discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall 24 provide for the proper accounting for all students, for the 25 attendance and control of students at school, and for proper 26 attention to health, safety, and other matters relating to the 27 welfare of students, including: 28 (5)(4)EMERGENCY DRILLS; EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.— 29 (a) Formulate and prescribe policies and procedures for 30 emergency lockdown drills and emergency evacuation drills for 31 actual emergencies, including, but not limited to, fires, 32 natural disasters, and bomb threats, for all the public schools 33 of the district which comprise grades K-12. District school 34 board policies mustshallinclude commonly used alarm system 35 responses for specific types of emergencies and verification by 36 each school that drills have been provided as required by law 37 and fire protection codes. As used in this paragraph, the term 38 “evacuation drill” means an activity in which students and 39 faculty practice the safest and quickest way to evacuate a 40 school facility in case of an emergency in which evacuation is 41 generally the safest option, such as in the case of a fire. As 42 used in this paragraph, the term “lockdown drill” means an 43 activity in which students and faculty practice securing a 44 school facility or rooms within the facility in case of an 45 emergency in which hiding from a hostile danger is generally 46 deemed safer than evacuating the building, such as in the case 47 of a tornado or the presence of an armed person who is 48 threatening the safety of the students or employees of a school. 49 1. The policies and procedures must require that emergency 50 lockdown drills be conducted at least as often as emergency 51 evacuation drills. This subparagraph does not require an 52 increase in the total number of emergency drills conducted at a 53 school each year. 54 2. Local law enforcement officers or fire officials are 55 encouraged to participate in, and to review, at least one 56 emergency lockdown drill at each school each year. After a 57 drill, participating law enforcement officers or fire officials 58 are encouraged to submit recommendations to the school on how it 59 can improve its safety procedures in case of an emergency 60 lockdown. 61 3. Each school shall designate the principal or a member of 62 its staff as the person responsible for overseeing a school’s 63 emergency drills. Before an emergency drill is conducted, the 64 designated staff member shall review the appropriate, most 65 recent after-drill report required under subparagraph 4. 66 4. After a drill is completed, the designated staff member 67 shall electronically submit to the school district, in a format 68 prescribed by the department, an after-drill report that details 69 the specific drill that was conducted. Such report must include 70 positive observations and recommendations for improvement 71 offered by the school or participating law enforcement officers 72 or fire officials, if any. 73 (b)The district school board shallEstablish model 74 emergency management and emergency preparedness procedures for 75 the following life-threatening emergencies: 76 1. Weapon-use and hostage situations. 77 2. Hazardous materials or toxic chemical spills. 78 3. Weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes, 79 and severe storms. 80 4. Exposure as a result of a manmade emergency. 81 (4)(5)EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN DETENTION FACILITIES.—Offer 82 educational services to minors who have not graduated from high 83 school and eligible students with disabilities under the age of 84 22 who have not graduated with a standard diploma or its 85 equivalent who are detained in a county or municipal detention 86 facility, as defined in s. 951.23. These educational services 87 mustshallbe based upon the estimated length of time the 88 student will be in the facility and the student’s current level 89 of functioning. District school superintendents or their 90 designees shall be notified by the county sheriff or chief 91 correctional officer, or his or her designee, upon the 92 assignment of a student under the age of 21 to the facility. A 93 cooperative agreement with the district school board and 94 applicable law enforcement units shall be developed to address 95 the notification requirement and the provision of educational 96 services to these students. 97 (6) SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES.— 98 (a) Use the Safety and Security Best Practices developed by 99 the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 100 Accountability to conduct a self-assessment of the school 101 districts’ current safety and security practices. Based on these 102 self-assessment findings, the district school superintendent 103 shall provide recommendations to the district school board which 104 identify strategies and activities that the district school 105 board should implement in order to improve school safety and 106 security.AnnuallyEach district school board must annually 107 receive the self-assessment results at a publicly noticed 108 district school board meeting to provide the public an 109 opportunity to hear the district school board members discuss 110 and take action on the report findings. Each district school 111 superintendent shall report the self-assessment results and 112 school board action to the commissioner within 30 days after the 113 district school board meeting. 114 (b) By July 1, 2014, and each year thereafter, review the 115 Safety and Security Best Practices developed by the Office of 116 Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability and revise 117 its policies and procedures as needed. A school district may 118 revise its policies and procedures regarding emergency drills 119 without department approval. 120 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.