Establishing African diaspora heritage week.
SB 5779 designates the last full calendar week in July each year as "African diaspora heritage week" in Washington state. The bill aims to recognize and celebrate the cultural heritage, history, and contributions of people of African descent through community events, educational activities, and cultural awareness. It does not establish a paid holiday or alter existing legal holidays - this designation is purely commemorative under state law. The recognition applies to all Washington residents and institutions, encouraging community participation in honoring this heritage.
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
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
upper
1 primary · 16 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
T'wina Nobles
DDemocratic
Co
Adrian Cortes
DDemocratic
Co
Annette Cleveland
DDemocratic
Co
Bill Ramos
DDemocratic
Co
Bob Hasegawa
DDemocratic
Co
Claire Wilson
DDemocratic
Co
Claudia Kauffman
DDemocratic
Co
Derek Stanford
DDemocratic
Co
Javier Valdez
DDemocratic
Co
Jess Bateman
DDemocratic
Co
Lisa Wellman
DDemocratic
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