(1) Any elementary or secondary school student who is determined to have carried a firearm onto, or to have possessed a firearm on, public elementary or secondary school premises, public school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used exclusively by public schools, shall be expelled from school for not less than one year under RCW 28A.600.010. The superintendent of the school district, educational service district, or state school for the blind, or the director of the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, or the director's designee, may modify the expulsion of a student on a case-by-case basis.

(2) For purposes of this section, "firearm" means a firearm as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 921, and a "firearm" as defined in RCW 9.41.010.

(3) This section shall be construed in a manner consistent with the individuals with disabilities education act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1401 et seq.

(4) Nothing in this section prevents a public school district, educational service district, the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, or the state school for the blind if it has expelled a student from such student's regular school setting from providing educational services to the student in an alternative setting.

(5) This section does not apply to:

(a) Any student while engaged in military education authorized by school authorities in which rifles are used but not other firearms; or

(b) Any student while involved in a convention, showing, demonstration, lecture, or firearms safety course authorized by school authorities in which the rifles of collectors or instructors are handled or displayed but not other firearms; or

(c) Any student while participating in a rifle competition authorized by school authorities.

(6) A school district may suspend or expel a student for up to one year subject to subsections (1), (3), (4), and (5) of this section, if the student acts with malice as defined under RCW 9A.04.110 and displays an instrument that appears to be a firearm, on public elementary or secondary school premises, public school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used exclusively by public schools.

Findings—Intent—2009 c 381: See note following RCW 72.40.015.

Severability—1997 c 265: See note following RCW 13.40.160.

Part headings, table of contents not law—1995 c 335: See note following RCW 28A.150.360.