An Act to Improve School Safety and Preparedness Through Comprehensive Health and Safety and Emergency Management Planning
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0892
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: DAUGHTRY, LaFOUNTAIN, CHIPMAN, DUSON, HICKMAN, ANKELES, GEIGER, GOLEK, MONTELL
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1001

Legislative Document
No. 892
S.P. 384
In Senate, February 28, 2023
An Act to Improve School Safety and Preparedness Through 
Comprehensive Health and Safety and Emergency Management 
Planning
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Senator LaFOUNTAIN of Kennebec and
Senators: CHIPMAN of Cumberland, DUSON of Cumberland, HICKMAN of Kennebec, 
Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, GEIGER of Rockland, GOLEK of Harpswell, 
MONTELL of Gardiner.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§16, as amended by PL 2021, c. 464, §1, is further 
amended to read:
16.  Comprehensive health and safety and emergency management plan.  Each 
school board shall annually approve a comprehensive health and safety and emergency 
management plan that meets nationally recognized practices and is developed by the school 
unit administration working collaboratively with school teachers and staff and local, county 
and state public safety officials, fire-fighting personnel, emergency management officials, 
mental health officials, law enforcement officials, school nurses, physicians and public 
health staff to identify and deal with all hazards and potential hazards that could reasonably 
be expected to affect a facility or unit under the authority of the school administrative unit 
appropriate stakeholders.  The approval of a comprehensive health and safety and 
emergency management plan under this subsection is public information.  At the request 
of any school board member or full-time school employee, the school board shall form a 
steering committee composed of school employees, including a school employee 
designated by that employee's school as having oversight regarding school safety, school 
board members, parents and others.  A majority of the school employees must be chosen 
by the local representatives of the applicable bargaining unit if the school employees are 
covered by a collective bargaining agreement.  The steering committee shall regularly 
review and refine the comprehensive health and safety and emergency management plan.  
The following information pertaining to a comprehensive health and safety and emergency 
management plan is public information:
A.  A description of the scope and purpose of the comprehensive health and safety and 
emergency management plan and the process used for developing and updating the 
plan;
B.  General information on auditing for safety and preparedness;
C.  Roles and responsibilities of school administrators, teachers and staff and the 
designated chain of command during an emergency; and
D.  Strategies for conveying information to parents and the general public during an 
emergency.
Except as provided in paragraphs A to D, release of the contents of a comprehensive health 
and safety and emergency management plan approved under this subsection is subject to 
the limitations set forth in Title 1, section 402, subsection 3, paragraph L.
SUMMARY
This bill requires that a school comprehensive health and safety and emergency 
management plan approved by a school board meet nationally recognized practices and be 
developed collaboratively with appropriate stakeholders.  It also requires that any steering 
committee formed by the school board as part of the plan update and approval process 
include a school employee designated by that employee's school as having oversight 
regarding school safety.