1     
SCHOOL EMERGENCY DRILLS AMENDMENTS

2     
2021 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss

5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill makes changes to emergency evacuation drill requirements for certain
10     educational facilities during the 2021-2022 school year.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     requires the State Board of Education to, for a portion of the 2021-2022 school year,
14     make rules for:
15               •     conducting monthly emergency evacuation drills; and
16               •     providing age-appropriate emergency evacuation instruction in lieu of
17     conducting emergency evacuation drills; and
18          ▸     requires Group E occupancies to conduct monthly emergency evacuation drills for
19     the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year;
20          ▸     defines terms; and
21          ▸     makes technical changes.
22     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
23          None
24     Other Special Clauses:
25          None
26     Utah Code Sections Affected:
27     AMENDS:

28          15A-5-202.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Sixth Special Session, Chapter 4
29     ENACTS:
30          53G-3-523, Utah Code Annotated 1953
31     

32     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
33          Section 1. Section 15A-5-202.5 is amended to read:
34          15A-5-202.5. Amendments and additions to Chapters 3 and 4 of IFC.
35          (1) For IFC, Chapter 3, General Requirements:
36          (a) IFC, Chapter 3, Section 304.1.2, Vegetation, is amended as follows: Delete line six
37     and replace it with: " Utah Administrative Code, R652-122-1300, Minimum Standards for
38     County Wildland Fire Ordinance".
39          (b) IFC, Chapter 3, Section 310.8, Hazardous environmental conditions, is deleted and
40     rewritten as follows: "1. When the fire code official determines that existing or historical
41     hazardous environmental conditions necessitate controlled use of any ignition source, including
42     fireworks, lighters, matches, sky lanterns, and smoking materials, any of the following may
43     occur:
44          1.1. If the existing or historical hazardous environmental conditions exist in a
45     municipality, the legislative body of the municipality may prohibit the ignition or use of an
46     ignition source in:
47          1.1.1. mountainous, brush-covered, forest-covered, or dry grass-covered areas;
48          1.1.2. within 200 feet of waterways, trails, canyons, washes, ravines, or similar areas;
49          1.1.3. the wildland urban interface area, which means the line, area, or zone where
50     structures or other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or land
51     being used for an agricultural purpose; or
52          1.1.4. a limited area outside the hazardous areas described in this paragraph 1.1 to
53     facilitate a readily identifiable closed area, in accordance with paragraph 2.
54          1.2. If the existing or historical hazardous environmental conditions exist in an
55     unincorporated area, the state forester may prohibit the ignition or use of an ignition source in
56     all or part of the areas described in paragraph 1.1 that are within the unincorporated area, after
57     consulting with the county fire code official who has jurisdiction over that area.
58          1.3. If the existing or historical hazardous environmental conditions exist in a metro

59     township created under Title 10, Chapter 2a, Part 4, Incorporation of Metro Townships and
60     Unincorporated Islands in a County of the First Class on and after May 12, 2015, the metro
61     township legislative body may prohibit the ignition or use of an ignition source in all or part of
62     the areas described in paragraph 1.1 that are within the township.
63          2. If a municipal legislative body, the state forester, or a metro township legislative
64     body closes an area to the discharge of fireworks under paragraph 1, the legislative body or
65     state forester shall:
66          2.1. designate the closed area along readily identifiable features like major roadways,
67     waterways, or geographic features;
68          2.2. ensure that the boundary of the designated closed area is as close as is practical to
69     the defined hazardous area, provided that the closed area may include areas outside of the
70     hazardous area to facilitate a readily identifiable line; and
71          2.3. identify the closed area through a written description or map that is readily
72     available to the public.
73          3. A municipal legislative body, the state forester, or a metro township legislative body
74     may close a defined area to the discharge of fireworks due to a historical hazardous
75     environmental condition under paragraph 1 if the legislative body or state forester:
76          3.1. makes a finding that the historical hazardous environmental condition has existed
77     in the defined area before July 1 of at least two of the preceding five years;
78          3.2. produces a map indicating the boundaries, in accordance with paragraph 2, of the
79     defined area described; and
80          3.3. before May 1 of each year the defined area is closed, provides the map described
81     in paragraph 3.2 to the county in which the defined area is located.
82          4. A municipal legislative body, the state forester, or a metro township legislative body
83     may not close an area to the discharge of fireworks due to a historical hazardous environmental
84     condition unless the legislative body or state forester provides a map, in accordance with
85     paragraph 3."
86          (c) IFC, Chapter 3, Section 311.1.1, Abandoned premises, is amended as follows: On
87     line 10 delete the words "International Property Maintenance Code and the".
88          (d) IFC, Chapter 3, Section 311.5, Placards, is amended as follows: On line three delete
89     the word "shall" and replace it with the word "may".

90          (2) IFC, Chapter 4, Emergency Planning and Preparedness:
91          (a) IFC, Chapter 4, Section 403.10.2.1, College and university buildings, is deleted and
92     replaced with the following:
93          "403.10.2.1 College and university buildings and fraternity and sorority houses.
94          (a) College and university buildings, including fraternity and sorority houses, shall
95     prepare an approved fire safety and evacuation plan, in accordance with Section 404.
96          (b) Group R-2 college and university buildings, including fraternity and sorority
97     houses, shall comply with Sections 403.10.2.1.1 and 403.10.2.1.2."
98          (b) IFC, Chapter 4, Section 405.2, Table 405.2, is amended to add the following
99     footnotes:
100          (i) "e. Secondary schools in Group E occupancies shall have an emergency evacuation
101     drill for fire conducted at least every two months, to a total of four emergency evacuation drills
102     during the nine-month school year. The first emergency evacuation drill for fire shall be
103     conducted within 10 school days after the beginning of classes. The third emergency
104     evacuation drill for fire, weather permitting, shall be conducted 10 school days after the
105     beginning of the next calendar year. The second and fourth emergency evacuation drills may
106     be substituted by a security or safety drill to include shelter in place, earthquake drill, or lock
107     down for violence. If inclement weather causes a secondary school to miss the 10-day deadline
108     for the third emergency evacuation drill for fire, the secondary school shall perform the third
109     emergency evacuation drill for fire as soon as practicable after the missed deadline."
110          (ii) "f. In Group E occupancies, excluding secondary schools, if the AHJ approves, the
111     monthly required emergency evacuation drill can be substituted by a security or safety drill to
112     include shelter in place, earthquake drill, or lock down for violence. The routine emergency
113     evacuation drill must be conducted at least every other drill."
114          (iii) "g. A-3 occupancies in academic buildings of institutions of higher learning are
115     required to have one emergency evacuation drill per year, provided the following conditions are
116     met:
117          (A) The building has a fire alarm system in accordance with Section 907.2.
118          (B) The rooms classified as assembly shall have fire safety floor plans as required in
119     Subsection 404.2.2(4) posted.
120          (C) The building is not classified a high-rise building.

121          (D) The building does not contain hazardous materials over the allowable quantities by
122     code."
123          (iv) "h. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during the 2020-2021 school year,
124     Group E occupancies are not required to conduct an emergency evacuation drill before March
125     1, 2021. For the period beginning the first day of the 2020-2021 school year and ending
126     February 28, 2021, each calendar month, Group E occupancies shall provide in-class
127     instruction to students in an age-appropriate manner that describes the procedures for
128     emergency evacuation for fire. Group E occupancies shall complete the first monthly
129     instruction no later than 15 days after the day on which the 2020-2021 school year begins. In
130     addition to the monthly instruction, Group E occupancies may provide in-class security or
131     safety drills to include shelter in place, earthquake drill, or lock down for violence."
132          (v) "i. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the period beginning March 1,
133     2021, and ending the last day of the 2020-2021 school year, and for the period beginning
134     March 1, 2022, and ending the last day of the 2021-2022 school year, in Group E occupancies,
135     if the AHJ approves, the monthly required emergency evacuation drill can be substituted by a
136     security or safety drill to include shelter in place, earthquake drill, or lock down for violence.
137     The routine emergency evacuation drill must be conducted at least every other month."
138          (vi) "j. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, during the 2021-2022 school
139     year, Group E occupancies are not required to conduct an emergency drill before March 1,
140     2022. For the period beginning the first day of the 2021-2022 school year and ending February
141     28, 2022, Group E occupancies shall, each calendar month, and in accordance with rules that
142     the State Board of Education makes in coordination with the AHJ:
143          (A) conduct emergency evacuation drills or security or safety drills; or
144          (B) provide in-class instruction to students in an age appropriate manner that describes
145     the procedures for emergency evacuation drills or security or safety drills."
146          Section 2. Section 53G-3-523 is enacted to read:
147          53G-3-523. Emergency drills rulemaking.
148          (1) As used in this section:
149          (a) "AHJ" means the same as that term is defined in Section 15A-5-102.
150          (b) "Group E occupancy" means the same as that term is defined in the IBC.
151          (c) "IBC" means the edition of the International Building Code adopted under Section

152     15A-2-103.
153          (2) The state board shall:
154          (a) make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative
155     Rulemaking Act, for the monthly emergency evacuation drills or security or safety drills for
156     Group E occupancies as described in Subsection 15A-5-202.5(2)(b)(vi); and
157          (b) make the rules described in Subsection (2)(a) in coordination with the AHJ.