Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
HB 1941
Brief Description: Prohibiting active shooter scenarios for school safety-related drills.
Sponsors: Representative Walen.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Prohibits schools from conducting any safety-related drill based on active shooter scenarios.
Hearing Date: 1/27/22
Staff: Emily Stephens (786-7296) and Megan Wargacki (786-7194).
Background:

Schools must conduct at least one safety-related drill per month and must teach students basic functional drill responses for shelter-in-place, lockdown, and evacuation, which are defined as follows:

  • "Shelter-in-place" is used to limit the exposure of students and staff to hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants, released into the environment by isolating the inside environment from the outside.
  • "Lockdown" is used to isolate students and staff from threats of violence, such as suspicious trespassers or armed intruders, that may occur in a school or in the vicinity of a school.
  • "Evacuation" is used to move students and staff away from threats, such as fires, oil train spills, lahars, or tsunamis.

 

The drills should also incorporate an earthquake drill.  Schools in mapped lahars or tsunami hazard zones must include a pedestrian evacuation drill. 
Summary of Bill:

Schools are prohibited from conducting any safety-related drill based on active shooter scenarios.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 18, 2022.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.