SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1484
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Early Learning & K-12 Education, March 22, 2021
Title: An act relating to the statewide first responder building mapping information system.
Brief Description: Concerning the statewide first responder building mapping information system.
Sponsors: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Dolan and Lekanoff).
Brief History: Passed House: 3/6/21, 98-0.
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 3/15/21, 3/22/21 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Repeals provisions directing the operation and use of the first responder building mapping information system for schools and other public buildings (mapping system).
  • Removes references to the mapping system in safe school plan requirements.
  • Directs transfer of the mapping system information to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Governor, and other public entities upon request.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Wellman, Chair; Nobles, Vice Chair, K-12; Wilson, C., Vice Chair, Early Learning; Hawkins, Ranking Member; Dozier, Hunt, McCune, Mullet and Pedersen.
Staff: Alexandra Fairfortune (786-7416)
Background:

Mapping System Creation, Operation, and Use.  In 2003, the Legislature directed the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) to create a statewide first responder building mapping information system for schools and other public buildings (mapping system).  The system is known as the Critical Incident Planning and Mapping System, or Rapid Responder.  The mapping system is intended to provide information to emergency response agencies for natural disasters, criminal acts, and other incidents.  The mapping system includes floor plans, contact information, utilities, hazards, and other information about schools and other public buildings.  All emergency response agencies can access the mapping system for free. 

 

School districts are not required to update information or map new schools unless funding is available.  For the last six fiscal years, state funding has covered only the operational costs of the mapping system.

 

Safe School Plans.  School districts must adopt and implement safe school plans that include procedures for disaster prevention, intervention, all hazard/crisis response, and post-crisis recovery.  The plans are required to be consistent with the mapping system.  The mapping system must be used in one safety-related drill conducted by schools each year.  To the extent funds are available, school districts must annually review and update these plans, which includes updates to the mapping system and reports to WASPC.

 

Review of the Mapping System.  Legislation enacted in 2019, directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) to review how school districts and emergency response agencies use the mapping system.  The study included a review of system data and surveys of school districts and law enforcement agencies.  In January 2020, JLARC issued a report of its findings and recommendations.  The report includes information on the number of school districts that use other technologies for building mapping, mapping and operations costs, the varied uses of the mapping system, and identified advantages and limitations of the mapping system.  JLARC made two recommendations in the report:  (1) WASPC should develop and implement detailed training and outreach strategies that have measurable goals and targets; and (2) WASPC should periodically review technology standards, address user feedback about technology issues, and use system data to inform its program management decisions.
Summary of Bill:

Mapping System Operation and Use.  Statutes directing the operation of the mapping system by WASPC and use of the mapping system by schools and other public buildings are repealed.

 

Safe School Plans.  Implementation of safe school plans no longer requires consistency with the mapping system; annual updates of the mapping system; reports to WASPC; nor use of the mapping system in schools' safety-related drills.

 

Mapping System Information Transfer.  No later than 90 days after July 1, 202l, WASPC must: 

  • coordinate with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to transfer all information in the mapping system related to public schools to OSPI; and
  • notify all public entities that are not public schools that the mapping system has been terminated as of July 1, 2021. 

 

If a public entity that is not a public school requests its data from the mapping system prior to December 31, 2021, WASPC must coordinate a timely and efficient transfer of that entity's data to that entity.  No later than December 31, 2021, WASPC must provide the Governor, or the Governor's designee, all data related to any facility owned by any public entity in the mapping system.  WASPC is not required to provide any data or information regarding tactical or intelligence information to any person or entity that is not a Washington law enforcement agency.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2021.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO:  When the first school shootings began to happen, one of the earliest tools to try to keep students safe was student mapping, as it gave first responders an opportunity to know where a shooter might be.  In 2019, the Legislature passed a school safety bill and districts now have more up-to-date techniques and tools, such as threat assessments, mental health counselors, and school security officer training.  Subsequent to the JLARC study on this topic, a student safety advisory committee set up a workgroup which concluded the system had run its course.  Law enforcement's response is now different than it was when the mapping system was established.  They used to gather a contact team and implement a delayed response, but now they use a rapid response method which does not use the mapping system.  There has also been no state funding to map or re-map schools since 2016, so the investment to keep the program going is not worth the effort.  The bill sets up a method to retrieve data so nothing is lost.  School safety plans remain a requirement and districts may still choose to use a mapping system through a provider rather than through the state.  This saves money and moves the state to a new era of school safety.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Laurie Dolan, Prime Sponsor; Martin Mueller, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Sanjay Walvekar, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.