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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1770 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 426
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James Arciero
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act implementing automated emergency response communications and coordination between
Massachusetts schools with first responders.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James Arciero2nd Middlesex1/17/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1770 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 426
By Representative Arciero of Westford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 426) of
James Arciero relative to implementing automated emergency response communications and
coordination between schools with first responders. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act implementing automated emergency response communications and coordination between
Massachusetts schools with first responders.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1 Automated School Emergency Response Program
2 (a) There shall be established an automated school emergency response program
3administered by the Department of Education pursuant to which school districts and serving first
4responder agencies may purchase and acquire automated emergency response systems meeting
5the functional and security requirements described in Subsections (b) and (c) below. The
6program shall be funded each year as prescribed by the Department of Education for the
7acquisition and maintenance of such systems by school district and cognizant first responder
8agencies pursuant regulations adopted by the Department.
9 (b) Subject to available funding under the program described in Subsection (a). school
10districts may purchase and maintain automated emergency response system with their cognizant
11public safety agency and the serving public safety answering point or emergency 2 of 3
12communications center to provide automated emergency-incident-based real-time collaboration
13between their schools and police meeting the following requirements, where technically feasible:
14 (1) The system is an interoperable multimedia communications system that enables
15public safety agencies, the PSAPs, and the schools they serve, to directly communicate with one
16another utilizing existing communications systems, including connecting day-to-day use school
17radio systems or push to talk applications with first responder systems.
18 (2) The system enables live school cameras to be securely shared with police upon
19emergency incident initiation where the location of the cameras and live views are displayed on
20the floor plan and may be a remotely viewed by incident responders from a floor plan view for
21situational context.
22 (3) The system authenticates a system users’ identity, location, and operational status
23during an incident.
24 (4) The system integrates with school panic alarm systems that, when activated, establish
25direct emergency incident collaboration between schools and public safety agencies enabling
26direct communications with primary law enforcement, the PSAP, and appropriate mutual aid
27agencies and the simultaneous sharing of live video and floor plans through such system.
28 (5) The system enables dynamic interoperable radio communications between first
29responder agencies who may be using incompatible or different radio communications systems
30or channels.
31 (5) The system enables secure text messaging and file sharing among agencies involved
32in a collaboration incident. 3 of 3
33 (6) System users should be able to perform dispatch endpoint radio transmit voice
34transmit and receive functions, view and send video, text messages and files, and view floor plan
35with camera location displays from a single application view.
36 (b) The system in subsection (b) shall be cybersecure and be designed to protect the
37privacy of students and staff by meeting the following requirements:
38 (1) The system is a enables each participating entity to maintain discretionary real-time
39control over its communications, video and information assets.
40 (2) All media communications are encrypted to a standard of at least AES 256.
41 (3) The system enables law enforcement to access real-time or near-real-time school
42video only during an emergency incident session without employing the use of hyperlinks,
43universal resource locators, passwords, user login or other unsecured methods via email, text,
44SMS or other similar means.
45 (4) The system sends communication and all media from one party directly to other
46incident parties without such content being stored in, copied to or accessible via a third party
47owned, controlled or administered digital storage or file sharing system.
48 (5) The system is certified under the federal Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering
49Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (SAFETY Act, enacted as Subtitle G of Title VIII of the
50Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–296)) as a qualified antiterrorism technology.
51 (6) The system is compatible and interoperates with the Federal Emergency Management
52Agency interoperable gateway system for large-scale disaster communications.
53 (7) The system is Systems and Organizations Controls 2 (SOC 2) certified.