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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3406
PRINTER'S NO. 3469
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2087
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY DAY, STAATS, KAVULICH, D. COSTA, V. BROWN, ROZZI,
WARD, READSHAW, FARINA, HAHN, GERGELY, DONATUCCI, KINSEY,
SIMMONS, RADER, HARHAI, SCHWEYER, KORTZ, MARSICO, COHEN,
PEIFER, WATSON, ZIMMERMAN, DeLUCA, DIAMOND, ELLIS, TRUITT,
O'NEILL, QUIGLEY, GROVE, REESE, BARRAR, ORTITAY, TOOHIL,
R. BROWN AND MICCARELLI, MAY 23, 2016
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 8, 2016
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
further providing for fire and emergency evacuation drills.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1517 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
amended January 14, 1970 (1969 P.L.468, No.192), is amended to
read:
Section 1517. Fire and Emergency Evacuation Drills.--(a)
[In] Except as provided under subsection (a.1), in all [public
schools] school buildings of school entities where fire-escapes,
appliances for the extinguishment of fires, or proper and
sufficient exits in case of fire or panic, either or all, are
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required by law to be maintained, fire drills shall be
periodically conducted, not less than one a month, by the
teacher or teachers in charge, under rules and regulations to be
promulgated by the [district superintendent] chief school
administrator under whose supervision such [schools] school
entities are. In such fire drills the pupils and teachers shall
be instructed in, and made thoroughly familiar with, the use of
the fire-escapes, appliances and exits. The drill shall include
the actual use thereof, and the complete removal of the pupils
and teachers, in an expeditious and orderly manner, by means of
fire-escapes and exits, from the building to a place of safety
on the ground outside.
(a.1) Within 90 days of the commencement of the school year
after the effective date of this subsection and within 90 days
of the commencement of each school year thereafter, each school
entity shall conduct one school security drill per school year
in each school building in place of a fire drill required under
subsection (a). All of the following shall apply:
(1) The school security drill shall be conducted while the
school entity is in session and students are present under
policies adopted by the chief school administrator.
(2) The chief school administrator or a designee shall
oversee the instruction and training of students and school
employees in the procedures to be used in the school security
drill.
(3) The chief school administrator shall notify and request
assistance from the local law enforcement agency and emergency
management agency before conducting the school security drill.
The notification shall include, at a minimum, all of the
following:
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(i) The date and time of the school security drill.
(ii) The name and address of the school entity and each
building in which the school security drill is to be conducted.
(iii) The name of the individual in charge of conducting the
school security drill.
(4) THE CHIEF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE OF
THE SCHOOL SECURITY DRILL IN ADVANCE TO PARENTS AND LEGAL
GUARDIANS OF THE STUDENTS ATTENDING THE SCHOOL BUILDING FOR
WHICH THE SCHOOL SECURITY DRILL IS SCHEDULED.
(b) [District superintendents] Chief school administrators
are hereby required to see that the provisions of this section
are faithfully carried out in the [schools] school entities over
which they have charge.
(c) Any person who violates or fails to comply with the
provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
on conviction shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than
twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than five hundred dollars
($500), or to undergo imprisonment in the county jail for not
less than (10) days or more than sixty (60) days, or both.
(d) All [schools] school entities using or contracting for
school buses for the transportation of school children shall
conduct on school grounds two emergency evacuation drills on
buses during each school year, the first to be conducted during
the first week of the first school term and the second during
the month of March, and at such other times as the chief school
administrator may require. Each such drill shall include the
practice and instruction concerning the location, use and
operation of emergency exit doors and fire extinguishers and the
proper evacuation of buses in the event of fires or accidents.
Bus operators shall be provided with proper training and
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instructions to enable them to carry out the provisions of this
subsection and may be required to attend classes and drills in
connection therewith.
(e) On or before the tenth day of April of each year, each
[district superintendent] chief school administrator shall
certify to the Department of [Public Instruction] Education that
the emergency evacuation drills and school security drills
herein required have been [held] conducted in accordance with
this section.
(f) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
"Chief school administrator" shall mean the superintendent of
a school district, superintendent of an area vocational-
technical school, executive director of an intermediate unit or
chief executive officer of a charter school or regional charter
school.
" School entity" shall mean area vocational-technical school,
a school district, an intermediate unit, a charter school or a
regional charter school.
" School security drill" shall mean a planned exercise, other
than a fire drill or natural disaster drill, designed to
practice procedures to respond to an emergency situation that
may include, but is not limited to, an act of terrorism, armed
intruder situation or other violent threat.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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