Bill > H749

This bill requires school superintendents to develop comprehensive critical incident plans for each school in their district by collaborating with local fire and police chiefs before the start of each school year. The critical incident plan must address potential emergencies such as disasters, shootings, terrorist activities, and bomb threats, and must be tailored to the specific characteristics of each school building. The plan must include establishing a critical incident drill program based on federal Department of Homeland Security best practices, creating a crisis response team with designated leadership, developing a communication plan, outlining safe entrance and exit procedures, and establishing policies for maintaining discipline during an incident. Districts must annually review and update these plans with assistance from local police and fire departments, and students must be instructed about the plan at the beginning of each school year. Furthermore, the police chief or a designated representative must conduct at least two unannounced critical incident drills at each school annually, with only the school's person in charge being informed in advance. The goal of these requirements is to enhance school safety and preparedness for potential emergency situations.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H749