A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS ACCREDITED BY THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO COOPERATE AND COORDINATE WITH STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCIES IN IDENTIFYING LOCAL HAZARDS, DESIGNING APPROPRIATE DRILLS, AND DEVELOPING SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS.

WHEREAS, the Montana Legislature passed House Bill No. 183 in the 1997 Legislative Session with substantial bipartisan support; and

WHEREAS, House Bill No. 183 provided greater flexibility to school districts in identifying local hazards and designing appropriate drills to address those hazards; and

WHEREAS, city, county, and state emergency services agencies have indicated that they possess the resources necessary to provide technical assistance free of charge to school districts and have further indicated their willingness to provide technical assistance to school districts free of charge; and

WHEREAS, the Montana Legislature believes that school districts should take advantage of this expertise in exercising the additional flexibility provided to them under House Bill No. 183 in identifying local hazards and designing appropriate drills to address those hazards.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

(1) That each school accredited by the Board of Public Education be strongly encouraged to use the expertise of city, county, and state emergency services agencies in identifying local hazards that exist within the boundaries of its school district and in designing drills to address those hazards when the expertise is made available by emergency services agencies free of charge.

(2) That schools accredited by the Board of Public Education, along with city, county, and state emergency services agencies, be strongly encouraged to cooperate and coordinate in developing school emergency management plans.

(3) That schools accredited by the Board of Public Education be strongly encouraged to regularly review and, if necessary, update adopted emergency management plans.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send copies of this resolution to the Board of Public Education, the Office of Public Instruction, the Montana School Boards Association, the Montana Rural Education Association, the School Administrators of Montana, the Montana Education Association, and the Montana Federation of Teachers.

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I hereby certify that the within joint resolution,

HJ 0020, originated in the House.

Chief Clerk of the House

Speaker of the House

Signed this	day

of	, .

President of the Senate

Signed this	day

of	, .

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 20

INTRODUCED BY J. QUILICI, J. ANDERSEN, T. FACEY, D. FUCHS, K. GALVIN-HALCRO, K. GILLAN,

J. HOLDEN, S. KITZENBERG, B. LAWSON, M. LINDEEN, J. MANGAN, G. MASOLO, L. MCCULLOCH, J. MCKENNEY, M. NOENNIG, S. ROSE, A. WALTERS, D. WYATT

BY REQUEST OF THE HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS ACCREDITED BY THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO COOPERATE AND COORDINATE WITH STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCIES IN IDENTIFYING LOCAL HAZARDS, DESIGNING APPROPRIATE DRILLS, AND DEVELOPING SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS.