SB1409 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 26933 CPF 53297 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1409

Introduced 2/6/2023, by Sen. Laura M. Murphy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

430 ILCS 100/19.1 new

Amends the Illinois Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Provides that local emergency response planning officials, in consultation with the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), shall partner with school districts in their regions to disseminate information pertaining to safety threats related to the storage and transport of hazardous substances, including petroleum oil and high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs), to the parents of attending students, faculty and staff, and schools at risk of being negatively impacted by storage facilities of such hazardous substances or the transport of such hazardous substances. Requires the SERC to perform specified tasks. Provides that the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency shall have joint rulemaking authority to adopt rules to implement the provisions. Contains other provisions.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act is amended by adding Section 19.1 as follows:

(430 ILCS 100/19.1 new)

Sec. 19.1. Hazardous substance transportation around schools.

(a) Local emergency response planning officials, in consultation with the SERC, shall partner with school districts in their regions to disseminate information pertaining to safety threats related to the storage and transport of hazardous substances, including petroleum oil and high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs), to the parents of attending students, faculty and staff, and schools at risk of being negatively impacted by storage facilities of such hazardous substances or the transport of such hazardous substances.

(b) Local emergency response planning officials, in consultation with the SERC, shall include school districts in their regions in the development and implementation of oil spill response plans specific to incidents involving the storage and transport of hazardous substances, including petroleum oil and high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs).

(c) The SERC shall perform the following:

(1) Identify worst-case scenarios that are to be communicated to both administrators and teachers within a school district that is within the region of a local emergency response planning office. Before any implementation of a plan may go into effect, teachers and administrators must be given the opportunity to provide input on those plans and the Local Emergency Planning Committee shall take that input into consideration.

(2) Identify routes and safety zones, which shall be visibly marked and communicated to both administrators and teachers. School personnel shall be provided with information on routes to take and locations where they can seek safety for students.

(3) Identify and communicate specific types of hazardous substances that can negatively impact a school to both administrators and teachers. Response plans may vary based on the potential impact of different hazardous substances.

(4) Include drills as a component of emergency response plans. Administrators, teachers, and students must be given opportunities to practice these emergency procedures. A review of these drills shall be conducted within 3 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to find opportunities for improvement of the drills to better protect children, teachers, administrators, and any other school personnel.

(5) Make emergency response plans for students with special needs or who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

(6) Communicate evacuation locations and procedures to parents.

(7) Create a hierarchy for communication to ensure that administrators, teachers, parents, and students know where and how to access information during an emergency.

(8) Identify and visibly mark potential impact zones and safety zones. The visible markings may include, but are not limited to, pamphlets, stickers on doors, or signs.

(9) Provide information to school districts for the communication of potential impact zones during student registration, updated as necessary for each new school year.

(10) Establish rules for the disclosure of a home located within a potential impact zone upon the purchase of a home, similar to how water damage is communicated during the sale or purchase of a home.

(11) Work in collaboration with the Illinois Commerce Commission to create a reduced speed zone for trains. This zone shall have a limit of 20 mph for freight trains posted one mile before a school and 2 miles after.

(12) Implement an Incident Command System (ICS) as a mandatory channel for communication.

(d) The Illinois State Board of Education and IEMA shall have joint rulemaking authority to adopt rules to implement this Section.