HB 1136 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Providing student navigational supports to increase postsecondary enrollment.

HB 1136 establishes a program placing financial aid specialists in Washington high schools to help students complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) and Washington state financial aid forms. The specialists will target schools in educational service districts with the lowest FAFSA completion rates, especially those serving high percentages of low-income students (eligible for free/reduced lunch). Using data from the Student Achievement Council, they will provide direct support to students and families, including outreach at school events and through peer networks. The program requires annual reports tracking application completion rates and enrollment impacts, aiming to reduce barriers like perceived costs that prevent students from pursuing postsecondary education.

Issues: ✓ Education

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 renumbered from H-0346.1 to H-0895.1 and updated with new legislative history. The most significant substantive change is the expansion of eligibility criteria for the pilot program, which now includes public four-year institutions, tribal organizations, and community-based organizations in addition to community or technical colleges. Additionally, the performance threshold for selecting districts was lowered from the bottom two to the bottom five, and the reporting deadline was extended from 2023 to 2026. Several sections regarding training programs and continuing education credits were removed entirely.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a wider range of higher education entities (public four-year, tribal, and community-based organizations) and to target a larger number of low-performing districts by changing the selection threshold from the bottom two to the bottom five.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the list of eligible entities to participate in the program to include public four-year institutions, tribal organizations, and community-based organizations, in addition to community or technical colleges.

Changed the selection threshold for districts from the 'bottom two' to the 'bottom five' based on free application for federal student aid completion rates.

TIMELINE

Extended the annual reporting deadline from December 1, 2023, to January 15, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the new section establishing a financial aid training program for teachers and counselors (previously Sec. 3) and the section requiring continuing education credits for educators (previously Sec. 4).

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill number from H-0346.1 to H-0895.1 and revised the legislative history and sponsor attribution.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 1:30 PM.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 1:30 PM.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 8:00 AM.

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors