SB 5272 — Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties.

S-0578.1ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5272 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senators Lovick, Krishnadasan, and Saldaña Read first time 01/15/25.

adding a new section to chapter 28A.635 RCW;

Extracurricular athletics would not be possible without the p.

1 SBESB 5272 Extracurricular athletics would not be possible without the commitment of officials, judges, referees, and volunteers who work at the events for little or no financial gain.

NEW SECTION.

A new section is added to chapter 28A.635 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Signage must be posted notifying the public of the offenses and possible penalties under RCW 28A.635.090 and 28A.635.100.

(2) The signage must be prominently displayed at any entrance to a public school gymnasium or auditorium and wherever other public notices are placed at public school athletic fields.

(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a standard signage form notifying the public of the offenses and possible penalties under RCW 28A.635.090 and 28A.635.100.

(4) As used in this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.

Sec.

3.

(1) It ((shall be)) is unlawful for any person, singly or in concert with others, to interfere by force or violence with ((any administrator, teacher, classified employee, person under contract with the school or school district, or student of any common school p.who)) an employee or contractor of a public or private elementary or secondary school, an elementary or secondary student, or an official or volunteer acting as an official for extracurricular athletic activities of elementary or secondary students, while that person is in the peaceful discharge or conduct of his or her duties or studies.

2((Any SBsuch 5272interference who))by anforce employee or contractorviolence ofcommitted by a publicstudent orshall privatebe elementarygrounds for immediate suspension or secondaryexpulsion school,of anthe elementarystudent.)) or(2) secondaryA student,person orviolating anthis officialsection oris volunteerguilty actingof asa angross officialmisdemeanor forand extracurricularshall athleticbe activitiesfined ofnot elementarymore orthan secondary((five students,hundred whiledollars)) that$1,000, personor isimprisoned in thejail peacefulnot dischargemore orthan conduct((six ofmonths)) his364 days, or herboth dutiessuch orfine studies.and imprisonment.

((AnyUpon suchconviction, interferencea byperson, forceother orthan violence committed by a studentstudent, shallmust be groundsexcluded forfrom immediateentering suspension or expulsion of the student.)) (2) If a public school studentwhere interferesthe ascrime describedwas incommitted subsectionor (1)from ofattending this section, the interferenceextracurricular isathletic groundsp. for the student's emergency removal, subject to RCW 28A.600.015.

If2 aESB public5272 schoolactivities student interferes as described in subsectionwhich (1)the ofcrime thiswas sectioncommitted, duringfor extracurriculara athleticperiod activities,of theno studentless maythan be12 excludedmonths fromand participatingno inmore orthan attending18 that activity for up to 12 months.

(3) AAs personused violatingin this sectionsection, is"public guiltyschool" ofhas athe grosssame misdemeanormeaning andas shall be fined not more than ((five hundred dollars)) $1,000, or imprisoned in jailRCW not28A.150.010. more than ((six months)) 364 days, or both such fine and imprisonment.

Upon conviction, a person, other than a student, must be excluded from entering the school where the crime was committed or from attending the extracurricular athletic activities in which the crime was committed, for a period of no less than 12 months and no more than 18 months.

(4) As used in this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.

4.3.

(2) A person violating this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than ((five hundred dollars)) p.$500, or imprisoned in jail not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

3 SB 5272 $500, or imprisoned in jail not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

43 SBESB 5272