04/03/14

 

Below is my summary of the benefits contained within Jarod’s Law, House Bill 203.

1. Creation of the School Health and Safety Network

2. Annual school inspections for unsafe health, safety, and sanitation conditions by the Ohio State Board of Health

3. Publicly available published inspection reports for each school

4. Mandatory written plans, including timeframes, for remediation of each item identified as not within compliance by the inspection.

5. Review of school’s remediation plans, by the Boards of Health to ensure proper compliance

6. Auditing and review by State of Ohio Auditor’s office to ensure overall integrity of School Health and Safety Network program.

Below are summary excerpts from Jarod’s Law HB 203. The full HB203 Act can be found at: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_HB_203

What

• The Director of Health shall establish the “School Health and Safety Network”, under which each Board of Health shall inspect each public and nonpublic school building and associated grounds within its jurisdiction at least once each year to identify conditions dangerous to public health and safety present in or on the building or grounds. Inspections shall be conducted during regular school hours.
• The Director of Health shall adopt rules establishing minimum standards and procedures for inspections conducted for purposes of the “School Health and Safety Network” Initial rules shall be adopted not later than eighteen months after the effective date of this section.
• The Director of Health shall develop information specifying dangerous conditions and dangerous products, including products recalled by the manufacturer that may be present in school buildings and associated grounds. In developing that information, the director may use information developed by other sources, including other state and federal agencies. The director shall distribute the information developed under this section on a quarterly basis to boards of health through electronic mail. The information shall also be made available on the department's internet web site.
• Annually, and more often, if in its judgment necessary, the Board of Health of a city or general health district shall inspect the sanitary condition of all schools and school buildings within its jurisdiction, and may disinfect any school building. During an epidemic or threatened epidemic, or when a dangerous communicable disease is unusually prevalent, or for any other imminent public health threat as determined by the board, the board may close any school and prohibit public gatherings for such time as is necessary.
• In establishing and operating the “School Health and Safety Network”, the Director of Health and each Board of Health, to the greatest extent possible shall use staff positions already within their respective organizations on the effective date of this section.

How

• The principal or chief administrator of each public and nonpublic school shall cooperate with the appropriate Board of Health in the conduct of a “School Health and Safety Network” inspection by providing any records or other information the Board of Health considers necessary.
• Each report shall include recommendations for changes that the Board of Health determines may be needed to abate conditions that are hazardous to occupants. The report is a public record.
• Each Board of Health shall report the findings from the inspection of each public and nonpublic school building and associated grounds to all of the following:

1. The principal or chief administrator of the building
2. The administrator responsible for facility operations and maintenance on behalf of the school district, educational service center, board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, or community school controlling the inspected buildings and grounds
3. In the case of a school operated by a school district, the superintendent and board of education of that district
4. In the case of a school operated by an educational service center or board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, the center or board
5. The auditor of state.

• The governing authority of each community school and the chief administrator of each nonpublic school shall submit to the Board of Health, by a deadline and in a manner established by the Director of Health, a written plan for abatement of the conditions determined to be hazardous to occupants, as described in the report. The plan shall include a schedule for completion of the abatement.
• The Board of Health shall determine compliance with the written plan for abatement. On completion of any plan for abatement, the Board of Health shall submit a supplemental report to all parties. The report is a public record.
• The auditor of state shall review the report of each school health and safety network inspection of a public school building and associated Grounds submitted to the auditor of state. The auditor of state may include references to any of the recommendations contained in the inspection report, as determined appropriate by the auditor of state, in any audit report of the school district.