SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As communities continue to fight against gun violence, it also means active shooter drills at schools have become a new normal for many communities. Now, Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) has introduced a new bill in hopes of saving more lives.
During Ireana Marie Williams' freshmen year at JFK High School, she experienced an active shooter training. At the time, she had no idea it was just a drill. Now, as a junior at Sacramento State, she remembers the chaos of that day.
"I was told there was a SWAT team in the halls, and we were just told to be quiet and sit and wait until authorities gave us the all clear to evacuate," she said.
Even though she was physically safe, the mental trauma of that day still remains.
"It makes me more anxious to be in school, and it makes me more aware of my surroundings in a way that I don't particularly like," she said.
That's why Assemblymember Ward introduced Assembly Bill 1858.
"We want to set some guardrails on what can and can't go on in our in our schools with regard to active shooter drills," he said. "We want to make sure that we are not allowing the use of any simulated gunfire or simulated automatic weapons on our school campuses, that we are trying to make sure that parents have notifications," he continued.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Education said it is currently analyzing this legislation. When it comes to a guide on how to conduct these trainings, the state does not have a clear guide, but does recommend using the "concept of run, hide, and fight." That suggestion can be found in the 2023 California Emergency Management for Schools guide.
The bill will head to an assembly policy committee before the end of March. Ward hopes it will reach the governor's desk by this fall.
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