SB 5969 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Fulfilling high school and beyond plan requirements with individualized education program transition plans.

SB 5969 integrates high school transition planning with special education transition planning for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It requires Washington schools to use a single statewide online system for both IEPs and high school and beyond plans, eliminating duplicate paperwork. The system must include features like translation services, accessibility compliance, secure data sharing, and alignment with grade-level standards. This directly affects students with IEPs, school districts, and educators who will use the unified platform for planning, reducing administrative burden while ensuring transition plans meet both special education and career goals.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 5, 2026 Signed Mar 23, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Second Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Passed Legislature · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill added a formal certification of enrollment page to document its passage by the Senate and House. Substantively, the requirements for updating the 'high school and beyond plan' in grade 10 were modified to remove a specific reference to assessing progress toward goals as a separate step, instead integrating that assessment into the final clause regarding revising the plan for changing needs.

TECHNICAL

Added a new certification page confirming the bill passed both legislative chambers with specific vote counts and dates.

REQUIREMENT

Revised the grade 10 plan update requirement to streamline the language, removing a redundant instruction to assess progress and combining it with the instruction to revise the plan based on changing interests and goals.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 9, 2026 · House Mar 5, 2026

How they voted

50–1

Passed

Total votes 51

Mar 9, 2026

D Democratic31

31 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican20

19 Yea 1 Nay

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Mar 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 48; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 0.

upper

Mar 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in House amendments.

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.

lower

Mar 5, 2026

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (97-0-3)

house

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Education.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

ED - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.

upper

Jan 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.

upper

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors