SB 5992 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs.

SB 5992 creates a state-funded account to support youth development programs for Washington youth aged 5-24, prioritizing underserved communities. The fund, financed by public and private contributions, will provide grants to nonprofits, tribal organizations, parks departments, and community partners to offer after-school programs, mentorship, career navigation, and culturally relevant activities. It requires equitable geographic distribution of funds and prioritizes youth facing systemic barriers, including those in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or from low-income backgrounds. Grants must be reported annually on program impacts, with tribal consultation required for projects affecting Native communities.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 6, 2026 Last action Mar 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand eligibility for tribes, including those whose traditional lands are now outside Washington state, and to mandate specific consultations with tribes regarding data sovereignty. The text was also reorganized into a standard legislative format with numbered sections.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include federally recognized tribes whose traditional territories now reside in other states, and the administration of grants now requires consultation with the Office of Native Education.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility for grant recipients to include federally recognized Indian tribes whose traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington but now reside in Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.

Updated the list of priority groups to explicitly include American Indian and Alaska Native students alongside other at-risk youth.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Office of Native Education to consult with federally recognized tribes when designing grants, ensuring respect for tribal data sovereignty and community-defined success measures.

TECHNICAL

Reformatted the bill from a raw text draft into a standard legislative substitute format with numbered sections and page headers.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 11, 2026

How they voted

32–18

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Feb 11, 2026

D Democratic31

30 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican20

2 Yea 18 Nay

90% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 11, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (32-18-1)

senate

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 8:00 AM.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors