08 LC 33
2428S
The
House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HR
1040:
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Study Committee on Emergency Response and Preparedness Curriculum for
Georgia Schools; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
today´s students are tomorrow´s leaders and the future protectors of
America´s freedom; and
WHEREAS,
in order to better serve as effective national and local leaders and ensure the
safety and security of our country, school students should be provided a basic
understanding of the major threats facing the nation today, including terrorism,
bioterrorism, and other forms of large-scale public safety threats and
emergencies caused by natural or manmade disaster; and
WHEREAS,
a basic understanding of national security threats includes both a historical
perspective as well as an up-to-date situational analysis, and students should
be instructed regarding such issues as the historical development of terrorism,
contributing factors to the growth of terrorism, and prior responses to
large-scale public safety threats; as for the current status of serious
large-scale public safety threats, students should be provided a basic
understanding of operational response policies and plans, available response
resources, and current risk assessments of the potentially greatest threats
posed against American citizens; and
WHEREAS,
terrorism is becoming an increasingly difficult problem in the world of the
early twenty-first century, and our children are affected, directly and
indirectly, by both massive and small-scale acts of terrorism; and
WHEREAS,
to preserve and strengthen the foundations of freedom, our children should be
provided a basis from which to research, openly debate, and ultimately respond
to a variety of social, cultural, and political issues in both the domestic and
international spheres, and such research, debate, and preparedness necessarily
includes education regarding the history and modern day preparedness related to
terrorism and large-scale public safety threats; and
WHEREAS,
despite the significance of terrorism and large-scale emergencies facing this
state and nation, schools do not typically provide, either through history,
social studies, or health classes, any curriculum relating to these historical
and social occurrences; and
WHEREAS,
a quality education in Georgia should include a historical understanding of
serious public safety threats and prepare students to evaluate these important
life-threatening issues; and
WHEREAS,
currently there are no standardized guidelines for emergency response and
preparedness curricula.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Study Committee on Emergency Response and Preparedness
Curriculum for Georgia Schools to be composed of three members of the House of
Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, and
three members of the executive branch to be appointed by the Governor.
Additional members of the committee shall include the Chairpersons for the House
Public Safety and Homeland Security and the House Education standing committees
and the Chairpersons for the Senate Public Safety and the Senate Education and
Youth standing committees. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
designate a member of the House and the President of the Senate shall designate
a member of the Senate who shall serve as cochairpersons of the committee. The
committee shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons. The committee may
conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary
or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform
its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The
legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for
in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the
funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of Representatives. The expenses
and allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are
authorized.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the need for
emergency response and preparedness curriculum for Georgia schools. The study
shall include recommendations for developing a model curriculum for all schools
receiving state funds, as well as guidelines for implementing the curriculum in
Georgia schools. In fulfilling its duties, the committee shall consult with
such individuals and organizations as it deems appropriate.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a study report, containing findings and recommendations
for emergency response and preparedness curriculum for Georgia schools,
including suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, as well as pilot project
guidelines, shall be issued on or before December 1, 2008. The committee shall
stand abolished on January 1, 2009.