HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1086

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to removing a child from school grounds.

Brief Description:  Establishing criteria that limit school employees' ability to remove students from school.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by  Representatives Mulliken, Johnson, Koster, Sump, Thompson, Crouse, Mielke and Sherstad).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education:  1/21/97, 2/4/97 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/10/97, 55‑40.

Senate Amended.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Johnson, Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Linville; Quall; Smith; Sterk; Sump; Talcott and Veloria.

Staff:  Joe Hauth (786-7111).

Background:  School districts must have policies to ensure that a student is not removed from school grounds during school hours unless the student=s parent or legal guardian authorizes the removal.  This authorization requirement does not have to apply to students in grades nine to twelve.  High school students may be removed from school grounds without parental notification or authorization.

Summary of Bill:  Conditions for removing students from school grounds without parental authorization are established. 

The conditions for removing students from school grounds are extended to students in grades nine through 12.  School employees or their designees may not remove students from school grounds during school hours without parental authorization unless:

$the school employee is the student=s parent, legal guardian, or immediate family member;

$the removal is for student transportation purposes or extracurricular activities; or

$the removal is in response to a medical emergency and the employee cannot reach the parent to transport the student.

School security personnel may remove a student from school grounds without parental permission for disciplinary reasons.  Students may leave secondary school grounds in accordance with a school's open campus policy under current law.  Students may be removed in response to a 911 emergency call.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Parents need to know where their children are.  However, the medical standard for removing a child from the school ground without parental authorization is too stringent.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Mulliken, prime sponsor; Marta Kirkwood, Citizens United for Responsible Education; Rita Drohman, citizen; Sandra Swanson, citizen; Priscilla Martins, Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government; Melinda Lincicome, Washington Family Council; Lois McMahan, citizen; Julie Whitson, citizen; and Barbara Casey, Washington State Parent Teacher Association (neutral).