H. B. 2118
(By Delegate Caputo)
[Introduced January 13, 2010; referred to the
Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-5h, relating to
requiring the State Board of Education to promulgate rules
implementing a tornado safety awareness plan in public
schools.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-5h, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-5h. Tornado safety awareness plan.
The state board shall promulgate rules in accordance with the
provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a, implementing
a tornado safety awareness plan in public schools which shall
minimally provide for the following:
(1) Require schools to designate a tornado shelter area,
develop an evacuation plan and provide basic instruction to faculty
and students on tornado safety awareness;
(2) Require a tornado drill to be practiced at least once
during the first week of school each year;
(3) Require schools to assign staff members to monitor media
for local weather conditions and take appropriate action when
necessary; and
(4) Require schools to designate a special alarm to indicate
when a tornado has been sighted or is approaching.
NOTE:
The purpose of this bill is to require the State Board
of Education to implement a tornado safety awareness plan in public
schools.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.