Bill Text: OH HB446 | 2013-2014 | 130th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: To require the State Board of Education to adopt rules prescribing standards for safety enhancements to new public and nonpublic school facilities and to require the Ohio School Facilities Commission to revise its construction and design standards to comply with the State Board's standards.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-11 - To Education [HB446 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2013-HB446-Introduced.html

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As Introduced

130th General Assembly Regular Session 2013-2014

H. B. No. 446

Representative Rogers 

Cosponsors: Representatives Blair, Patterson, Perales, Foley, Phillips, Antonio 

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A BILL

To amend section 3318.031 and to enact section

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3301.80 of the Revised Code to require the State

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Board of Education to adopt rules prescribing

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standards for safety enhancements to new public

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and nonpublic school facilities and to require the

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Ohio School Facilities Commission to revise its

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construction and design standards to comply with

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the State Board's standards.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3318.031 be amended and section	9
3301.80 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:	10

Sec. 3301.80. (A) Not later than ninety days after the	11
effective date of this section, in accordance with Chapter 119. of	12
the Revised Code, the state board of education shall adopt rules	13
prescribing safety standards for use in the construction of new	14
school facilities for public schools and chartered and	15
nonchartered nonpublic schools. Those standards shall include	16
design provisions to enhance the overall safety and well-being of	17
students and staff including, but not limited to, the following:	18

(1) Surveillance video;

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(2) Entry way metal detectors;

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(3) Direct entrance and exit routes located within a	21
classroom, which may only be accessed from inside that classroom;	22

(4) An effective means of communication between classrooms	23
and the administrative offices;	24

(5) A real-time notification device located within a	25
classroom, such as a panic button, to alert local area law	26
enforcement when a staff member encounters a dangerous situation;	27

(6) A means of threat containment, which may include a	28
barrier system to lock down the portion of a building wherein a	29
threat has been identified.	30

(B) The standards shall require new schools to include at	31
least two of the safety enhancements described in division (A) of	32
this section. The standards also shall expressly permit a new	33
school to include more than two such enhancements.	34

Sec. 3318.031. (A) The Ohio school facilities commission	35
shall consider student and staff safety and health when reviewing	36
design plans for classroom facility construction projects proposed	37
under this chapter. After consulting with appropriate education,	38
health, and law enforcement personnel, the commission may require	39
as a condition of project approval under either section 3318.03 or	40
division (B)(1) of section 3318.41 of the Revised Code such	41
changes in the design plans as the commission believes will	42
advance or improve student and staff safety and health in the	43
proposed classroom facility.	44

To carry out its duties under this division, the commission	45
shall review and, if necessary, amend any construction and design	46
standards used in its project approval process, including	47
standards for location and number of exits, standards for lead	48
safety in classroom facilities constructed before 1978 in which	49
services are provided to children under six years of age, and	50
location of restrooms, with a focus on advancing student and staff	51
safety and health.	52

(B) When reviewing design standards for classroom facility	53
construction projects proposed under this chapter, the commission	54
shall also consider the extent to which the design standards	55
support the following:	56

(1) Support and facilitation of smaller classes and the trend	57
toward smaller schools;	58

(2) Provision of sufficient space for training new teachers	59
and promotion of collaboration among teaching candidates,	60
experienced teachers, and teacher educators;	61

(3) Provision of adequate space for teacher planning and	62
collaboration;	63

(4) Provision of adequate space for parent involvement	64
activities;	65

(5) Provision of sufficient space for innovative partnerships	66
between schools and health and social service agencies.	67

(C) Not later than one hundred eighty days after the	68
effective date of this amendment, the commission shall amend the	69
construction and design standards used in the approval process of	70
any new classroom facilities to comply with the standards adopted	71
by the state board of education pursuant to section 3301.80 of the	72
Revised Code.	73

Section 2. That existing section 3318.031 of the Revised Code	74
is hereby repealed.	75