After Years of Advocacy on Secure Firearm Storage from Washington Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Volunteers, Washington Lawmakers Advance First-of-its-kind Legislation

The Washington chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the Washington Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee passed HB 1759, legislation that would require all Washington schools to share secure storage information with parents and guardians. This bill would be the first of its kind to require schools statewide to promote secure storage. Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action volunteers and supporters have sent close to 1,600 emails to legislators this session in support of gun safety. 

“Legislators are taking bold action to protect our students in and out of the classroom,” said April Schentrup, a gun violence survivor and volunteer with the Washington chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We appreciate our state lawmakers’ urgency to protect our children and we will continue to support this bill until it reaches the governor’s desk.”

Legislators in the Senate Law and Justice Committee will also hold hearings today on HB 1705, legislation prohibiting ghost guns, and HB 1630, legislation prohibiting firearms in public gatherings including school board meetings, voting centers, and other offices related to the electoral process.

More than 2 million students across the country now live in a school district that requires schools to educate parents about the critical importance of secure firearm storage in keeping schools and students safe, thanks to the tireless advocacy of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers. But there are still too many children at home with unsecured guns putting our communities at risk of school gun violence and unintentional shootings. State lawmakers should  follow the lead of school boards across the country and pass legislation to make sure all schools are sharing this life-saving information. If passed, the law would be the first-of-its-kind in the United States. 

Statistics about gun violence in Washington are available here, and more information about secure storage devices is available here. Everytown’s interactive gun law platform — which shows the direct correlation between the strength of a state’s gun laws and its rate of gun deaths — is available here. If you have questions, or to request an interview with a volunteer from Washington Moms Demand Action please don’t hesitate to reach out.