Happy Friday! The legislature reached yet another major cut-off of the 2023-24 Legislative Session. Monday, February 5, was the last day for fiscal committees (House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means) to pass bills out of their house of origin. Both fiscal committees held marathon hearings, a few surpassing 9 hour stretches, in the hopes to cover as many bills as possible. Many education bills we have been following made the cut, however, there were several bills that died in the fiscal committee process. One such bill, HB 2058, which aimed to provide free school meals to all requesting students, failed to make it out of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday and will no longer move forward this session. 

After the fiscal cut-off on Monday, both the House and Senate shifted their focus to full-time floor activity. Bills that are sitting in respective “Rules Committees,” may get considered, and scheduled to be placed on the floor calendar by their leadership, caucused on, and then brought to a vote before they move on to the opposite house. This is a lot of steps to be completed before the next session cut-off date and there are hundreds of bills sitting in Rules Committees. Next Tuesday, February 13, is the last day for bills to be passed out of their house of origin in order to “stay alive.”

• Watch TVW.org for live action floor coverage of the House and Senate this week.

Bills We’re Following

ESHB 1113: which requires the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to adopt rules for reviewing and vacating reprimands related to behavior that did not involve a student issued to certificated professional educators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

HB 1146: which requires public schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

2SHB 1228: which relates to grant programs for establishing dual language education and tribal language education programs, as well as multilingual skill bonuses for certificated instructional staff and paraeducators (hearing time: 1:41:46). Testified in support: representatives from OSPI and OneAmerica. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

4SHB 1239: which would establish a simple, uniform, and easily accessible state-level process for the receipt and classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system, and would require school districts to post the complaint process on their websites and make information available about the complaint process (hearing time: 1:50:07). Testified in support: a concerned citizen and representatives from the SCPTSA. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESHB 1277: which requires improving the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental course of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee.

4SHB 1479: which would limit restraint and isolation of students, including by prohibiting chemical and mechanical restraint, modifies requirements for incident notification, adds staff and governing body training requirements and establishes state compliance monitoring and support  (hearing time: 1:57:00). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen and representatives from Disability Rights Washington and the Arc of King County. Testifying as “other:” a concerned citizen and representatives from the WEA, PSE. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

3SHB 1565: which considers a feasibility report for a statewide online platform for recruitment and hiring of public school employees, establishes teacher residency programs, requires a teacher exchange program report, intends to improve beginning educator quality and increase beginning educator retention and to establish minimum requirements for educator workforce research (hearing time: 1:20:54). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

EsHB 1608: which requires the Secretary of Health to issue a statewide standing order prescribing epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors to any school district for use by designated trained school personnel. The bill also permits school districts to maintain a supply of epinephrine and epinephrine autoinjectors (hearing time: 3:42). The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

HB 1879: which would name the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulilaš) (hearing time: 00:37). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 1915: 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 (hearing time: 22:26). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

HB 1935: which promotes resource conservation practices that include student education and leadership opportunities in public schools (hearing time: 45:54). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 1956: which directs the Secretary of Health to annually develop and distribute a statewide multimedia substance use prevention and awareness campaign that meets specified requirements and requires OSPI to distribute school and classroom substance use prevention and awareness materials (hearing time: 2:14:49). Testifying in support: representatives from the Office of the Governor. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2037: which would require, beginning with the 2027-28 school year, public schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides and crimes against humanity when the topic aligns with the social studies learning standards (hearing time: 51:04). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2038: which concerns data collection on student transfers and withdrawals from public schools and school districts (hearing time: 1:18:20). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

HB 2110: which concerns reorganizing statutory requirements governing high school graduation (hearing time: 48:53). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 2236: which directs OSPI to develop an Allied Health Professions Career and Technical Education Core Plus Program and provide available curriculum and instructional materials to districts and skill centers for optional use by the 2025-26 school year (hearing time: 4:07:09). Testified as “other:” representatives from the AGC and the AWB. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SHB 2239: which would encourage school districts to provide instruction on skills that promote social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness (hearing time: 3:07:24). Testifying in support: representatives from Committee for Children, NAMI Washington and the National Parents Association. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Conservative Ladies of WA. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2267: which would provide public school students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies (hearing time: 56:00). The bill is in the House Rules committee.

SHB 2331: which would bar school boards from refusing to approve, or prohibiting the use of, an educational material on the basis that it relates to the study of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class, and would establish new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SHB 2398: which would require school district instructional materials committees (IMCs) to include parents of students in a number equaling less than one half of the total membership of the IMC (hearing time: 11:08). The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5804: which would require school districts to maintain at least one set of opioid reversal medication doses within each high school (hearing time: 11:24 and 45:14). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5849: which requires that all students show competency in high school learning standards related to computer science in order to graduate from high school, but specifies that the requirements do not increase the number of high school credits required for graduation, beginning with the 2029 graduating class. The bill also provides various options in which students may demonstrate competency in computer science learning standards (hearing time: 4:37:24). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen. Testifying as “other:” representatives from OSPI. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 5850: which would establish a grant program for community-based organizations  to support students who are chronically absent, and would require each ESD to develop and offer staff training on early warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent (hearing time: 32:28). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBTCT, OPSI, UWKC, WSCA and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

2SSB 5851: which requires public middle, junior high, and high schools to provide Holocaust and genocide instruction when this topic aligns with the social studies learning standards beginning with the 2027-28 school year (hearing time: 5:52:23). Testifying in support: representatives of the Holocaust Center for Humanity, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Vancouver Schools and several concerned citizens. Testified as “other:”representatives from WASEN and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from BAI and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

SB 5852: would require that special education safety net awards only be adjusted for errors in applications or IEPs that materially affect the demonstration of need (hearing time: 5:44:50). Testifying in support: representatives from South Sound Superintendents, Chehalis SD, WSSDA and Mercer Island SD. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SSB 5882: which would phase in additional staffing allocations for paraprofessionals in instructional and non-instructional roles in an effort to improve the individualized support for student learning and behavioral needs (hearing time: 4:54:06). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA, OSPI, Tukwila SD, South Sound Superintendents, PSE and the WSPTA. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Washington Policy Center. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 5883: provides that a school district has the burden of proof when it is a party to a special education due process hearing and creates an exception to this burden of proof requirement in circumstances when a parent seeks reimbursement for a unilateral parental placement (hearing time: 7:01 and 38:26). The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 6205: which would mandate instruction on the meaning and history of the pledge of allegiance in public schools (hearing time: 19:00). The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SSB 6264: which would require the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop and recommend a process to identify and designate schools and school districts that are implementing competency-based education (CBE) and identify costs associated with this process (hearing time: 5:33:51). Testifying in support: a concerned citizen.  Testifying in opposition: several concerned citizens and representatives from the Conservative Ladies of WA. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

Odds and Ends

Is there a good way to go about combating screen time in the lives of teens? This week from The Seattle Times’ Education Lab, Educators Share 5 Ways to Confront Kids’ Screen Time.

This made me smile and thought it worth including: The Music Teacher Who Just Won a Grammy Says it Belongs to Her Students.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2024 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 in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 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.