HB 1557 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Establishing the Washington guaranteed admissions program and requiring student notifications.

HB 1557 establishes Washington's Guaranteed Admissions Program, which guarantees admission to public four-year colleges for eligible high school seniors meeting specific criteria. It requires participating colleges (including tribal institutions and state universities) to simplify application processes starting in 2026-27, and mandates high schools to share student data with colleges to identify qualified applicants. The bill also requires all high schools to provide annual notifications to students in grades 9-12 about this program, the Washington College Grant, dual credit options, and other college pathways. Institutions may opt out of the program by reporting their reasons to the legislature, but must still pursue alternative access initiatives.

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 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and its sponsor list was updated to reflect committee referral. The most significant change is the addition of a provision allowing the program to secure funding through philanthropic partnerships for marketing and operations. Additionally, the responsibility for creating the student notification was shifted from the Student Achievement Council to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the notification can now be integrated into existing high school planning documents.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding program implementation was expanded to include potential funding sources from philanthropic organizations, and the administrative lead for student notifications was transferred to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from H-0535.2 to H-1547.1, and the sponsor list was updated to include the committee name and the original reading date.

FISCAL

A new subsection was added allowing an organization representing university presidents to collaborate with philanthropic organizations to secure funding for marketing, research, and specialized services to support the program.

REQUIREMENT

The entity responsible for creating the student notification regarding the guaranteed admissions program was changed from the Student Achievement Council to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The requirement for student notifications was modified to allow the information to be incorporated into existing 'high school and beyond plans' rather than being a separate standalone notice.

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 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 1:30 PM.

lower

1 primary · 26 co-sponsors