[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to school safety; adding new sections to chapter 28A.320 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that a supportive learning environment enhances student academic achievement. A supportive learning environment is one that is safe, civil, healthy, and intellectually stimulating where students are engaged in learning and are committed to acquiring the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors to succeed in the twenty-first century.

The legislature intends to improve the student learning environment by helping school districts implement comprehensive safe school plans that assist schools in providing a safe learning environment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

A consistent comprehensive approach to school safety includes a comprehensive safe school plan and implementation of the plan covering prevention, intervention, all hazards and crisis response, and postcrisis recovery. Staff, students, parents, the community, law enforcement, and emergency preparedness shall be involved in the development and implementation of the plan.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

(1) To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, each local school board shall establish a policy requiring that each school in its district develop a written comprehensive safe school plan consistent with this section.

(2) The school district board of directors shall establish a process for approval of individual school plans. Plans shall be approved by September 1, 2002. Once approved, the school district shall develop a process to inform students, staff, volunteers, and parents about its comprehensive safe school plans.

(3) Each school shall annually conduct an evaluation of its comprehensive safe school plan and conduct reviews, drills, or simulated practices in coordination with local fire, law enforcement, medical, and emergency management agencies. Districts also shall annually provide information on the implementation and evaluation of the plans to parents and students.

(4) Each school shall maintain a copy of its comprehensive safe school plan and documentation of yearly reviews, drills, or simulated practices within the office of the school principal and shall make a copy of the report available for review upon written request.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, a school safety center shall be established to provide school districts with: The assistance necessary to create a consistent, comprehensive approach to school safety for every school and every school district; the means to share safety information among school districts; and a process for schools to effectively integrate safe school planning with emergency preparedness personnel, the criminal justice training commission, and local, county, and state law enforcement officers.

The safety center shall disseminate successful models of school safety plans and cooperative efforts; provide assistance to schools to establish a comprehensive safe school plan; select models of cooperative efforts that have been proven successful; act as an information dissemination and resource center when an incident occurs in a school district either in Washington or in another state; coordinate activities relating to school safety; review and approve manuals and curricula used for school safety models and training; and develop and maintain a school safety information web site.

The school safety center shall be established in the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint and participate in a school safety center advisory committee that includes, but is not limited to, representatives of educators, other school staff, administrators, the American society for industrial security, the state criminal justice training commission, law enforcement agencies, and others deemed appropriate and approved by the school safety center advisory committee. The advisory committee shall select a chair.

The school safety center advisory committee shall develop a training program, using the best practices in school safety, for all school safety personnel.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall contract with an independent vendor to establish the school safety hotline. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, with the recommendations of the school safety center advisory committee, shall develop the request for proposal to obtain hotline services. The hotline shall include the maintenance and operation of a toll-free, confidential hotline available for students, parents, school personnel, and community members to report information, including anonymous tips, on any activity threatening a school, students, visitors, or personnel, including suicide.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

To the extent funds are appropriated, a per pupil allocation shall be distributed to each school district, however no school district may be allocated less than two thousand dollars. School districts shall use the funds to carry out district activities to develop and implement a comprehensive safe school plan.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2001, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.