Legislators faced their first cut-off of the 2026 legislative session. Wednesday, February 4, was the policy committee cut-off. Bills that did not get “exec’d,” and passed onto to their respective rules or fiscal committees are considered dead and will not move forward this session. Due to the budgetary constraints, and necessary cuts, lawmakers were forced to make some very difficult decisions and alter priorities. Regarding the budget, we can assume that fiscal committees will release their respective budget proposals after the release of the February Revenue Forecast which should drop next week.
There were many bills that did not make the cut. As plainly stated in the Washington State Standard on Thursday, “A 60-day legislative session can be a cruel thing if you’re hoping to see a bill passed.” One bill worth noting that will not move forward this session was Senate Ed Chair, Lisa Wellman’s sponsored SB 6261, which required parents to sign a declaration of intent if they were to homeschool their child. Bills that passed out of their policy committees and into fiscal committees have until Monday, February 9, which is a quick turnaround. After that, bills must pass out of their original chamber by February 17. Bills that are considered “necessary to the budget,” are immune from deadline.
On Thursday, February 5th, Washington States’ Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, addressed the media regarding a proposal to sustain state funding for public K–12 schools with increased revenue. Reykdal addressed the tax code and how it affects the state’s paramount duty to its residents. He dropped the fact that it costs $400,00 dollars today to raise a child in our state, and that universal access to early learning should be the number one priority. Watch the full address here.
Committee Meetings Next Week on tvw.org
House Appropriations Committee:
- Friday, February 6th @ 1030am
- Saturday, February 7th @ 9am
- Monday, February 9th @ 1030am
Senate Ways & Means Committee:
- Friday, February 6th @ 130pm
- Monday, February 9th @ 1030am
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
HB 2147: which provides additional funding for school materials, supplies, and operating costs. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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 is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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 Rules 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 is in the Senate Rules 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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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 is in 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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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: 1:34:22). 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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
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. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.
Odds and Ends
The return to analog. “they are journaling, and they are constantly and consistently doing everything with a pen or a pencil.” From NPR Education, “To Keep AI out of her Classroom, this High School English Teacher went Analog.”
Tutoring and reading scores. What San Francisco is doing to get kids reading at grade level. San Francisco Schools Expand Tutoring Program to get Students Reading at Grade Level.
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.