Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Wesley Charles Lipicky Act Monday, prohibiting anyone from operating a motorized partition when students are in a room at school unless the wall has a safety sensor installed with it.
The legislation brings a bittersweet resolution to the grieving parents of Wesley Lipicky one year after their son was crushed to death by a motorized partition.
"It's hard to explain, it's hard to understand and recently it's gotten harder," mother Amy Lipicky previously told News4.
The legislation was introduced after a News4 consumer investigation revealed that most schools in the D.C. area have no formal policy or safeguard in place for their motorized partitions.
Following advocacy from Wesley's parents and grandmother, the Virginia General Assembly passed the legislation.
Both parents were present for the ceremonial bill signing ceremony at Franconia Elementary School. Virginia House Delegate Mark Sickles, who represented the Lipickys and introduced the legislation, also was present.
"We're saving some child's life here with this legislation," Sickles said.
May 18 will mark one year since Wesley died. The Lipickys say while they're still struggling to cope with their loss, this bill is a positive outcome that Wesley would have appreciated.
"The bill is a good thing and it's OK to look at it that way," father Josh Lipicky said.
