A piece of Alabama legislation could mean new school construction would require tornado safe rooms or hallways.

School leaders in Enterprise tell News 4 that it's good advice for many school systems even if the bill doesn't pass.

This bill sponsored Representative Earl F. Hilliard from Birmingham passed in the House of Representatives only 10 days after the three year anniversary of the deadly Enterprise tornado, a firm reminder of just how easily a storm can do damage.

Legislators are trying to pass a bill that would make future schools safer during a tornado.

“You're going to be required if you build a whole school to put in a safe room or safe hallway , if you're doing an addition or a renovation that would be strictly optional to the local school boards,” says Representative Terry Spicer (D).

If passed, construction of the safe rooms or hallways would be overseen by the Alabama Building Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“It gives us an opportunity to work with FEMA to provide resources. There is certainly a fiscal note to this. It would cost us additional funds to build these rooms,” says Spicer.

An estimated $4 extra for each square foot, but for those who have watched their schools crumble in the path of a storm, the extra expense is well worth it.

“Once you go through a tornado and it hits any part of your city it'll change your whole outlook. We thought we were completely safe we thought our schools were safe,” says Bob Tomberlin with Enterprise City Schools.

Enterprise has since voluntarily added tornado shelters to two elementary school additions, the new Hillcrest Elementary and the new high school still under construction.

The walls for these shelters have extra concrete and extra reinforced steel inside the concrete.

The windows even have storm shutter doors that can be closed and withstand winds up to 150 miles an hour.

“We are determined to get tornado shelters in every school in our school system,” says Tomberlin.

He says he'd encourage every school system to add these safety rooms or hallways to any new constructions or additions, not just new schools.

The bill has already passed in the Alabama house and has now moved to the senate.