As we say goodbye to February and come to an epic close of week 7 of session, it is hard to wrap one’s brain around how many bills met their end in today’s fiscal cut-off. Since last Saturday, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways & Means Committee have been meeting daily for marathon stretches; hearing and exec’ing hundreds of bills. Bills that were not scheduled for executive session by 5pm today will not move forward.
There’s hardly any doubt that the large budget deficit played a role in the decision making process of the fiscal committees, as it did in policy committees. On Monday, House Democrats launched a new website entitled, “WA Budget Cuts.” This first blog highlighted the, “all cuts, no revenue budget,” former Governor Jay Inslee was required to prepare, called the “Book 1” Budget. “These cuts would be devastating for our higher education system, our funding for human services, our funding for many, many health care services, for public health services, and for long term care,” said Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma). Weekly updates are expected to be posted weekly.
On Thursday, Governor Bob Ferguson proposed a plan to cut another approximately $4 billion. “Our state faces a historic budget shortfall,” Ferguson said. “This challenge demands thoughtful leadership and a commitment to fiscal responsibility. My team and I have scoured state spending for savings and efficiencies. We must prioritize while protecting the core needs of Washingtonians.” Important to note, that his proposal plans to maintain all K-12 education investments, and adopt all of Governor Jay Inslee’s proposed investments, a total of more than $15 billion annually. Ferguson’s proposal increases the percentage of the budget devoted to K-12 however seems to maintain the suspension of the bonuses for National Board Certified Teachers.
What’s next? Policy Committees will begin to hear legislation that has been sent to them from the opposite house. Lawmakers will have their chance to propose and pass amendments on these bills before they are sent to the floor for debate. The next cut-off date will be the “House of Origin,” cut-off on Wednesday, March 12. This will be the last day for bills still sitting in respective Rules Committees to be passed on to the opposite house.
Education Committee Schedules for next week on tvw.org
House Education Committee:
- Monday, March 5 @ 8am
House Bills
HB 1079: which would allow school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2026-27 school year (hearing time: 1:49:59). Testifying in support: several concerned citizens. Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
SHB 1085: which expands the school-related crimes of Interference by Force or Violence and Intimidation by Threat of Force or Violence, and increases the penalties. The bill requires the OSPI to develop a standard signage form notifying the public of the offenses of Interference by Force or Violence and Intimidation by Threat of Force or Violence and possible penalties, and requires signage to be displayed at public school gymnasiums, auditoriums, and athletic fields (Appropriations hearing time: 00:31). The bill has passed out of committee.
HB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system (Appropriations hearing time: 2:28:46). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee and scheduled for executive session on Friday, February 28 at 9am.
HB 1285: which would make financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools and requires public school students, beginning with the graduating class of 2031, to meet the high school state financial education learning standards to graduate (Appropriations hearing time: 3:39:45). The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee and scheduled for executive session on Friday, February 28, at 9am.
SHB 1296: which would make changes to delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and would establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees (hearing time: 1:12:20). Testifying in support: representatives from the SCPTSA, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from Eatonville School Board and Reject 5599. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
HB 1338: which increases per pupil amounts for several materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) categories in state prototypical school funding formulas, lowers class sizes for skill centers from 19 to 16.67 and requires a review and rebase of MSOC every four years beginning the 2029-30 school year. The bill was passed out of committee.
HB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events (hearing time: 1:07). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
HB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs (hearing time: 1:55). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
SHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs (Appropriations hearing time: 2:43:51). The bill has passed out of committee.
HB 1817: directs OSPI to post staff training materials on trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to disclosures of sexual abuse, misconduct, and assault and to develop a student and family guide on laws, policies, and procedures related to this topic and mandatory reporting as well as requires mandatory reporter training for school employees (hearing time: 24:02). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
Senate Bills
SB 5004: which would update emergency response systems in public schools including panic or alert buttons (hearing time: 16:58 and 28.50). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to adopt separate standards for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and creates a two-tiered certificate system for educational interpreters (hearing time: 00:33 and 1:24:44). The bill is in the House Education Committee.
SSB 5123: which would add protected classes to the nondiscrimination provisions that apply to Washington public schools: ethnicity, homelessness, immigration status, and neurodivergence (Ways & Means hearing time: 1:09:51). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5177: which would require OSPI to specify that the professional development resources that are provided on certain topics must consider the experiences of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups (hearing time: 1:03:44). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5179: which directs OSPI to establish a process to investigate and address complaints alleging noncompliance with state laws concerning civil rights; harassment, intimidation, and bullying; certain curriculum requirements; the use of restraint or isolation on a student; and student discipline (hearing time: 1:32:51). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee and scheduled for executive session on Friday, February 28 at 1:30pm.
ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school and removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment (hearing time: 2:29). The bill is in the House Education Committee.
SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process (hearing time: 1:11:45). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation (Ways & Means hearing time: 11:15). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5193: which allows school districts with online programs to provide students the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill directs OSPI to develop assessment administration and security policies to support remote testing options by April 1, 2027 (hearing time: 51:16). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5240: which allows a school nurse or designated trained school personnel to use any available epinephrine on school property to respond to an anaphylactic reaction when certain requirements are met as well as provides liability protections when epinephrine is administered in substantial compliance with the written policies of the school district (hearing time: 1:00:00). Testifying as “other:” representatives from SNOW and WFIS. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22 (hearing time: 32:03). The bill was passed out of committee.
SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting (Ways & Means hearing time: 42:54). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5272: which expands the school-related crimes of Interference by Force or Violence and Intimidation by Threat of Force or Violence, and increases the penalties for Interference by Force or Violence. The bill also requires standard signage notifying the public of these offenses and possible penalties to be displayed at public school gymnasiums, auditoriums, and public school athletic fields (hearing time: 5:16). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SSB 5327: which directs the SBE to develop recommendations for students to have the opportunity to demonstrate competency of the high school computer science state learning standards, and consider how to incorporate the competencies into the framework of graduation requirements (Ways & Means hearing time: 1:14:39). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5358: which provides prototypical school funding for 6th grade Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses offered in a middle school (hearing time: 00:28). The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee and scheduled for executive session on Friday, February 28 at 1:30pm.
SB 5369: which amends the statutory definition of school social worker and grants authority for ESDs to coordinate with local mental health agencies to arrange for in-school placements of licensed social worker associates and masters of social work candidates (hearing time: 1:35 and 1:07:45). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5386: which directs YLAC to lead a discussion about the requirements for mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect and directs OSPI to post staff training materials on trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to disclosures of sexual abuse, including best practices for working with local community experts, and to develop a student and family guide on laws/policies related to this topic by November 1, 2026 (hearing time: 8:21). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5418: which allows charter school contracts to include exemptions to one or more of the basic education requirements (hearing time: 53:41). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen, and representatives from the WA State Charter School Commission. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5570: which requires school districts to incorporate curricula about the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes into their social studies curricula no later than September 1, 2026, and requires districts to collaborate with neighboring tribes on coordinating curricula (Ways & Means hearing time: 1:21:20). The bill was passed out of committee.
SB 5596: which states that every person employed by a school district in a teaching or other nonsupervisory certificated position shall be subject to nonrenewal of employment contract during the first three years of employment by such district, unless, the employee has previously completed at least two years of certificated employment in another school district in the state of Washington (hearing time: 55:24). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5637: which requires school districts that operate a high school provide a mandatory one-half credit stand-alone course in civics for each high school student hearing time: 1:28). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5769: which renames “Transitional Kindergarten,” to “Transition to Kindergarten,” classes, as well as requests OSPI to administer the TTK Program and determine allocation of state funding for, and minimum standards and requirements for the TTK Program. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee and scheduled for executive session on Friday, February 28 at 1:30pm.
Odds and Ends
Banking between classes? Students at one Washington High School are doing it. From the Spokesman Review; Student-Run Gesa Credit Union Branch Opens at Ridgeline High School, ‘We’re Teaching Them How to be Independent.’
Standing Up for Black History Month. This week from KQED’s MindShift, Rollback of Diversity Efforts Leaves Teachers Wondering about Effects on Black History Month.