(A) Prior to the beginning of the 2019-2020 School Year, the State Department of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall collaborate and develop model fire and safety policies and program guidelines that must be made available to each school district and charter school in the State. The provisions of this section do not apply to charter schools whose instruction is primarily delivered online.

(B) Each school district board of trustees and the governing body of each charter school shall adopt a policy and program for school facility fire and safety, including inspections, before the beginning of the 2020-2021 School Year. The policy and program must:

(1) be adopted in open meetings in which the public may provide comment on the terms of the policies and programs;

(2) include routine self-assessments; and

(3) be published on the district's or charter school's Internet website in a prominent location that is easily accessible by the public.

(C) Prior to July 1, 2021, each district and charter school shall submit its fire and safety policy and program to the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Department of Education. The office and department shall collaborate in the review of the school policies and programs. Within one hundred twenty days of the receipt of a policy or program, the office and department must jointly provide written comments to the district on how the policies and programs may be improved.

(D) Local school district boards of trustees and charter school governing bodies may request technical assistance in the development of fire and safety policies and programs.

HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 256 (S.709), Section 1, eff July 2, 2018.