Education

signed · Washington · House Mar 14, 2026

HB 2317: Concerning early learning program licensing requirements.

HB 2317 amends Washington State's early learning program licensing rules by adding "outdoor nature-based child care" as a defined program type, requiring such programs to operate in approved outdoor spaces for at least four hours daily and follow a nature-based curriculum. It expands the definition of "early learning" to explicitly include services like preschool, child care subsidies, parent education, and nature-based programs. The bill clarifies exemptions for certain providers, including seasonal camps, military-affiliated programs, and nature-based programs meeting specific criteria, removing them from full licensing requirements. These changes directly affect child care centers, family providers, and early learning programs operating under state oversight.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands early learning definition to include nature-based programs, increasing educational access and curriculum diversity for young children.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5963: Modifying funding for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant.

SB 5963 connects two Washington state education programs by automatically qualifying students eligible for the Passport to Careers program as income-eligible for the Washington College Grant. This change eliminates the need for separate income verification, streamlining access to college financial aid for qualifying students. The bill amends eligibility rules in the Washington College Grant statute to include Passport to Careers participants starting in the 2026-27 academic year. It directly affects low-income Washington students enrolled in Passport to Careers, expanding their access to free college funding without additional application steps.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands eligibility for Washington College Grant, increasing state funding allocation for education access by eliminating redundant verification.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAutomates eligibility for college grants, expanding access to financial aid for Passport to Careers students without additional verification, directly strengthening higher education funding access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 6278: Concerning the ongoing review of approved teacher and principal preparation programs.

This bill updates Washington state's requirements for reviewing teacher and principal preparation programs. It mandates that the state education board periodically assess these programs using specific criteria - including program standards, educator role standards, evidence from programs, and input from school districts and community stakeholders - to ensure they prepare educators for modern classrooms. Programs must also develop partnership plans with local school districts for student teacher placements, prioritizing high-need subjects and geographic areas, and submit these plans to the state board every three years. The changes take effect January 1, 2027, and directly affect all approved teacher preparation programs and school districts in Washington.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates periodic reviews of teacher prep programs with specific quality criteria to ensure modern educator readiness, strengthening program standards and district partnerships.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5872: Establishing the preK promise account.

SB 5872 creates the "preK promise account" to fund Washington's early childhood education and assistance program. The account, managed by the state treasurer, accepts gifts, grants, and donations specifically for this program, with funds tracked separately by donor. It prohibits leftover funds from reverting to the general state budget at the end of each biennium. The bill ensures dedicated, ongoing support for early childhood education services without requiring annual legislative appropriations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates dedicated preK funding account, prohibits fund diversion to general budget, ensures ongoing support without annual appropriations for essential early education program.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates dedicated preK funding via a separate account, ensuring ongoing support without annual appropriations, directly advancing early education access and funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 6351: Increasing fiscal resources for students and children by providing targeted sales tax exemptions for schools and certain before-and-after school care programs and arts and cultural classes.

SB 6351 would exempt specific educational and childcare services from Washington state sales tax. It targets schools, before-and-after school care programs, and arts/cultural classes for children and students. The bill amends tax law to remove sales tax on purchases for these services, directly increasing funding available to qualifying programs. This policy change provides immediate fiscal relief to schools and childcare providers by reducing their operational costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts schools and childcare services from sales tax, reducing operational costs and increasing funding availability for public education programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts schools, childcare, and arts programs from sales tax, directly increasing fiscal resources for educational services by reducing operational costs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5956: Addressing artificial intelligence, student discipline, and surveillance in public schools.

SB 5956 prohibits Washington public schools from using artificial intelligence (AI) or surveillance technologies to make or solely determine student discipline decisions, such as suspensions or expulsions. It bans "risk scores" predicting student misconduct, biometric tracking for emotional/mental health analysis, and automated watchlists, requiring human review for any discipline action involving AI or surveillance data. The law directly affects all K-12 public school districts, charter schools, and tribal education programs in Washington, mandating updates to policies to prevent discriminatory impacts on students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ students. It also restricts sharing student data with law enforcement except in emergencies involving imminent serious physical harm.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits AI/surveillance in student discipline to protect students from biased automated decisions, strengthening educational fairness and student rights in K-12 settings.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyProhibits AI/surveillance in school discipline to protect student privacy, restricting technology use in this context.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5992: 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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state-funded account for youth development programs, increasing public service funding through state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds youth development programs targeting underserved communities to prevent criminal justice involvement, aligning with recidivism reduction and reform goals.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state-funded account for youth development programs prioritizing underserved communities, expanding access to after-school/career programs and enhancing educational equity through grants to community partners.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 6247: Concerning school district financial management.

SB 6247 requires educational service districts to provide financial support to school districts showing signs of financial distress, including regular meetings with district leadership to create action plans and address budget issues. It mandates that school board members complete annual governance training focused on funding, budgeting, and fiscal accountability, with the training developed by the Washington State School Directors' Association. The bill also establishes a requirement for educational service district staff to report suspected financial misconduct to state auditors and the attorney general. By January 2027, the state superintendent must define "financial distress" using measurable indicators to guide oversight.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates financial support for distressed school districts and requires governance training on fiscal accountability, directly strengthening school district financial management and stability.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5985: Concerning endometriosis.

SB 5985 requires the University of Washington (with Washington State University and stakeholders) to create an online resource center by July 1, 2028, providing evidence-based materials on endometriosis diagnosis, care, and communication tools for healthcare providers. It also mandates that Washington’s Office of Public Instruction update school health education standards to include menstrual health awareness, helping students recognize symptoms that may indicate endometriosis. The online resource center must be updated every three years and expire December 31, 2031, while the school curriculum changes expire June 30, 2029. This bill directly affects residents with endometriosis, healthcare systems, and public school students across Washington state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates updating school health standards to include menstrual health awareness, enhancing curriculum content related to student health education and symptom recognition.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates evidence-based endometriosis resources for providers and updates school health education to improve early detection and care access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 6222: Supporting public school students by improving their access to surplus technology hardware.

SB 6222 allows Washington school districts to prioritize distributing surplus technology hardware (like laptops and tablets) to public school students, especially those from low-income families. It amends state law to require districts to first offer these devices for sale at reduced cost or free grant to students before selling them to others, with low-income families getting first priority. The bill defines "low-income" as families qualifying for free/reduced meals or earning ≤185% of the federal poverty level. This creates a clear process for schools to repurpose unused tech instead of selling it broadly, directly helping students who lack home devices for learning.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrioritizes low-income students for surplus tech access, directly improving educational equity and access per bill's mandate to offer devices first to qualifying families.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill prioritizes low-income students for free/reduced-cost tech hardware access, directly promoting digital equity - a key support indicator for technology policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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