HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1673

BYRepresentatives Wang, Peery and P. King 

Changing provisions relating to abuse of teachers.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (17)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Holland, Jones, Phillips, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Valle, Walker and K. Wilson.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 9, 1989

BACKGROUND:

The Court of Appeals, in interpreting a statute making it a misdemeanor to insult or abuse a teacher, found it to be too vague.

SUMMARY:

It is a misdemeanor to use language that tends to incite an immediate breach of peace against a school employee anywhere on school property or while the employee is carrying out his or her assigned duties.  The penalty for violating this section shall be a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $100.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Art Wang.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    A Court of Appeals decision found the language in the statute too vague. The language included is the correction suggested by the court.  This effort to protect teachers on school premises from verbal insult or abuse needs to be clarified.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.