Student firearm violations

AN ACT Relating to updating policies for elementary and secondary 1
school students with firearm violations; and amending RCW 2
28A.600.420. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.600.420 and 2019 c 266 s 23 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1)(a)(i) Any elementary or secondary school student who is 7
determined to have carried a firearm onto, or to have possessed a 8
firearm on, public elementary or secondary school premises, public 9
school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being 10
used exclusively by public schools, shall be expelled from school for 11
not less than one year under RCW 28A.600.010. ((The superintendent of 12
the school district, educational service district, or state school 13
for the blind, or the director of the Washington center for deaf and 14
hard of hearing youth, or the director's designee, may modify the 15
expulsion of a student on a case-by-case basis.16
(2))) (ii) An elementary or secondary student who acts with 17
malice as defined in RCW 9A.04.110 and displays an instrument that 18
appears to be a firearm on public elementary or secondary school 19
premises, public school-provided transportation, or areas of 20
H-2573.1
HOUSE BILL 2246
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Low, Rule, and Barnard
Prefiled 01/05/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Education.
p. 1 HB 2246
facilities while being used exclusively by public schools, may be 1
suspended or expelled for up to one year under RCW 28A.600.010.2
(b) The suspension or expulsion of a student under (a) of this 3
subsection (1) may be modified on a case-by-case basis by the chief 4
administrator of the applicable elementary or secondary school, 5
including the superintendent of the school district or the school 6
administrator of a charter school, state-tribal education compact 7
school, the state school for the blind, the Washington center for 8
deaf and hard of hearing youth, or an educational service district.9
(2) During the suspension or expulsion period:10
(a) A school district disciplining a student under subsection (1) 11
of this section must provide the student with an opportunity to 12
receive educational services as required by RCW 28A.600.015; and13
(b) Any of the following entities disciplining a student under 14
subsection (1) of this section, is not prevented from providing the 15
student with an opportunity to receive educational services: (i) A 16
charter school, (ii) a state-tribal education compact school, (iii) 17
the state school for the blind, (iv) the Washington center for deaf 18
and hard of hearing youth, or (v) an educational service district, 19
except when acting in its capacity as an institutional education 20
provider under chapter 28A.190 RCW.21
(3)(a) Upon the conclusion of the suspension or expulsion period:22
(i) A school district may prohibit or limit the return of a 23
student disciplined by the district under subsection (1) of this 24
section to the school or educational setting from which the student 25
was suspended or expelled;26
(ii) Any of the following entities may deny readmission to a 27
student disciplined by the entity under subsection (1) of this 28
section: (A) A charter school, (B) a state-tribal education compact 29
school, (C) the state school for the blind, (D) the Washington center 30
for deaf and hard of hearing youth, or (E) an educational service 31
district, except when acting in its capacity as an institutional 32
education provider under chapter 28A.190 RCW; and33
(iii) Any of the following entities may prohibit or limit the 34
participation or attendance of a student disciplined by the entity 35
under subsection (1) of this section in extracurricular or other 36
activities sponsored by the entity: (A) A school district, (B) a 37
charter school, (C) a state-tribal education compact school, (D) the 38
state school for the blind, (E) the Washington center for deaf and 39
hard of hearing youth, or (F) an educational service district, except 40
p. 2 HB 2246
when acting in its capacity as an institutional education provider 1
under chapter 28A.190 RCW. 2
(b) A decision to prohibit or limit the return of a student or to 3
deny a student readmission under (a) of this subsection (3) must be 4
made by the school district board of directors or other applicable 5
governing board, based on a recommendation from the superintendent or 6
other school administrator. The parents or legal guardians of a 7
student disciplined under subsection (1) of this section may request 8
that the board reconsider its decision. The board may grant the 9
request for reconsideration, but any decision regarding the granting 10
of reconsideration, or made following reconsideration, is final.11
(4)(a) For a student disciplined under subsection (1) of this 12
section, the reengagement meeting convened under RCW 28A.600.022 must 13
include a discussion about whether the student will be reenrolled 14
full time at the school or educational setting from which the student 15
was suspended or expelled, or instead provided comparable educational 16
services in another setting. The meeting may also include a 17
discussion about whether to readmit the student in stages to the 18
school or educational setting from which the student was suspended or 19
expelled.20
(b) The reengagement plan developed under RCW 28A.600.022 must be 21
reevaluated with the student and the student's parents or legal 22
guardians at least every six months unless or until the student is 23
reenrolled full time at the school or educational setting from which 24
the student was suspended or expelled.25
(5) For purposes of this section, (("firearm")) the following 26
definitions apply:27
(a) "Firearm" means a firearm as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 921, 28
and a "firearm" as defined in RCW 9.41.010;29
(b) "Public elementary or secondary school premises, public 30
school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being 31
used exclusively by public schools" means any premises, 32
transportation, or facility areas that are owned, operated, or used 33
exclusively by any of the following entities: (i) A school district, 34
(ii) a charter school, (iii) a state-tribal education compact school, 35
(iv) the state school for the blind, (v) the Washington center for 36
deaf and hard of hearing youth, or (vi) an educational service 37
district, except when acting in its capacity as an institutional 38
education provider under chapter 28A.190 RCW. 39
p. 3 HB 2246
(((3))) (6) This section ((shall be construed in a manner 1
consistent)) must be interpreted consistently with the individuals 2
with disabilities education act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. ((1401)) 1400 et seq.3
(((4) Nothing in this section prevents a public school district, 4
educational service district, the Washington center for deaf and hard 5
of hearing youth, or the state school for the blind if it has 6
expelled a student from such student's regular school setting from 7
providing educational services to the student in an alternative 8
setting.9
(5))) (7)(a) This section governs school operation and management 10
under RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020 and applies to charter schools 11
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 12
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW.13
(b) In addition to the powers and duties conferred by RCW 14
72.40.0191 and 72.40.022, this section applies to the state school 15
for the blind and the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing 16
youth.17
(c) In addition to the powers and duties conferred by RCW 18
28A.310.180, this section applies to educational service districts, 19
except when acting in their capacity as institutional education 20
providers under chapter 28A.190 RCW.21
(8) This section does not apply to: 22
(a) Any student while engaged in military education authorized by 23
school authorities in which rifles are used but not other firearms; 24
or 25
(b) Any student while involved in a convention, showing, 26
demonstration, lecture, or firearms safety course authorized by 27
school authorities in which the rifles of collectors or instructors 28
are handled or displayed but not other firearms; or29
(c) Any student while participating in a rifle competition 30
authorized by school authorities. 31
(((6) A school district may suspend or expel a student for up to 32
one year subject to subsections (1), (3), (4), and (5) of this 33
section, if the student acts with malice as defined under RCW 34
9A.04.110 and displays an instrument that appears to be a firearm, on 35
public elementary or secondary school premises, public school-36
provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used 37
exclusively by public schools.))38
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