BILL REQ. #:  S-4036.4 

Read first time 01/22/08.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to a school safety advisory committee; and adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The school safety advisory committee is created. It shall consist of the following voting members:
     (a) Two members of the house of representatives, one from each major caucus, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and two members of the senate, one from each major caucus, appointed by the president of the senate;
     (b) The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;
     (c) One representative of educational service district superintendents;
     (d) One representative of educational service district safety officers;
     (e) One representative from an association of school principals;
     (f) One representative from an association of school administrators;
     (g) One representative from the Washington state school director's association;
     (h) One representative from a certificated employee bargaining unit;
     (i) One representative from a classified employee bargaining unit;
     (j) One representative from the Washington state PTA;
     (k) One representative of a risk management organization;
     (l) One representative from a school safety organization;
     (m) One representative from the Washington emergency management division of the state military department;
     (n) One representative from the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs;
     (o) One representative from the Washington state criminal justice training commission;
     (p) One representative from the Washington fire chiefs;
     (q) One representative from the Washington state fire marshal's office;
     (r) One representative from the Washington state patrol;
     (s) One representative from the American society for industrial security;
     (t) One representative from the department of health;
     (u) One representative of the governor's office, designated by the governor;
     (v) One representative of the attorney general's office, designated by the attorney general;
     (w) One representative from the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys; and
     (x) One representative from the Washington public defender association.
     (2) Members shall serve four-year terms. The committee chair shall be selected from among the members identified in subsection (1) of this section by the majority vote of the voting members.
     (3) The committee shall meet at the request of the chairperson and at least four times per year.
     (4) Nonlegislative members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (5) The chairperson may hire staff to support the activities of the committee subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose.
     (6) The school safety advisory committee account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Funds in the school safety advisory committee account may be used by the committee solely for the purposes identified in section 2 of this act including the administration of the committee. Only the chairperson of the school safety advisory committee or the chairperson's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The chairperson may accept gifts, grants, donations, or moneys from any source for deposit in the school safety advisory committee account. The school safety advisory committee account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The school safety advisory committee is created to evaluate school safety proposals and advise the legislature and the superintendent of public instruction on the implementation of best practices for school safety in the state of Washington, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. In carrying out its duties, the committee shall:
     (1) Review all matters pertaining to school safety proposed by entities represented in section 1 of this act other than the legislature before they are submitted to the legislature;
     (2) Assist in addressing emerging issues of safety, which may include conducting research, providing guidance on risk management and resource allocation, and developing training, policies, procedures, and law;
     (3) Develop a training program, using the best practices in school safety, for all school safety personnel. The criminal justice training commission, in collaboration with the school safety advisory committee, shall provide the school safety training for all school administrators and school safety personnel, including school safety personnel hired after the effective date of this section;
     (4) Develop and distribute a pamphlet to promote internet safety for children, particularly in grades seven through twelve. The pamphlet shall be posted on the superintendent of public instruction's web site. To the extent possible, the pamphlet shall be distributed in schools throughout the state and in other areas accessible to youth, including but not limited to libraries and community centers; and
     (5) Report to the education and fiscal committees of the legislature regarding school safety policies and projects beginning December 1, 2008, and annually thereafter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Sections 1 and 2 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28A RCW.