Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation that will update Michigan's school safety drill requirements to help ensure students are better prepared in times of emergency.

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, where they must remain for at least three years.

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

The bill also makes changes to the types and frequency of required safety drill. Schools must conduct five fire safety drills spaced throughout the year with three before December 1st, hold two tornado safety drills including one in March, and stage three "lockdown" drills which prepare for possible school intruders.

In a statement, Graves said " as a grandfather of school-age children, nothing is more important than providing a safe learning environment for our students. This bill is an important step to make sure schools are prepared in the event of a catastrophic event, and will give parent's the ability to make sure their child's school in completing the required safety drills by going to the schools' website."

The bill is now Public Act 12 of 2014 and goes into effect July 1st.

 

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