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SB5004 • 2026

School emergency response

Updating emergency response systems in public schools including panic or alert buttons.

Education Technology
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Torres, Senator Christian, Senator Dozier, Senator Harris, Senator Krishnadasan, Senator McCune, Senator Salomon, Senator Schoesler, Senator J. Wilson
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
S subst for
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

School emergency response

School emergency response

What This Bill Does

  • School emergency response

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

5004-S.E AMH ED H1976.1

0 • Education

ADOPTED

Plain English: 5004-S.E AMH ED H1976.1 ESSB 5004 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Education ADOPTED 03/26/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

  • 5004-S.E AMH ED H1976.1 ESSB 5004 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Education ADOPTED 03/26/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
  • 1.
  • RCW 28A.320.126 and 2019 c 333 s 16 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1) School districts must work collaboratively with local law 5 enforcement agencies , public safety answering points, and ((school 6 security personnel )) safety and security staff as defined in RCW 7 28A.320.124 to develop an emergency response system using evolving 8 technology to expedite the response and arrival of law enforcement in 9 the event of a threat or emergency at a school.
  • ((School districts 10 are encouraged to use the model policies developed by the school 11 safety center in the office of the superintendent of public 12 instruction as a resource.
5004-S AMS TORR S1322.1

14 • Torres

ADOPTED

Plain English: 5004-S AMS TORR S1322.1 SSB 5004 - S AMD 14 By Senator Torres ADOPTED 02/12/2025 On page 2, after line 16, insert the following:1 "NEW SECTION.

  • 5004-S AMS TORR S1322.1 SSB 5004 - S AMD 14 By Senator Torres ADOPTED 02/12/2025 On page 2, after line 16, insert the following:1 "NEW SECTION.
  • Sec.
  • 2.
  • This act may be known and cited as 2 Alyssa's law."3 SSB 5004 - S AMD 14 By Senator Torres ADOPTED 02/12/2025 On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "buttons;" strike the 4 remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 28A.320.126; and 5 creating a new section." 6 EFFECT: Adds a short title.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-12 Senate

    1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

School emergency response

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to emergency response systems in public schools 1
including panic or alert buttons; and amending RCW 28A.320.126.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.320.126 and 2019 c 333 s 16 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) School districts must work collaboratively with local law 6
enforcement agencies and ((school security personnel )) safety and 7
security staff as defined in RCW 28A.320.124 to develop an emergency 8
response system using evolving technology to expedite the response 9
and arrival of law enforcement in the event of a threat or emergency 10
at a school. ((School districts are encouraged to use the model 11
policies developed by the school safety center in the office of the 12
superintendent of public instruction as a resource. )) "Emergency 13
response system" includes:14
(a) Panic or alert buttons that are tied to school 15
administration, school district staff, and emergency response 16
providers;17
(b) Live video feed with law enforcement, school district, and 18
school access;19
(c) Live audio feed with law enforcement, school district, and 20
school access;21
S-0117.1
SENATE BILL 5004
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Torres, Christian, Dozier, Harris, Krishnadasan, McCune,
Salomon, Schoesler, and J. Wilson
Prefiled 12/02/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5004
(d) Remote control access to doors;1
(e) Live interactive two-way communications; or2
(f) Interconnection with an alert and communication system 3
maintained by the Washington association of sheriffs and police 4
chiefs.5
(2) Each school district must submit a progress report on its 6
implementation of an emergency response system as required under this 7
section to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by 8
((December 1, 2014)) October 1, 2025. By December 1, 2025, the office 9
of the superintendent of public instruction must compile the 10
information submitted by school districts and report to the 11
legislature on the types of emergency response systems used by school 12
districts.13
(3) This section governs school operation and management under 14
RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020 and applies to charter schools 15
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 16
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW. 17
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5004