HB 1031
In CommitteeHouse
School facility temperatures
Mitigating the impact of rising school facility temperatures resulting from climate change.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill addresses rising school temperatures due to climate change by requiring the state to develop indoor temperature standards for public schools and expand authority to cancel school days during extreme heat without losing state funding. It also creates a process for schools to seek state support for cooling upgrades.
- Create a new advisory committee—led by the superintendent of public instruction—to develop indoor temperature standards (including a maximum temperature) for public school facilities by September 1, 2025.
- Require the advisory committee to include representatives from the Department of Health, Environmental Justice Council, State Building Code Council, school maintenance staff, teachers’ unions, school board associations, and a parent.
- Authorize the superintendent of public instruction to establish rules allowing school districts to cancel school days due to excessive heat (defined as temperatures or heat index consistent with National Weather Service guidance) and still receive full state funding.
- Require the superintendent to report cost estimates for implementing temperature standards to the governor and legislature by July 1, 2026, and allow requests for legislative funding or grant programs to help schools comply.
- Amend existing law to clarify that school closures due to excessive heat are considered an “unforeseen condition,” protecting districts’ eligibility for state funding.
Who is affected
- Public school students and staff — Students and staff in public K–12 schools may face increased health and learning risks during extreme heat events due to lack of cooling infrastructure; the bill aims to improve safety and learning conditions.
- Public school districts — School districts may need to upgrade facilities or adjust operations to meet new temperature standards, and may be eligible for state grants to help cover costs.
- State agencies and advisory bodies — State agencies like the Department of Health, State Building Code Council, and Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will play key roles in developing standards, rules, and implementation plans.
- Parents and families — Parents of public school students will have a voice in the advisory committee and may benefit from safer, more comfortable learning environments for their children.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill establishes a state-mandated process to protect students and staff from heat-related health risks—including authorizing school closures during excessive heat without loss of funding—directly reducing heat-related illness and mortality among vulnerable populations.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(1), Sec. 3(2)(a)(i)The advisory committee includes diverse stakeholders—especially teachers’ unions, maintenance staff, parents, and the Environmental Justice Council—ensuring frontline voices shape standards, increasing the likelihood that standards reflect real-world conditions in underserved schools.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2), Sec. 2(3)By authorizing grant programs to assist schools with cooling upgrades, the bill creates opportunities for local HVAC contractors, engineers, and construction firms—particularly small- and mid-sized businesses in Washington—to compete for public work, supporting local jobs.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 2(5)The requirement to consider alignment with the state energy performance standards (chapter 19.27A RCW) ensures that cooling solutions avoid increasing carbon emissions—preventing climate mitigation efforts from being undermined by reactive, energy-intensive cooling.
EnvironmentPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)By explicitly defining excessive heat using National Weather Service guidance and clarifying that heat-related closures are unforeseen conditions, the bill removes bureaucratic barriers to protecting student health—ensuring districts can act swiftly without fear of funding penalties.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2)(b)
Potential Concerns (4)
The bill requires cost estimates to be reported by July 1, 2026, but does not appropriate funding—meaning implementation depends on future legislative action, creating uncertainty and potential delays in cooling upgrades for schools that may already be vulnerable to heat-related health risks.
FinancialRef: Sec. 2(4)Grant programs for cooling upgrades are contingent on future legislative appropriations, meaning low-income districts with fewer local tax bases may be last in line for funding—delaying life-saving cooling infrastructure despite urgent health needs.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 2(5)The bill expands the superintendent’s authority to cancel school days for excessive heat, but does not mandate paid instructional time recovery or compensatory learning, potentially widening learning loss for students in under-resourced districts already facing academic setbacks.
Public SafetyLean peopleRef: Sec. 3(2)(a)(ii)The bill imposes no new mandates on school districts before September 1, 2025 (advisory committee report) and January 1, 2026 (cost estimates), giving districts time to prepare—but also delays concrete action during a period of intensifying heat risk.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 2(3)
Who Is Most Affected
Students and staff in older or poorly ventilated schools—especially in southern and eastern Washington, where heat extremes are increasing—will benefit most from reduced heat exposure and safer learning environments. Low-income students and those with preexisting health conditions (e.g., asthma, cardiovascular conditions) are at highest risk during heat events and gain the most from protections.
School districts in low-wealth areas—those without robust local bond measures or property tax bases—will face the greatest challenge in affording cooling upgrades. However, they are also most likely to qualify for and benefit from state grant programs if funded, making the net impact mixed but leaning positive if grants are well-targeted.
The Department of Health and Environmental Justice Council gain expanded influence over school facility standards, aligning with their public health and equity mandates. The State Building Code Council may see increased workload but also an opportunity to integrate climate resilience into building codes—shifting its role toward proactive adaptation.
Parents—especially those with children in schools lacking air conditioning—will benefit from reduced heat-related absenteeism and improved learning conditions. However, if cooling upgrades are delayed or underfunded, they may bear the cost of lost instructional time through extended summer learning loss or private tutoring.