Current through Public Act 171 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 29.19a - Fire drill procedures; training of instructional staff of postsecondary educational institution; unrestricted emergency egress; fire drills; record; statement certifying compliance; violation; penalty; report; definitions(1) A postsecondary educational institution shall ensure that all instructional staff are trained in fire drill procedures before the beginning of each academic year.(2) A postsecondary educational institution shall ensure unrestricted emergency egress from each postsecondary educational institution dormitory while students occupy the building and shall ensure that each postsecondary educational institution dormitory holds all of the following fire drills each year and keeps a record of those drills:(a) One fire drill in the fall semester, held within 21 days after the start of classes in that semester.(b) One fire drill in the spring semester.(c) One fire drill in the summer semester, if the dormitory is occupied by students during that semester.(3) A postsecondary educational institution shall hold at least 1 of the fire drills described in subsection (2)(a) or (b) while school is in session and between sunset and sunrise.(4) A postsecondary educational institution shall prepare a record of each drill described in this section, on a form prescribed by the bureau. The institution shall retain these records and a record of all emergency procedures training completed by its staff and make those records available to the bureau on request.(5) Beginning in 2016, on or before January 10 of each year, a postsecondary educational institution shall submit to the bureau, on a form prescribed by the bureau, a statement certifying that the institution complied with all of the requirements of this section and this act in the preceding calendar year.(6) In addition to any other applicable penalties or remedies under this act, all of the following apply if a postsecondary educational institution violates this section:(a) The institution is responsible for a civil fine of $500.00 for a first violation of this section and a civil fine of $1,000.00 for a second or subsequent violation. A civil fine collected under this subsection shall be paid to the general fund and credited to the bureau for the enforcement of this act.(b) For a second or subsequent violation of this section, the bureau may require a mandatory inspection of the institution's facilities and the preparation of a plan of action report by the bureau or its designee. The institution is responsible for payment of the bureau's costs associated with an inspection and plan of action report, or $1,000.00, whichever is less.(7) Beginning in 2016, on or before February 15 of each year, the bureau shall submit a report to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate majority leader, the house and senate appropriations committees, the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on higher education and joint capital outlay, and the department of licensing and regulatory affairs that describes each violation of this section by a postsecondary educational institution in the preceding state fiscal year.(8) As used in this section:(a) "Fall semester" means the semester in which the majority of scheduled classes are between September 1 and December 31.(b) "Postsecondary educational institution" means a degree- or certificate-granting public or private college or university, junior college, or community college that is located in this state. The term includes the governing body of the postsecondary educational institution.(c) "Postsecondary educational institution dormitory" means a building that is located on the campus of a postsecondary educational institution; is owned, leased, or managed by, or under the direct control of, the postsecondary educational institution; is used to provide housing for more than 16 individuals who are not members of the same family; and does not provide individual cooking facilities for its residents, whether or not meals are provided to any of those residents.(d) "Spring semester" means the semester in which the majority of scheduled classes are between January 1 and May 31.(e) "Summer semester" means the semester in which the majority of scheduled classes are between June 1 and August 31.Added by 2014, Act 481,s 2, eff. 3/31/2015.