S-4880.1
SENATE BILL 6389
State of Washington
66th Legislature
2020 Regular Session
BySenator Fortunato
Read first time 01/16/20.Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to evaluating school safety drills and monitoring school safety plans and programs; amending RCW 28A.300.645; adding new sections to chapter 43.101 RCW; creating new sections; recodifying RCW 28A.300.645; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that school districts must adopt and implement certain safety plans and programs. The legislature also acknowledges that schools must conduct at least one safety-related drill per month to teach students three basic functional drill responses: Shelter-in-place, lockdown, and evacuation. To determine the effectiveness of these drills, especially in the event of an active shooter, the legislature intends that the criminal justice training commission establish a team of evaluators to review and provide feedback to school districts on their performance of these drills. Additionally, the legislature intends that the criminal justice training commission assume the responsibility of monitoring certain safety plans and programs.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.101 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The commission must establish a team of evaluators to review and provide feedback on school safety-related drills required under RCW 28A.320.125.
(2) The team of evaluators must observe and document the performance of school safety-related drills against criteria developed by the commission. The team of evaluators must provide this documentation to school districts.
(3) The commission must determine a schedule for this review in the following order:
(a) Large urban school districts;
(b) Large rural school districts; and then
(c) Small school districts.
(4) The commission may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement this section.
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.300.645 and 2019 c 333 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, in order to ensure that public schools and school districts are meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.320.125 relating to comprehensive safe school plans, RCW 28A.320.127 related to plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, and RCW 28A.320.123 relating to school-based threat assessment programs, the ((superintendent of public instruction))commission shall monitor these programs no less than once every five years. This duty shall be solely performed by the commission.
(2) The ((superintendent of public instruction))commission must consult with the superintendent of public instruction and interested stakeholders to develop data collection and submission requirements for school districts as they relate to RCW 28A.320.125 relating to comprehensive safe school plans, RCW 28A.320.127 related to plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, and RCW 28A.320.123 relating to school-based threat assessment programs.
(3) By December 1, 2020, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the ((office of the superintendent of public instruction))commission must report to the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding the ((office's))commission's plans for data collection and monitoring under this section and describing any implementation issues that could be fixed through legislation.
(4) The ((superintendent of public instruction))commission may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement this section.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. RCW 28A.300.645 is recodified as a section in chapter 43.101 RCW.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, from the general fund to the criminal justice training commission for the purposes of this act.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6. This act does not create a private right of action.
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