School security and safety related bills dominated the state legislative activity for the last two months. There were 82 bills that were introduced or moved during this time and many of these bills will provide for infrastructure improvements that include electronic security, access control, video surveillance and other measures designed to protect children and staff in schools, if passed. One of these bills, Maine LD 1858 (SP 703), was enacted in April and it provides that security installations and upgrades will be included in Maine’s School Revolving Renovation Fund. School security and safety related bills dominated the state legislative activity for the last two months. There were 82 bills that were introduced or moved during this time and many of these bills will provide for infrastructure improvements that include electronic security, access control, video surveillance and other measures designed to protect children and staff in schools, if passed. One of these bills, Maine LD 1858 (SP 703), was enacted in April and it provides that security installations and upgrades will be included in Maine’s School Revolving Renovation Fund.
There were some fire/life safety bills that were enacted into law during April as well.
FL HB 411, which exempts firesafety system plans from public record requirements was enacted on April 9th.
WI AB 904 makes a number of changes to carbon monoxide requirements in residential and lodging buildings and was enacted on April 17th.
WV HB 4138 will require that every public and private school or daycare facility that uses a heating or other mechanical device that emits carbon monoxide shall install hardwired carbon monoxide detectors with battery back up in any location where fumes from the system can be inhaled.
Alarm Contract terms were addressed in April with Oklahoma SB 1061. Since this may affect many alarm contracts in place and new contracts entered in Oklahoma, we will provide the language from the “enrolled” version of the bill here:
A. On and after November 1, 2018, no contract for residential alarm industry monitoring or services shall provide that after the initial term of the contract the services will automatically continue for any fixed term, except a month-to-month term.
B. On and after November 1, 2018, every contract for residential alarm industry monitoring or services shall conspicuously state that the person receiving the services has the right, without additional cost or penalty, to terminate such contract at the end of the initial term, at any time, by giving a thirty-day notice to the provider of the intent to terminate the services.
C. Any contract for residential alarm industry monitoring or services entered into before November 1, 2018, which is renewed on or after November 1, 2018, in violation of the provisions of subsection A or B of this section may be either terminated or changed to a month-to-month term at any time as set forth in subsection A and B of this section.
