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H2588 • 2025

An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges

An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Marjorie C. Decker
Last action
2025-08-21
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges

An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2588) of Marjorie C.
  • Decker relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges.
  • Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-21 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-05-02 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 05/07/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2588) of Marjorie C. Decker relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2588

SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 47 the following section:-

Section 48. Establishment of a fire safety curriculum. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following term shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:- “Institute of higher education”, all postsecondary institutions including: (i) the system of public institutions of higher education, established in section 5; (ii) private occupational schools, as defined in section 263 of chapter 112; and (iii) private colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning.

(b) All institutes of higher education shall require students to complete a comprehensive fire safety curriculum from an expert source. The curriculum shall cover fire safety in a variety of scenarios, including, but not limited to, fire prevention and escape, what to do in case of both smoldering and flaming fires, kitchen fires, electrical fires, vehicle fires, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Students shall complete an examination to test student proficiency.

SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 99 the following section:-

Section 100. Establishment of a fire safety curriculum. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following term shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:- “School”, every public or private elementary and secondary school in the commonwealth; provided, however, that the term school shall not include colleges and universities.

(b) All schools shall require students to complete a comprehensive fire safety curriculum by the end of the 10th grade from an expert source. The curriculum shall cover fire safety in a variety of scenarios, including, but not limited to, fire prevention and escape, what to do in case of both smoldering and flaming fires, kitchen fires, electrical fires, vehicle fires, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Students shall complete an examination to test student proficiency.

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