ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

Senate: ED DP 7-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 30-0-0-0

SB 1315: emergency response; students with disabilities

Sponsor: Senator Diaz, LD 22

Committee on Education

Overview

Requires an emergency response plan developed by a school district governing board (governing board) to address how students with disabilities will be communicated with and assisted.

History

A governing board, in conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, must develop an emergency response plan for each school. This emergency response plan must be in accordance with minimum standards developed jointly by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the Division of Emergency Management within the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) (A.R.S. § 15-341).

ADE and DEMA maintain a document that provides guidance and components to school districts for emergency response plans. Specifically, this document is influenced by two national resource documents developed by several federal agencies that provide a national framework for developing and maintaining emergency operations plans (EOPs) (ADE EOP Minimum Requirements).

ADE also provides support to school districts through additional information for EOP continuity and regional school safety consortium meetings. ADE notes that students with disabilities and special needs should always be considered in emergency planning conversations. The U.S. Department of Education offers a training on the integration of the needs of students and staff with disabilities (ADE).

Provisions

1. Adds that any governing board emergency response plan must address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and assist students with disabilities. (Sec. 1)

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5. SB 1315

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