Washington State Representative Prefiles School Safety Bills

Washington State Representative Prefiles School Safety Bills

House Bill 1035 focuses on school resource officers while House Bill 1038 aims to authorize certain school employees to carry firearms on campuses.

Rep. Jim Walsh has prefiled two bills focused on school safety in Washington State. House Bill 1035 focuses on school resource officers while House Bill 1038 aims to authorize certain school employees to carry firearms on campuses.

HB 1035 states that recent violence on U.S. campuses has “threatened the safety of children.” In the bill, Walsh proposes the hiring of school resource officers “to promote a safe learning environment and to protect the safety and welfare of all students and school personnel”.

The bill would provide funding to hire a full-time school resource officer at every school in Washington state, with a starting salary of $70,000 adjusted for inflation and regional salary impacts. According to the bill, the salaries are described as part of the funding “deemed necessary by the legislature to support school districts in offering the minimum program of basic education.”

If HB 1035 is brought to the floor and passed, school resource officers would be hired and placed on campuses beginning in the 2019/2020 school year.

HB 1038 would allow public school districts and private schools to authorize permanent employees to carry firearms on school grounds under certain conditions. The bill also cites “recent acts of mass violence across the nation” that have “threatened the safety of children at school”.According to the bill, “school staff can be a further security resource when they receive training that is equivalent to training received by law enforcement”.

HB 1038 would allow districts to create policies for “trained and certified staff to conceal, carry, and further protect our students from harm”. Under the bill, employees would, at minimum, be required to successfully complete firearms training equivalent to the firearms training undergone by commissioned law enforcement.

If HB 1038 is passed, districts would immediately be able to implement the changes.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Ensuring School Bus Safety: Tech-Driven Advancements and Their Impact on Student Transportation

    Parents and school districts have always shared one fundamental, non-negotiable goal: to keep students safe while traveling to and from school. Period. Read Now

  • How Campus Security Became an Art of Disappearing

    Walk across any university campus at 8:47 a.m. on a Tuesday, and you'll witness something remarkable. Thousands of students stream through buildings, carrying everything from vintage MacBooks to oversized coffee cups, lost in conversations about weekend plans or upcoming exams. If the right weapons detection is in place, most will never notice the sophisticated security measures protecting them. This invisibility can represent the highest achievement in modern campus security design. Read Now

  • Torrance USD Standardizes Its Mass Communications

    The Torrance Unified School District is a cornerstone of the Torrance, Calif. community, dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares students for success in college, career, and life. Serving a diverse student population, Torrance USD delivers a comprehensive and enriching educational experience from kindergarten through high school. The school district comprises 17 elementary, eight middle, and five high schools, one continuation high school, and one alternative high school.  Read Now

  • How a Rural School District Enhanced Safety, Reduced Vaping, and Improved Efficiency by Modernizing Security

    As educational leaders, our primary mission is creating safe, productive learning environments where our students can thrive. Today, that unfortunately means addressing ever-evolving challenges that range from security threats to the growing epidemic of student vaping, all while managing tight budgets and (for many of us) geographically dispersed facilities. Read Now