2023 -- H 6422

========

LC002903

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

____________

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE

RECOMMENDATIONS ON MANDATED SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR RHODE ISLAND

SCHOOLS

     Introduced By: Representatives Boylan, Stewart, McNamara, Cruz, Knight, Tanzi,
Felix, Alzate, Donovan, and Spears

     Date Introduced: May 19, 2023

     Referred To: House Education

     WHEREAS, Gunfire on school grounds takes many forms and mirrors the problem of

gun violence in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Numerous schools in Rhode Island received "swatting" calls over the past

year. Swatting can result in sending a police or emergency service response team to a school, and

can result in a lockdown event. During and in the aftermath of a school swatting event, students

and teachers may experience trauma and have difficulty returning to a normal routine after the

event; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of twenty (20) members: four (4) of whom shall be members of the House of

Representatives, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed by the

Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary

Education, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island School

Superintendents Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island

Association of School principals, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode

Island Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, or designee; one of whom shall be the

President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Education Association, or designee; one of

whom shall be the Rhode Island Attorney General, or designee; one of whom shall be a Rhode

Island school psychologist, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a

member of the National Association of Social Workers, Rhode Island Chapter, who is employed

in a Rhode Island public school, to be appointed be the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall

be the President of the Rhode Island PTA, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the

Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc., or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode

Island Child Advocate, or designee; two (2) of whom shall be Rhode Island high school students,

one of whom attends a suburban school district and one of whom attends an urban school district,

to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a special needs educator,

employed in a Rhode Island public school, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of

whom shall be the Executive Director the RI Police Chiefs' Association, or designee; and one of

whom shall be the Rhode Island State Police School Safety Commissioner, or designee.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study

commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing

authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that

the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the

appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to determine what changes, if any, need to be

made in Rhode Island General Law 16-21-4 in light of the national landscape of school shootings

as well as recent swatting events. This study shall include, but not be limited to, evaluation of:

     • Should the number of drills dictated in RI 16-21-4 be changed and if so, what should

they change to?

     • Whether lockdown drills during school hours should include simulations that mimic an

actual incident;

     • Should parents have advance notice of lockdown drills. Currently, no notice that

includes the exact time of the lockdown drill is required;

     • Should a lockdown drill be announced to students and educators prior to its start;

     • Should schools create age and developmentally appropriate lockdown drill content with

the involvement of school personnel, including school-based mental health professionals;

     • Should schools couple drills, as well as lock down events, with trauma-informed

approaches to address students' wellbeing both during the drills, and over a sustained period and

if so, how can that approach be implemented;

     • During actual lockdowns, what enforcements are necessary so that personal do not

ignore the lockdown;

     • During actual lockdowns, should an evacuation option be available to students; and

     • Should the frequency of mandatory emergency egress drills (fire drills) be changed

from one per month to some reduced number of drills per academic school year as these drills

LC002903 - Page 2 of 4

may be traumatizing; and

     • Are there any additional steps that school administrators can take to minimize trauma

around all the drills as well as any lockdown events.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

House of Representatives no later than February 28, 2024, and said commission shall expire on

April 30, 2024.

========

LC002903

========

LC002903 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE

RECOMMENDATIONS ON MANDATED SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR RHODE ISLAND

SCHOOLS

***

     This resolution would create a twenty (20) member legislative commission whose

purpose it would be to evaluate and provide recommendations on mandated safety protocols for

RI schools, and who would report back to the House no later than February 28, 2024, and whose

life would expire on April 30, 2024.

========

LC002903

========

LC002903 - Page 4 of 4