Massachusetts H 427: An Act relative to the safety of schools, residences, and public assemblies

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 443 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 427

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Brian M. Ashe
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to the safety of schools, residences, and public assemblies.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Brian M. Ashe 2nd Hampden 1/13/2023
Marcus S. Vaughn 9th Norfolk 1/20/2023
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 1/20/2023
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester 1/25/2023
Michael J. Barrett Third Middlesex 1/31/2023
Paul McMurtry 11th Norfolk 2/2/2023
Aaron L. Saunders 7th Hampden 2/10/2023
Patrick M. O'Connor First Plymouth and Norfolk 2/13/2023
Joan B. Lovely Second Essex 5/19/2023
Jessica Ann Giannino 16th Suffolk 9/20/2023

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 443 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 427
By Representative Ashe of Longmeadow, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 427) of
Brian M. Ashe and others relative to the establishment of a school carbon monoxide safety trust
fund to be administered by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Education.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 538 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to the safety of schools, residences, and public assemblies.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2 section 2KKKK the following section:-
3 Section 2LLLL. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the
4 commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the School Carbon Monoxide Safety Trust Fund,
5 to be expended without prior appropriation, by the department of elementary and secondary
6 education. The fund shall be credited any revenue from appropriations or other monies
7 authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund and any
8 gifts, grants, private contributions, investment income earned on the assets of the fund and all
9 other sources. Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the

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10 General Fund. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education or a designee, in
11 consultation with the department of fire safety, shall administer the fund and make expenditures
12 from the fund in the form of grants to public school districts for the installation of carbon
13 monoxide detection systems as required under subsection (a½) of section 26F½ of chapter 148
14 and regulations promulgated by the board of fire prevention.
15 (b) Prior to receiving any monies from the fund, a school district shall submit a carbon
16 monoxide detection system installation plan to the department of elementary and secondary
17 education and the department of fire services. The plan shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the
18 method of installation of the carbon monoxide detection system for each school building in the
19 district; (ii) the status of carbon monoxide detection systems previously installed in school
20 buildings; and (iii) the cost, including labor costs, of installing carbon monoxide detection
21 systems. The department of elementary and secondary education, in conjunction with the
22 department of fire safety, shall: (A) review the plan and may request additional or supporting
23 information within 90 days of receipt of the plan; and (B) provide each school district 60 days to
24 submit any additional or supporting information requested. A plan shall be approved not later
25 than 180 days after receipt of the plan.
26 (c) Not later than April 1 of each year, the department of elementary and secondary
27 education, in conjunction with the department of fire services, shall submit a report to the clerks
28 of the house of representatives and the senate and the chairs of the house and senate committees
29 on ways and means regarding the status of the fund including, but not limited to: (i) the amount
30 of money in the fund; and (ii) a list of school districts that were awarded grants and the amount
31 of the grants awarded.

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32 SECTION 2. Subsection (a) of section 6 of chapter 70B of the General Laws, as
33 appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:
34 (7) The school project includes a plan for the installation of a carbon monoxide detection
35 system as required under subsection (a½) of section 26F½ of chapter 148.
36 SECTION 3. Subsection (a) of section 17 of said chapter 70B, as so appearing, is hereby
37 amended by adding the following