SPONSOR:	Rep. Miro & Rep. Jaques & Sen. Bonini;
	Reps. D. Short, Hudson, Wilson, Keeley, Kowalko, Lynn

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 96

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SILENT ALARM SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WHEREAS, the Office of the Controller General has noted that the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, as written by the Joint Finance Committee, includes $300,000 for school safety plans that could be used as a source of funding to cover the initial costs of installing silent alarm systems in public schools; and

WHEREAS, the safety of Delaware children while in our public schools is of the utmost importance; and

WHEREAS, adequate funds may be utilized from the budgeted amount for school safety plans, or other available funds in FY 2015, for silent alarm systems to protect our children.

NOW, THEREFORE:

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

Section 1.Amend §4109, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 4109. School property; health and safety requirements.

(a) Every public school shall be equipped with an adequate number of fire extinguishers and shall hold a fire drill at least once every month while the school is in session.

(b) Every public school shall be equipped with a silent alarm system capable of notifying local law enforcement of an emergency that may be manually activated from at least 1 location within the public school.

(b)(c) Each board of education shall see that the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section are complied with in the schools under their respective jurisdictions.

(c)(d) Where an area of real property which is owned or administered by a school district is bounded by a wall, fence or other structure which has gates or other lockable entrances, the local board of education shall notify the nearest providers of ambulance, fire and police services of the location of such gates and entrances. The local board of education shall provide to the ambulance service, fire company or police department a key of each such enclosed area with the board's jurisdiction. For purposes of this subsection, the words "real property" shall include all unimproved land only and shall not include buildings.

Section 2.This Act shall become effective upon the availability of funds in the Annual Appropriations Act to cover the initial costs of installing the alarm systems required under this Act.

SYNOPSIS

This Act requires each public school district to equip the schools within their respective jurisdictions with an adequate number of panic buttons that may be used to immediately alert local law enforcement authorities of a security threat at a school.Once activated, the required silent alarm system will immediately alert authorities without simultaneously activating an audible alarm within the school building.