HB2198 – Mitigating the impact of rising school temperatures resulting from climate change.
Prime Sponsor – Representative Reeves (D; 30th District; Federal Way)
Current status – Referred to the House Committee on Education.
Next step would be – Scheduling a hearing.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.

Summary
The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to appoint an advisory committee to develop recommendations for public school facilities’ indoor temperature standards, including a maximum temperature recommendation. The committee would include representatives from specified government bodies and other stakeholders, and it would submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature, including draft legislation to implement its recommendations. The Superintendent would also develop and report on estimates of the associated costs, and might request appropriations and the establishment of grant programs to assist schools with those.

Currently, a district’s schools have to be open for 180 days a year in order for it to receive its state education funding. However, the Superintendent is authorized to create rules for some exceptions, including allowing districts to still receive their full funding if one or more of their schools fail to be open long enough due to some specified unexpected natural events like floods or epidemics. The bill would add “excessive heat” in buildings to that list; the temperature or heat index that counted as excessive would be consistent with the National Weather Service’s guidance, and would be established by the Superintendent.