Happy New Year! We are back in action and ready for the start of the 2024 Washington State Legislative Session. Session will officially begin on Monday, January 8th. Washington State’s legislative cycles are two years in length and within that cycle there are two types of sessions: regular and short. 2024 will be a short session, lasting roughly 60 days, as opposed to the 2023 session that lasted 105 days. With shorter sessions, it helps to keep in mind that bills introduced in year one of a legislative cycle remain alive and carryover into year two of that legislative cycle. That being said, it is very likely that we will see some new discussion around bills that were introduced last session. 

In shorter sessions, the legislature’s main focus is to pass the current biennium’s supplemental capital, operational, and transportation budgets. In mid-December, Governor Inslee released a proposed $70.9 billion dollar state supplemental budget, which on the education front, includes a budget plan to boost wages for paraeducators by $3.00 per hour. Inslee said that would bring a pay bump for roughly 32,000 education workers working in that role. 

According to The Seattle Times, in addition to the proposed wage increase for paraeducators, also known as teachers’ aides, Governor Inslee wants to increase the money Washington school districts get for special education. Inslee has proposed putting additional money toward constructing K-12 schools using new revenues from the capital gains tax.

In December, Washington lawmakers begin pre filing bills for the upcoming session. Among them are quite a few education-related bills that prove timely and show promise. HB 2018, which aims to restrict the use of cell phones in public school classrooms, is likely to be a bill worth following. The Seattle Times reported that some states, like California, Tennessee, and more recently, Florida, have passed legislation allowing schools to restrict or prohibit the use of cell phones in schools, but that Washington has not passed legislation on the matter.

-Samantha Miller

Important Legislative Links

Legislative Website: Get information on bills, legislators, hearings and more.

Bill Tracker: Track specific bills, read bill reports.

TVW: Watch live and archived legislative proceedings.

Note about legislative updates:

CSTP relays these legislative updates to provide information on bills, budgets and legislative processes. CSTP doesn’t have a legislative agenda, but does track legislative issues most relevant to teaching.

Pre-Filled Bills

HB 1897 and SB 5809: which concerns enrichment funding for charter public schools.

HB 1914: which aims to improve the education of students with varying abilities by enhancing special education services.

HB 1915: and SB 5819: which would require school districts by the 2025-26 school year, to provide high school students with access to at least one-half credit of financial education instruction.

HB 1922: which would establish a grant program for the purchase and installation of vape detectors in public schools.

HB 1923: which relates to adjusting funds for special education enrollment. 

HB 1935: which promotes resource conservation practices that include student education and leadership opportunities in public schools.

HB 1944: which would establish a running start for the trades grant program.

HB 1956: which aims to address and provide additional education relating to fentanyl and other substance use prevention in public schools.

HB 1960 and SB 5882: which would improve individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs by providing funds for additional staffing of paraprofessionals in both instructional and non-instructional roles.

HB 1985: which would provide a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1.

HB 2005: which relates to standardizing weighted grade point averages on high school transcripts.

HB 2017: which addresses school districts with aged facilities and a history of capital bond failure.

HB 2018: which aims to improve student outcomes by restricting mobile device use by public school students.

HB 2029: which concerns opioid overdose reversal medication in high schools.

HB 2037: which concerns the requirement of Holocaust and genocide education in public schools.

HB 2038: which concerns data collection on student transfers and withdrawals from public schools and school districts.

HB 2053: which would establish the ninth grade success program across Washington State.

HB 2058: which would increase student access to free meals served at public schools.

 HB 2078: which aims to improve school safety by increasing penalties for interference, intimidation by threat or force, or violence at schools and school-related athletic activities.

HB 2110: which would reorganize statutory requirements governing high school graduation.

SB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school.

 SB 5813: which would require school districts to offer instruction in agricultural literacy in grades 7-12.

SB 5819: which would make financial education instruction a graduation prerequisite and a required component of public education.

SB 5850: which aims to support students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school.

SB 5851: which addresses Holocaust and genocide education in public schools. 

SB 5903: which concerns representation in the educator preparation act.

SB 5923: which would address fentanyl and other substance use prevention education.

Odds and Ends

Is cursive handwriting having a comeback? “There’s a lot of research that shows that cursive handwriting enhances a child’s brain development, including memorization, and improves fine motor skills.” This week from The Seattle Times’ Education Team, Cursive writing was so yesterday in California, but in 2024 it’s back in class.

“Kindergarten through eighth grade students get hands-on experience with making dirt while also teaching them ways to address human-driven climate change.” From KQED’s MindShift, How to Inspire Climate Hope in Kids? Get Their Hands Dirty.