Concerning K-12 funding.
HB 1356 adjusts Washington state's K-12 school funding by updating local enrichment levy limits and creating a state matching program. It sets new per-pupil funding caps ($2,500 for districts under 40,000 students, $3,000 for larger districts) through 2030, adjusted annually for inflation plus a temporary 3.33% annual increase (2027-2030), then raises the cap to $5,035 starting in 2031. The bill requires school districts to get approval for how they spend local levy funds before voting on them and links state funding to local effort - matching districts that raise less than $1.50 per $1,000 in property value. This directly affects all public school districts and state-tribal education compact schools by changing how local taxes and state funds combine to support school programs.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026
Last action Jan 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill
→
Substitute Bill
·
5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from House Bill 1356 to Substitute House Bill 1356, primarily changing the bill number, sponsors, and committee referral details. The substantive policy language regarding K-12 funding formulas, property tax limits, and special education allocations remains identical to the original version.
Scope change
The bill's scope, applicability, and policy provisions remain unchanged; only the header information and formatting were updated.
TECHNICAL
The bill number was changed from H-0515.2 to H-1656.1.
The list of sponsoring representatives was updated to reflect the current legislative session sponsors.
The committee referral status was updated from 'Read first time 01/17/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations' to 'Read first time 02/26/25' with no committee listed.
The bill title was updated to indicate it is now a 'Substitute House Bill'.
Formatting and line breaks were adjusted to match the standard layout for substitute bills.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
4
Committee
6
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Appropriations.
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.
lower
Jan 22, 2025
Committee
Referred to Finance.
lower
Jan 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee relieved of further consideration.
lower
1 primary · 15 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Steve Bergquist
DDemocratic
Co
Alex Ramel
DDemocratic
Co
April Berg
DDemocratic
Co
Cindy Ryu
DDemocratic
Co
Edwin Obras
DDemocratic
Co
Emily Alvarado
DDemocratic
Co
Gerry Pollet
DDemocratic
Co
Greg Nance
DDemocratic
Co
Lillian Ortiz-Self
DDemocratic
Co
Liz Berry
DDemocratic
Co
Mia Gregerson
DDemocratic
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