Title 16
Education

Chapter 21.8
School Emergency Drills Act.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21.8-2

§ 16-21.8-2. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(1) “Active shooter simulation” means any imitation of a school shooting situation that depicts events using authentic or simulated items including, but not limited to, authentic or simulated weapons, gunfire, imaginary fatalities or simulated blood or casualties.

(2) “Emergency drills” means drills that are designed to provide practice and instruction to students and staff to remain safe. These include, but are not limited to, fire drills, lockdown drills, and evacuation drills.

(3) “Evacuation drills” means drills that move students and staff from one place to another and are designed and conducted to practice for situations where the primary objective is to ensure that students and staff can quickly move away from the threat and where conditions outside the school building are safer than conditions inside the school building, necessitating that students evacuate the building and/or move farther from the school building than the distance required during a fire drill.

(4) “Fire drill” means drills that move students and staff from one place to another and are designed and conducted to practice for situations where the primary objective is to ensure that students and staff can quickly move away from the threat and where conditions outside the school building are safer than conditions inside the school building.

(5) “Trauma-informed” refers to trauma-informed practices that are consistent with the requirements of this chapter, and shall include, but not be limited to, the requirements and principles used to develop the trauma-informed school implementation plan pursuant to § 16-21-40 which is designed to support the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of all students.

History of Section.
P.L. 2024, ch. 174, § 1, effective July 1, 2024; P.L. 2024, ch. 175, § 1, effective July 1, 2024.