The Senate today (June 15) approved a bill introduced by Senator Dan Laughlin (R-49) to improve safety in state-regulated daycare facilities, a measure he introduced in response to a tragic fire that claimed the lives of five young children in Erie on August 11, 2019.
Senate Bill 563, which amends the state Fire and Panic Act regarding smoke detectors, now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“I appreciate the support of my colleagues to advance this bill,” Senator Laughlin said. “I joined with the Erie community in mourning for the children whose lives were cut short. What made it even more tragic was the fact that they may have been saved if the home had been properly equipped with smoke detectors. Only one smoke detector was found in the home and it was in the attic. It is government’s responsibility to learn from these tragic cases and to act to prevent them in the future.”
Senator Laughlin’s legislation designates the locations where smoke detectors must be installed and requires that they are interconnected so that if one is triggered, they all go off.
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov