An Act relative to an emergency preparedness instructional awareness program

This bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to create an annual instructional program for schools. The program must include at least one hour of instruction each school year to teach students and faculty about emergency preparedness, planning, and management for various situations such as weather events, natural disasters, viruses, and human-made disasters. By adding this new section to state law, the legislation mandates a standardized approach to educating the school community on how to handle emergencies.