Substitute House Bill No. 6846, also known as Special Act No. 23-31, is a legislative act that mandates the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Department of Education, to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of fire drills and crisis response drills in public schools. This evaluation, which must be conducted within available appropriations, will focus on the impact these drills have on children's mental health and physical safety. The Department is instructed to review annual reports from local and regional boards of education, analyze security assessments and school safety plans, assess the effectiveness of current crisis response drill protocols, and study the effects of these drills on children's mental health and well-being.

The bill does not include any specific insertions or deletions of legal language from current law. It requires the Department to submit a report on its findings, including any recommendations for legislation, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly with jurisdiction over education matters by January 1, 2025. The act is set to become effective on July 1, 2023.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-231, 10-222n
ED Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-231, 10-222n
File No. 416: 10-231, 10-222n
File No. 762: 10-231, 10-222n