Authorizes the chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York to include in school safety plans provisions for the installation of entry door alarms and intruder detection systems in senior high schools; provides further for the response to activations, conducting of drills, and for record keeping of any unauthorized opening of school building doors.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4478
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ESPAILLAT, V. LOPEZ, WEISENBERG -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. TOWNS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the city
school district of the city of New York to install school safety
alarms and intruder detection systems in senior high schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2801-a of the education law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 6-a to read as follows:
3 6-a. a. In addition to the requirements set forth in this section,
4 the chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York shall
5 adopt and implement additional policies, which are consistent with the
6 city school district's district-wide school safety plans and building-
7 level school safety plans, for the installation and monitoring of school
8 safety alarms and intruder detection systems in senior high schools. The
9 chancellor shall prescribe such rules and regulations as may be neces-
10 sary for the purchase, installation, monitoring, and maintenance of such
11 systems.
12 b. Such school safety alarms and intruder detection systems shall at a
13 minimum include, but not be limited to, the following features:
14 (i) a selectively audible or silent alarm system for alerting appro-
15 priate security personnel or administrative personnel to any unauthor-
16 ized opening of an exterior door for ingress to or egress from a school
17 building;
18 (ii) video camera surveillance and monitoring of exterior entrances
19 and exits viewable from a central location;
20 (iii) an electronic monitoring panel that indicates, at a minimum, the
21 location of any door that has been opened and the date and time of the
22 opening;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07768-01-9
A. 4478 2
1 (iv) a monthly report indicating the number of times, dates, and times
2 of unauthorized openings of exterior doors; and
3 (v) a system override device to disable the alarm when the exterior
4 doors are being utilized for authorized purposes.
5 c. Security personnel shall appropriately investigate any activation
6 of such alarms and systems and keep a documented record of any unauthor-
7 ized opening of the exterior school building doors. A copy of such
8 record shall be forwarded to the chancellor of the city school district
9 on a monthly basis for the chancellor's inspection. The appropriate
10 personnel shall also conduct drills and other exercises to test compo-
11 nents of the alarms and systems a minimum of four times each school
12 year.
13 d. Each senior high school principal shall report to the chancellor
14 twice yearly on the effectiveness of the intruder detection systems in
15 the high school under his or her jurisdiction with information includ-
16 ing, but not limited to, the frequency of the alarms, reports on intrud-
17 ers and the outcome of any incidents, and how the system has decreased
18 truancy and increased safety.
19 e. The chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York
20 shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to
21 implement the provisions of this subdivision and shall devise and main-
22 tain standards for such systems, as well as a standard protocol for
23 schools to respond to any alerts of intruders and standards of conduct
24 for school personnel in the event of an intruder alert.
25 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next
26 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided,
27 however that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
28 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
29 this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to be made and
30 completed on or before such effective date.
