Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2588 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3220 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2588
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3220 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2588
18	18	By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2588) of
19	19	Marjorie C. Decker relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges. Public Safety and
20	20	Homeland Security.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to fire safety education in schools and colleges.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official
30	30	2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 47 the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 48. Establishment of a fire safety curriculum. (a) For the purposes of this section,
32	32	4the following term shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following
33	33	5meaning:- “Institute of higher education”, all postsecondary institutions including: (i) the system
34	34	6of public institutions of higher education, established in section 5; (ii) private occupational
35	35	7schools, as defined in section 263 of chapter 112; and (iii) private colleges, universities and other
36	36	8institutions of higher learning.
37	37	9 (b) All institutes of higher education shall require students to complete a comprehensive
38	38	10fire safety curriculum from an expert source. The curriculum shall cover fire safety in a variety
39	39	11of scenarios, including, but not limited to, fire prevention and escape, what to do in case of both 2 of 2
40	40	12smoldering and flaming fires, kitchen fires, electrical fires, vehicle fires, smoke inhalation, and
41	41	13carbon monoxide poisoning. Students shall complete an examination to test student proficiency.
42	42	14 SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
43	43	15is hereby amended by inserting after section 99 the following section:-
44	44	16 Section 100. Establishment of a fire safety curriculum. (a) For the purposes of this
45	45	17section, the following term shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the
46	46	18following meaning:- “School”, every public or private elementary and secondary school in the
47	47	19commonwealth; provided, however, that the term school shall not include colleges and
48	48	20universities.
49	49	21 (b) All schools shall require students to complete a comprehensive fire safety curriculum
50	50	22by the end of the 10th grade from an expert source. The curriculum shall cover fire safety in a
51	51	23variety of scenarios, including, but not limited to, fire prevention and escape, what to do in case
52	52	24of both smoldering and flaming fires, kitchen fires, electrical fires, vehicle fires, smoke
53	53	25inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Students shall complete an examination to test
54	54	26student proficiency.