Washington Senate approves seismic safety bill for schools

Levy to build tsunami protection at North Beach School District failing

Voters in the North Bend School District are voting to not fund tsunami protection

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington Senate has unanimously approved a measure that would allow older schools at high risk of threat from earthquakes or tsunamis to get state dollars to replace or retrofit buildings.

To qualify for the funding, schools must be located in a high hazard area, must have been built before 1998 and not have been retrofitted more recently than 2005. The grants would pay two-thirds of the cost of replacing or retrofitting eligible schools.

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The bill cleared the Senate Wednesday and now heads to the House for consideration.

"Low-probability but catastrophic risks like earthquakes and tsunamis are some of the hardest for communities to guard against," Democratic Sen. David Frockt, the sponsor of the measure, said in a written statement.

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