ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6620
State of Washington
64th Legislature
2016 Regular Session
By Senators McAuliffe, Dammeier, Rolfes, Litzow, Billig, Keiser, and Conway
Read first time 01/29/16. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to cost-effective methods for maintaining and increasing school safety; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.310 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
PART I
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature recognizes that public schools are required to have safe school plans and procedures in place. The legislature acknowledges that there are costs associated with these plans and procedures. The legislature intends to review the funding of school safety and security programs and work toward a statewide plan for funding cost-effective methods for school safety that meet the needs of local school districts.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  (1) The Washington state institute for public policy shall complete an evaluation of how Washington and other states have addressed the funding of school safety and security programs and submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature, the governor, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction by December 1, 2017.
(2) This section expires August 1, 2018.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and the school safety advisory committee shall hold annual school safety summits. Each annual summit must focus on establishing and monitoring the progress of a statewide plan for funding cost-effective methods for school safety that meet local needs. Other areas of focus may include planning and implementation of school safety planning efforts, training of school safety professionals, and integrating mental health and security measures.
(2) Summit participants must be appointed no later than August 1, 2016.
(a) The majority and minority leaders of the senate shall appoint two members from each of the relevant caucuses of the senate.
(b) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two members from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives.
(c) The governor shall appoint one representative.
(3) Other summit participants may include representatives from the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the department of health, educational service districts, educational associations, emergency management, law enforcement, fire departments, parent organizations, and student organizations.
(4) Staff support for the annual summit shall be provided by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the school safety advisory committee.
(5) Legislative members of the summit are reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer, governmental entity, or other organization. Any reimbursement for other nonlegislative members is subject to chapter 43.03 RCW.
PART II
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  The legislature finds that school personnel are often the first responders when there is a violent threat or natural or man-made disaster at a school. The legislature further finds there is a need to develop training for school personnel to intervene and provide assistance during these emergency incidents. The legislature recognizes an educational service district has developed a model for a regional school safety and security center, which can provide this type of training.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.310 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Educational service districts may implement a regional school safety and security program modeled after the educational service district that has developed a regional school safety and security center.
(2) The programs should include the following components:
(a) Establishment of a network of school safety coordinators for the educational service districts, which shall focus on prevention planning, intervention, mitigation, crisis response, and community recovery regarding emergency incidents in schools;
(b) Collaboration with the educational service district that developed the model for a regional school safety and security center to adopt its model for a regional school safety and security center;
(c) Creation of technology-based systems that enable more efficient and effective communication between schools and emergency response entities, including local law enforcement, local fire department, and state and federal responders;
(d) Provision of technology support to improve communication and data management between schools and emergency response entities;
(e) Ongoing training of school personnel and emergency responders to establish a system for preventative identification, intervention strategies, and management of risk behaviors;
(f) Development of a professional development to train school personnel as first responders until the arrival of emergency responders; and
(g) Building collaborative relationships between other educational service districts, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the school safety advisory committee.
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