Law will help make schools safer through better implementation, reporting of safety drills

Governor also signs nine other bills

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder today signed legislation updating Michigan’s school safety drill requirements to ensure students are better prepared in times of emergency.

“This legislation will help give parents peace of mind in knowing their children and school officials are trained and prepared for possible school emergencies,” Snyder said.

House Bill 4713, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Graves, updates the types of drills schools must conduct and requires school districts to post documentation of completed safety drills on their websites within 30 days of completion. The detailed reports must remain online for at least three years.

The bill also makes changes to the types and frequency of required safety drills. Schools must:

• Conduct five fire safety drills spaced throughout a school year, with three before Dec. 1;
• Hold two tornado safety drills, including one in March, and
• Stage three “lockdown” drills, which prepare for possible school intruders. One of the three drills must be conducted during a lunch-recess period.

Additionally, the chief administrator of a K-12 school must provide a list of scheduled drill days to the county emergency management coordinator by Sept. 15. Schools must also adopt and implement a cardiac emergency response plan.

The legislation was a recommendation of the multi-agency School Safety Workgroup the governor convened to review best practices and policies of safe school plans.

HB 4713, which is now Public Act 12 of 2014, takes effect July 1.

The governor also signed nine other bills today.

HBs 5008-5011, sponsored by state Reps. Aric Nesbitt, Jeff Farrington, Kevin Cotter, and Harold Haugh, respectively, make technical changes to Michigan’s corporate income tax law. Changes include revising details related to apportionment of income earned in other states, taxing members of unitary business groups, domestic international sales corporations, and recapture provisions. The bills are now PAs 13-16.

Senate Bill 146, sponsored by state Sen. Coleman Young, amends the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Act to allow an application for a NEZ certificate to be filed after a building permit was issued in a specific circumstance. It is now PA 17.

SB 396, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, allows property to be taxed at the value of replacement construction if the original property was destroyed as a result of an accident, natural disaster or other acts of God, under certain circumstances. It is now PA 18.

SB 428, sponsored by state Sen. Roger Kahn, requires flags and flag holders displayed on the graves of military veterans in Michigan cemeteries to be made in the United States. It is now PA 19.

SB 533, also sponsored by Kahn, amends the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Act to delay the 2013 deadline for a brownfield authority to apply for approval to have State Education Tax revenue paid to the authority. It is now PA 20.

SB 581, sponsored by state Sen. Rick Jones, makes a necessary technical change to allow for implementation of a law dealing with the verification of the employment and/or education of a prisoner on work release from a county jail. It is now PA 21.

For more information on legislation, visit legislature.michigan.gov.

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