Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 6268: Maintaining an online record of special education complaint decisions.

SB 6268 requires Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction to maintain a free, public online record of all final decisions from special education complaints. This record must be accessible to anyone online for 20 years after a complaint is resolved, including historical decisions if available. The bill directly affects parents, students with disabilities, and school districts by increasing transparency around special education dispute outcomes. It ensures that final complaint decisions - covering issues like service access or program eligibility - are publicly available without cost, supporting informed decisions and accountability.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases transparency in special education dispute outcomes, protecting students with disabilities and enhancing accountability in educational access per topic description.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 5994: Preserving timber tax distributions for school districts with recent school district levy failures.

This bill preserves timber tax funding for Washington school districts that recently failed to pass local levies. It requires counties to use the highest previous year's levy rate (from the last two years) when calculating distributions if a district doesn't impose a current levy. The key mechanism ensures school districts continue receiving timber tax funds for non-debt purposes, even after levy failure, by basing calculations on historical rates. This directly affects school districts that have experienced levy failures within the last two years. The policy change modifies existing distribution rules under RCW 84.33.081 to maintain stable funding for school operations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesPreserves timber tax distributions for schools after levy failures, ensuring continued non-debt funding for essential education programs via historical rate calculations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationPreserves timber tax funding for school districts post-levy failure, ensuring continued non-debt funding stability for K-12 operations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · House Mar 14, 2026

HB 2317: Concerning early learning program licensing requirements.

HB 2317 amends Washington State's early learning program licensing rules by adding "outdoor nature-based child care" as a defined program type, requiring such programs to operate in approved outdoor spaces for at least four hours daily and follow a nature-based curriculum. It expands the definition of "early learning" to explicitly include services like preschool, child care subsidies, parent education, and nature-based programs. The bill clarifies exemptions for certain providers, including seasonal camps, military-affiliated programs, and nature-based programs meeting specific criteria, removing them from full licensing requirements. These changes directly affect child care centers, family providers, and early learning programs operating under state oversight.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands early learning definition to include nature-based programs, increasing educational access and curriculum diversity for young children.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5963: Modifying funding for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant.

SB 5963 connects two Washington state education programs by automatically qualifying students eligible for the Passport to Careers program as income-eligible for the Washington College Grant. This change eliminates the need for separate income verification, streamlining access to college financial aid for qualifying students. The bill amends eligibility rules in the Washington College Grant statute to include Passport to Careers participants starting in the 2026-27 academic year. It directly affects low-income Washington students enrolled in Passport to Careers, expanding their access to free college funding without additional application steps.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands eligibility for Washington College Grant, increasing state funding allocation for education access by eliminating redundant verification.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAutomates eligibility for college grants, expanding access to financial aid for Passport to Careers students without additional verification, directly strengthening higher education funding access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 6278: Concerning the ongoing review of approved teacher and principal preparation programs.

This bill updates Washington state's requirements for reviewing teacher and principal preparation programs. It mandates that the state education board periodically assess these programs using specific criteria - including program standards, educator role standards, evidence from programs, and input from school districts and community stakeholders - to ensure they prepare educators for modern classrooms. Programs must also develop partnership plans with local school districts for student teacher placements, prioritizing high-need subjects and geographic areas, and submit these plans to the state board every three years. The changes take effect January 1, 2027, and directly affect all approved teacher preparation programs and school districts in Washington.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates periodic reviews of teacher prep programs with specific quality criteria to ensure modern educator readiness, strengthening program standards and district partnerships.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5825: Authorizing the Washington state leadership board to solicit gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources.

SB 5825 authorizes the Washington State Leadership Board to accept gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources to support its existing programs. The board, which administers initiatives like Washington World Fellows (a college readiness fellowship) and Boundless Washington (an outdoor leadership program for youth with disabilities), can now use these funds to expand its mission of fostering youth leadership and civic engagement. The bill explicitly states that private donations must supplement, not replace, state appropriations and must be used for programs not previously funded by the legislature. It requires the board to publicly report all funds received and expenditures on its website.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes additional funding streams for youth leadership programs (Washington World Fellows, Boundless Washington), expanding educational access and civic engagement initiatives.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5872: Establishing the preK promise account.

SB 5872 creates the "preK promise account" to fund Washington's early childhood education and assistance program. The account, managed by the state treasurer, accepts gifts, grants, and donations specifically for this program, with funds tracked separately by donor. It prohibits leftover funds from reverting to the general state budget at the end of each biennium. The bill ensures dedicated, ongoing support for early childhood education services without requiring annual legislative appropriations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates dedicated preK funding account, prohibits fund diversion to general budget, ensures ongoing support without annual appropriations for essential early education program.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates dedicated preK funding via a separate account, ensuring ongoing support without annual appropriations, directly advancing early education access and funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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

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