HB 1450 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning transition to kindergarten programs.

HB 1450 establishes a new state "transition to kindergarten" program in Washington for 4-year-olds who need additional preparation for kindergarten or live in areas with severe child care access shortages ("extreme child care access deserts"). It directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create rules for public schools to operate the program, prioritizing regions with child care deserts and limiting approved sites to ensure equitable access. The program ensures participating children aren't counted toward basic education funding, requires schools to collaborate with local child care providers, and mandates enrollment rules including need-based screening and regional needs assessments. This policy aims to strengthen coordination between public schools and early learning systems while minimizing disruption to existing child care services.

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 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a House Bill to a Substitute Bill, significantly narrowing its scope from creating a new state-funded program to reestablishing a policy for individual exceptions to kindergarten enrollment. The new version removes the creation of a standalone 'transition to kindergarten' program and instead focuses on allowing school districts to enroll eligible four-year-olds who need extra preparation or live in child care deserts as individual students, rather than as a separate class. Funding mechanisms were also altered to rely on existing basic education formulas rather than a new specific allocation, and the bill now explicitly declares an emergency to take effect immediately.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from establishing a new, separate state-funded program with its own funding stream to reestablishing a policy for individual enrollment exceptions within the existing public school system.

SCOPE

Removed the creation of a standalone 'transition to kindergarten program' and replaced it with a 'state transition to kindergarten policy' for individual student enrollment exceptions.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated eligibility criteria to specifically include children living in 'extreme child care access deserts' who cannot access existing programs, alongside those needing additional preparation.

FISCAL

Changed the funding structure from a new specific allocation to using existing basic education distribution formulas, and declared the act an emergency for immediate effect.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'extreme child care access desert,' 'extreme unmet need locale,' and 'highly constrained supply locale' to guide eligibility determinations.

REQUIREMENT

Simplified operational requirements by removing the mandate for a separate planning year and the requirement for districts to participate in the 'early achievers' program.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for converting existing transitional kindergarten programs to the new policy from August 31, 2026, to the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

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

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Education at 4:00 PM.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 4:00 PM.

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors