Education

signed · Washington · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2534: Promoting educational stability for children of military families.

HB 2534 (Promoting educational stability for children of military families) helps military-connected children enroll in Washington schools more smoothly when their families relocate due to military orders. It allows schools to accept enrollment applications before the child arrives in Washington, using military orders as proof of relocation (e.g., transfers to WA or bordering states, deployments), and requires parents to provide documentation within 90 days. The bill ensures schools transfer special education plans (like IEPs or 504 plans) from previous states and provide comparable services without delay. This directly affects military families moving to Washington and public school districts handling their enrollments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationStreamlines enrollment for military-connected students, improving access to K-12 education during relocations without barriers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2557: Providing parental access to special education evaluation reports.

HB 2557 requires Washington school districts to provide parents of children in special education with written evaluation reports at least five school days before eligibility meetings, ensuring they can review the reports and prepare questions in advance. The bill sets a 35-school-day timeline for completing evaluations and delivering reports, with meetings scheduled no sooner than five days after report delivery. It mandates reports be provided in accessible written or electronic formats (not just during meetings) and allows parents to voluntarily waive the five-day review period in writing. Failure to provide reports on time without a waiver constitutes a procedural violation that could be considered in disputes over parental participation rights. The law directly affects parents, school districts, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, which must update guidance and rules to implement these requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools to provide parents special education evaluation reports 5 days before meetings, enhancing parental involvement and access to educational decisions in K-12 special education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1285: Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools.

HB 1285 establishes financial education instruction as a graduation requirement for public high school students in Washington state. Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, all high schools must provide instruction in the state financial education learning standards. Starting with the graduating class of 2031, students will be required to meet these standards to graduate. The bill also tasks the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction with making instructional materials available and outlines monitoring responsibilities for the State Board of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates financial education as graduation requirement, strengthening curriculum standards for student financial literacy and aligning with educational access goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2044: Addressing unexcused student absences.

HB 2044 revises how unexcused student absences are addressed by school districts, affecting students and their parents. The bill eliminates the requirement for school districts to file truancy petitions before a child's fifth unexcused absence. Instead, after a fifth unexcused absence, districts are directed to enter into an attendance agreement with the parent or child (if age eight or above), either directly or through a community engagement board. Truancy petitions to juvenile court are now generally required only if an attendance agreement is not reached or not complied with, and typically not before the child's 15th unexcused absence in a school year.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEliminates juvenile court truancy petitions, reducing criminal justice system involvement in student absences, aligning with reform goals of diverting low-level issues from courts.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationShifts from punitive truancy petitions to supportive attendance agreements, promoting student engagement without restriction or defunding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

signed · Washington · House May 20, 2025

HB 1296: Promoting a safe and supportive public education system.

HB 1296, "Promoting a safe and supportive public education system," enacts new requirements for public schools, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools in Washington. The bill prioritizes student safety, access to education free of discrimination, and privacy within the school system. It expands protected characteristics to include ethnicity, gender expression, gender identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, and neurodivergence in anti-discrimination policies. Furthermore, the bill mandates that schools develop and share a "Statement of Student Rights" through educational and promotional materials, including civics education, to inform students of their entitlements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity, neurodivergence, and homelessness, prioritizing student safety and access in public education system.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill explicitly includes 'immigration or citizenship status' as a protected characteristic in school anti-discrimination policies, protecting students from discrimination based on immigration status.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5412: Providing temporary interfund loans for school districts.

Senate Bill 5412 provides financial tools for Washington school districts facing severe financial difficulties, specifically those in "binding conditions" or under "enhanced financial oversight." It allows these districts to take temporary, interest-free loans from their capital projects funds, which must be repaid within one year and not detriment existing projects. Additionally, districts in binding conditions may request authorization from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to sell real property. Proceeds from such sales must be used to restore financial stability or fund an authorized interfund loan, with this authorization limited to once every ten years.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enables school districts in financial distress to access temporary interest-free loans from capital funds, preventing funding shortfalls and maintaining educational operations.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5813: Increasing funding to the education legacy trust account by creating a more progressive rate structure for the capital gains tax and estate tax.

SB 5813 aims to increase funding for public education, child care, early learning, and higher education by modifying the state's capital gains and estate taxes. Beginning January 1, 2025, an additional excise tax of 2.90 percent will be imposed on an individual's Washington capital gains that exceed $1,000,000. For the estate tax, the bill increases the applicable exclusion amount to $3,000,000 for estates of decedents dying on or after July 1, 2025. It also creates a more progressive rate structure for the estate tax by increasing the top tier rates up to 35 percent, with all revenues dedicated to the education legacy trust account.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill imposes progressive capital gains/estate taxes on high earners to fund public education, childcare, and higher education programs, directly increasing state funding for essential services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly increases education funding via progressive tax changes, targeting capital gains over $1M and estate tax adjustments to fund public education, child care, and higher education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5785: Modifying students' share of the education costs at institutions of higher education.

This bill modifies the Washington college grant and college bound scholarship programs, impacting students seeking financial aid for higher education in Washington state. It codifies the maximum eligibility for the Washington college grant to students with family incomes up to 60 percent of the state median family income. The bill also adjusts how maximum grant amounts are calculated for various institutions, including private universities and apprenticeship programs, with some changes taking effect in the 2026-27 academic year. Additionally, it updates criteria for institutional eligibility, specifically for out-of-state affiliated institutions, to participate in these financial aid programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModifies grant eligibility to include lower-income students (up to 60% median income) and adjusts funding calculations, expanding access to higher education financial aid.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · House May 20, 2025

HB 2050: Implementing K-12 savings and efficiencies.

House Bill 2050 updates the system for providing state local effort assistance funding to K-12 public school districts in Washington. This funding helps supplement local school district levies for educational enrichment programs. The bill modifies how this assistance is calculated, including updating financial thresholds and refining definitions for terms like "eligible school district" and "student enrollment." It also removes temporary provisions related to how student enrollment from prior school years was considered for funding calculations. These changes affect how much state funding school districts receive to support their local education efforts, with an effective date of January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUpdates state funding formula for K-12 schools, maintaining supplemental support for public education budgets through revised financial thresholds.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill updates K-12 funding system to maintain state assistance for educational enrichment programs, supplementing local levies without reducing support.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · House May 20, 2025

HB 2049: Investing in the state's paramount duty to fund K-12 education and build strong and safe communities.

HB 2049 aims to enhance funding for K-12 education and communities by modifying state and local property tax authority and adjusting the school funding formula. The bill revises the maximum dollar amount school districts can levy for enrichment, setting it as the lesser of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value or a per-pupil limit. This per-pupil limit is updated with specific "inflation enhancements" through 2030 and establishes a new base amount starting in 2031, impacting funding based on student enrollment. Additionally, it adjusts how the state provides local effort assistance funding to supplement these school district enrichment levies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill revises property tax authority and school funding formula to increase K-12 education funding via inflation-linked per-pupil limits, directly enhancing public service budget allocations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly aims to 'enhance funding for K-12 education' through revised property tax authority, per-pupil limits with inflation adjustments, and updated school funding formula.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education