OLYMPIA, Wash. – 15th legislative district Senator Nikki Torres, serving parts of Benton County and Yakima County, is spearheading a bill that would update emergency response systems in public schools to include panic or alert buttons.
State law requires school districts to work with law enforcement and school security to develop an emergency response system using evolving technology.
Panic buttons are security devices that allow staff to quickly alert authorities about an emergency situation, such as a medical crisis, active shooter, or violent incident
The goal of the bill is to expedite the response and the arrival of law enforcement in the event of a threat or emergency.
If passed by the state house and senate, Torres’ bill would not change any existing laws on the books for public schools.
“We want our kids to be safe in schools,” Sen. Torres told the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education. “This just gives them another option to have panic buttons if they want.”
School districts would also be required to submit a progress report by October 1, 2025.
By December 1, 2025, the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must compile the information submitted by school districts and report to the Legislature on the types of emergency response systems used by school districts, according to the bill.
The bill received a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education January 15. It’s scheduled for an executive session in the same committee January 30.