Happy Friday folks! The first cut-off of the 2026 legislative session is rapidly approaching. Next Wednesday, February 4th, is the policy committee House of Origin cut-off date. This means both education policy committees need to have heard, voted and passed bills out of committee, and into their respective rules or fiscal committees, by end of day Wednesday. Fiscal committees will have additional time to pass bills onto the opposite house, with their cut-off date scheduled Monday, February 9.
On Tuesday, the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee heard testimony on SB 6260, co-sponsored by the committee’s chair, Lisa Wellman. This bill was one of several put forth by Governor Ferguson in his supplemental budget proposal. SB 6260 not only makes significant cuts to Running Start funded enrollment, but withholds a percentage of 9-12 grade materials, supplies and operating cost allocations for the provisions of the high school and beyond plan platform and would also extend bus depreciation to 15 years. The bill remains overwhelmingly unpopular, and drew testimony from numerous community colleges across the state who showed up to voice their disapproval during the committee hearing that lasted nearly two hours.
On Wednesday, Senator and Ed Committee Chair, Lisa Wellman, held another hearing on a bill she co-sponsored that again drew wide criticism. SB 6261, “the homeschool bill,” is similar to one that she sponsored in the past, however it does not aim to lower the compulsory attendance requirements. Nevertheless, it appears to be just as unpopular. The bill would require homeschool parents to sign a declaration of intent, by child’s age of 6, as to whether or not they will send their child to public school. The solo “pro” voice for the bill was State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, who appeared in person to submit testimony, highlighting the growing need for this bill given our shrinking public school numbers and how the state plans to allocate future school funds.
Committee Meetings Next Week on tvw.org
House Education Committee:
- Monday, February 2nd @ 130pm
- Tuesday, February 3rd @ 4pm
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee:
- Tuesday, February 3rd @ 8am
- Wednesday, February 4th @ 1030am
New Bills this Week
HB 2649: which would require immediate law enforcement notification of criminal actions on public school property.
HB 2666: which would identify African American studies curricula for students in grades seven through 12.
SB 6299: which concerns artificial intelligence and instructional staff.
SB 6300: which authorizes school districts to adopt alternative learning standards.
House Bills We’re Following
HB 1295: which would require public schools to implement a comprehensive literacy program that uses evidence-based instructional practices to promote the early literacy and reading and writing literacy of students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The bill also directs the PESB to adopt revised literacy endorsement standards and to require teacher preparation programs to implement the revised standards (hearing time: 5:58).Testifying in support: representatives from Decoding Dyslexia WA, Puyallup SD, WEA, PESB, WSPTA and Gonzaga University. Testifying in opposition: several concerned citizens.
SSHB 1634: which establishes a network of statewide and regional partners to provide school districts and public schools with the technical assistance, resources, and training necessary to coordinate comprehensive student supports across the behavioral health continuum (hearing time: 1:18:47). Testified in support: representatives from Washington Thriving, NCESD, WSPTA, WSASP, OSPI, North Thurston SD, several concerned citizens and a student from the Mercer Island SD. Testified in opposition: representatives from CCHR. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.
HB 1795: This bill would prohibit specified interventions, including chemical and mechanical restraint, and prohibit the construction of isolation rooms, while allowing physical restraint and isolation of students under certain conditions. The bill would also prohibit the isolation of students in prekindergarten through fifth grade beginning August 1, 2027, except under specified conditions and modify requirements for incident notification, review, and reporting, behavioral intervention planning; and policies and procedures. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
HB 2007: which authorizes the use of competency-based assessment in specified graduation pathways (hearing time: 1:30:50). Testifying in support: several students from Lake Washington HS and several concerned citizens. Testifying as “other”: representatives from the SBE,
HB 2246: which would allow school districts that discipline a student for a firearm-related violation to deny or limit the student’s return to the school and, or to prohibit/ limit the student’s participation in or attendance at extracurricular or other activities. This bill also gives the power to school boards regarding initial and final decisions regarding suspension or expulsion (hearing time: 3:10). Testifying as “other”: representatives from OSPI. Testifying in opposition: representatives from Teen Child.
HB 2262: which would require that the content of mandatory high school civics classes include instruction in producing legible, repeatable, official cursive signatures and how signatures are used by election officials (hearing time: 22:14). Testifying in support: Benton County Auditor.
HB 2360: which would expand access to albuterol in public and private schools (hearing time: 33:07).Testifying in support: representatives from WSNA, OSPI, and several concerned citizens. Testifying as “other”: a concerned citizen. Scheduled for executive session on February 2nd at 130pm.
HB 2369: which establishes the Washington Local Food for Schools Program (WLFSP) in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to facilitate increased procurement and distribution of Washington-grown foods to participating school districts. (hearing time 22:04). Testifying in support: representatives from ESD 101, Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition, WCA, YLAC, WAF2Snetwork, Olympia SD and OSPI.
HB 2534: which would make changes to school district requirements for enrolling children of military families, transferring their education records, and providing them with services and accommodations (hearing time: 15:24). Testifying in support: representatives from Peninsula SD, Veterans Legislative Coalition and several concerned citizens. Testifying as “other”: representatives from the WEA.
HB 2557: which would require a school district to provide the student’s parent or guardian with a copy of the special education evaluation report at least five school days before the meeting at which the report will be reviewed or the student’s eligibility for services will be determined, unless the parent or guardian provides a written waiver of this timeline (hearing time: 36:43). Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI, WSPTA and Lake Washington SD.Testifying in opposition: representatives of WSASP and several concerned citizens.
HB 2594: which establishes state-based requirements for ensuring that homeless children and youths have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as is provided to other children and youths (hearing time: 1:05:13).Testifying in support: representatives from Building Changes, Communities in Schools WA, WSASP, Seattle Public Schools, Sumner-Bonney Lake SD, WSPTA, and a concerned citizen.
HB 2636: which would establish a 15-member Public Education Performance, Operations, and Funding Review Commission and direct the Commission to examine and report on policy requirements and funding for public schools enacted through legislation (hearing time: 1:20:38). Testifying in support: representatives from the Rural Ed Center and several concerned citizens.
Senate Bills We’re Following
SB 5346: which would revise the definition of digital citizenship so that the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use includes student use of mobile devices as well as directs OSPI to include research on student use of mobile devices and recommended best practice strategies for teaching students how to use their mobile devices responsibly (hearing time: 15:33 and 1:08:22). Testifying in support: representatives from WBBA/Global Strategies, SCPTSA and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: one concerned citizen.
SB 5574: which requires school districts to adopt a policy ensuring that instruction in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history is included in one or more required social studies courses when the district reviews or adopts its social studies curriculum during its regular review cycle (hearing time: 45:49). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA, AWSP, Make Us Visible, SCPTSA, several concerned citizens, and a student at Bellevue HS. Testifying in opposition: a concerned citizen. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5841: which requires high school and beyond plans to contain evidence that the student has completed at least one state or federal financial aid application, or that their parent or legal guardian has opted the student out of this requirement. The bill has passed out of committee.
SB 5849: which would make financial education a graduation requirement in Washington State. Scheduled for public hearing on February 4th at 1030am.
SB 5859: which adds language regarding competency-based assessment to certain graduation pathways (hearing time 39:34). Testifying in support: representatives from Pearson and EDEXCEL. Testifying as “other:” representatives from AWSP and SBE.
SB 5860: which would increase the compensation amount for school board directors from $50 per day to $100 per day and would add child care costs as a type of expense to be paid when directors attend school board meetings (hearing time: 16:47). Testifying in support: representatives from South Sound Superintendents. Testifying in opposition: representatives from Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes, and a concerned citizen. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA. From the Seattle Times, Bill Seeks to Increase School Board Directors’ Pay. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
SB 5907: which would expand allowable enrollment in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), to children from a household with a parent who is a military member and has a family income under a specified threshold (hearing time: 58:24). Testifying in support: representatives of PSESD, Medical Lake SD, Children’ s Campaign Fund, WSA Head Start & ECEAP and the VLC. The bill has passed out of committee.
SB 5918: which would increase allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs by $100 per student or $100,000 per school district, whichever is greater, beginning in the 2026-27 school year (hearing time: 49:15). Testifying in support: representatives from the Renton Education Assoc, CAC, WASBO, WASA, WSSDA, WSPTA, Rural Ed Center, Shoreline PTA Council, Highline PS, Shoreline PS, Chewelah SD, LWSD, Olympia SD, PSE, Lake Chelan SD, OSPI and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from WCAUT.
SB 5943: which allows expiring impact fees to be used to modernize school facilities to comply with state and federal laws regarding student safety, campus security, emergency response, and energy efficiency standards. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5951: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order to schools or school districts prescribing albuterol for any student or individual experiencing respiratory symptoms (hearing time: 1:15:46). Testifying in support: representatives from WSNA, and several concerned citizens. The bill has passed out of committee and was sent to the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5952: which would direct WSSDA and OSPI to develop a standardized process, including a template form, for excusing individual high school students from participating in physical education in accordance with state law (hearing time: 59:09). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBE, several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from SHAPE WA, and a concerned citizen.
SB 5956: which prohibits certain decisions related to student discipline and school safety based on automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition services. This bill would direct OSPI to update its guidance on artificial intelligence in K-12 education to address automated decision systems and school surveillance technologies (hearing time: 32:38). Testifying in support: representatives from the BESR and a concerned citizen. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5961: a companion bill to HB 2371, this bill would transfer the imagination library program from the department of children, youth, and families to the office of the superintendent of public instruction (hearing time 1:23:40). Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI and the Imagination Library Program.
SB 5969: which would allow students with a required Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition plan to elect for their transition plan to fulfill the high school and beyond plan requirements (hearing time: 134:22). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA, and the Communities of Schools in WA. Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI. Testifying in opposition: representatives from The Arc of King County, the SBE, LWSD, and a concerned citizen.
SB 5992: which would create a non-appropriated, youth development fund account and authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction to distribute grant funding from the account to certain entities to support youth development programs (hearing time: 00:34). Testifying in support: representatives from the YDST, Girl on the Run PS, Justice for Girls Coalition, Mentor WA, CIS, Colville Tribes, Arts Corps, DNR and several high school students.
SB 6042: which would require all safe school plans to include school maps that are available to first responder agencies (hearing time: 1:26:38). Testifying in support: representatives from the Freeman SD, Gig Harbor Police Dept, Critical Response Group, GEOCON and a concerned citizen.
SB 6051: which would authorize school district boards of directors to grant waivers or partial waivers of state laws and rules to individual schools, within limits and according to a certain process (hearing time: 1:27 and 39:46). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WASA and WSSDA. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the WEA, OSPI, and the SBE.
SB 6052: which would authorize the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative to develop a statewide digital transcript file standard and a secure, platform-independent environment for the exchange of transcript data between school districts, charter schools, state-tribal education compact schools, and postsecondary institutions (hearing time: 8:44).Testifying in support: representatives from EWU, The Council of Presidents, Independent Colleges of WA, OSPI, WSIPC, Edmonds SD, Auburn SD and a concerned citizen.
SB 6089: which aims to increase coordination and alignment among state agencies, educational institutions, and workforce partners across the education continuum (hearing time: 14:00). Testifying in support: representatives from LEV, WA STEM, Independent Colleges of WA, Communities in our Colleges, PSESD, WA Student Assoc. and The Children’s Alliance. Testifying as “other:” representatives of the WEA, OSPI and SBCTC.
SB 6118: a companion bill to HB 2549, which would require each school district to develop a cardiac emergency response plan for each school within the district and for each athletic facility on the school campus. The bill requires that these cardiac emergency response plans must include designating a cardiac emergency response team and designating locations for the installation of automated external defibrillators throughout campus (hearing time: 1:01:27).Testifying in support: several concerned citizens.
SB 6122: which would update the state’s distribution formula with the aim of increasing school district flexibility in expenditure of basic education funding.
SB 6125: which would provide that if a local education agency’s combined state revenue generated in the 2026-27 or 2027-28 school year is less than what its combined state revenue would be using 2025-26 enrollment values, then OSPI must provide an enrollment stabilization amount equal to the difference (hearing time: 1:32:43). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA, and the Olympia SD.
SB 6130: a companion bill to HB 2341, which directs public high schools to observe National Voter Registration Day each September and to coordinate voter registration events on National Voter Registration Day (hearing time: 00:37). Testifying in support: representatives from King County Elections, Pierce County Auditors’ Office, OSPI, YLAC and several concerned citizens.
SB 6192: which would authorize each ESD to select six high-performing teachers each year to receive an ongoing annual bonus of between $10,000 and $20,000 and instructs school districts to implement a structured literacy program as well as a structured numeracy program, and would require elementary schools to take certain steps, including meeting with parents and guardians and implementing an intensive improvement strategy, for elementary students who score below grade level on third-grade statewide mathematics assessments (hearing time: 6:50 and 35:59). Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI and the AESD. Testifying in opposition: representatives from WEA, and several concerned citizens.
SB 6222: which allows school districts and educational service districts to sell surplus computer laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices or equipment at depreciated cost to public school students (hearing time: 1:42).Testifying in support: representatives from Issaquah SD and several high school students.
SB 6247: which directs educational service districts (ESDs) to provide additional budget oversight and support to school districts that are in binding conditions or showing indicators of financial distress. The bill also directs the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) to provide governance training regarding district budgeting, accounting, and financial health, and requires school directors to complete the training (hearing time: 18:04). Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI and AESDs. Testifying as “other:” representatives from WSSDA and the WEA.
SB 6260: which requires OSPI to withhold up to 1.9 percent of 9-12 grade materials, supplies, and operating cost allocations for the provision of licenses to the universal online high school and beyond plan platform, and prohibits such allocations from being used for OSPI staff salaries or benefits. The bill also reduces the funded maximum enrollment for Running Start students to 1.2 full-time equivalents (FTE), rather than 1.4 FTE (hearing time: 57:25). Testifying in support: representatives from the OFM. Testifying in opposition: representatives from OSPI, Grays Harbor College, Lake Washington School District, Clover Park Technical College, SBCTC, Yakima Valley College, Whatcom CC, Pierce College Puyallup, Big Bend CC, The Rural Ed Center and several concerned citizens.
SB 6261: which requires parents who do not enroll their children in public or private school at age six to file a signed declaration with the local school district during the school years the children turn six and seven. The bill specifies that the declaration should include if they are planning to, or currently receiving, home-based instruction or planning to enroll in public or private school (hearing time: 24:05). Testifying in support: the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Washington Homeschool Assoc, and several concerned citizens.
SB 6268: which would require OSPI to maintain an online record of all final decisions issued in response to special education community complaints in the prior 20 years (hearing time: 38:50).Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI, Washington Autism Alliance, The Arc of WA and several concerned citizens.
SB 6278: which would require the PESB ongoing review of approved educator preparation programs to include program standards, educator role standards, evidence submitted by programs, and input from community constituents such as classroom educators and administrators (hearing time: 50: 21). Testifying as “other:” representatives from the PESB.
Odds and Ends
I debated whether to go into more details regarding two controversial initiatives that are likely to end up on the November ballot. I decided to include them in the “odds and ends,” section as Washington Democrats have said they will not hold hearings on them and the House Education Committee on Thursday denied the motion by Republicans to hear testimony on the initiatives. From The Seattle Times, WA Initiative to Bar Trans Girls from Sports will likely go to Voters, AND WA Voters Could Revise Parental ‘Bill of Rights,’ this November.
Games are more fun! This week from Edutopia, Using Board Games to Strengthen Literacy Skills.
CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator
Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2026 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.
Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master’s in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 8 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.