Find the latest blog post re: 2020 Legislative Session on the SBE blog.

The flurry of activity continues up on the hill, with over 2,900 bills already in play! This includes over 1,200 bills introduced since the start of session, plus about 1,700 reintroduced from last year (not counting about 500 that were adopted into law). The first policy cutoff deadline is on Friday, February 7. This is the date by which all bills must be adopted by their original house policy committee in order to stay in consideration moving forward. A highlight so far this past week is SB 6521 proposed by Senator Wellman, which would establish a pilot program to authorize full-time enrollment funding for students participating in approved mastery-based learning programs. 

Emerging themes: child care access, behavioral health supports, school funding (levies/local effort assistance), and school employee benefits (SEBB).

Member highlight: Board Member Bill Kallappa presented on a work session panel in Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development on the importance of ethnic studies in higher education.

Testimony:

• SB 5607 - Concerning dual language learning in early learning and K-12 education. (Board Member Margarita Amezcua / Pro)
• SB 6132 - Allowing the learning assistance program to support school-wide behavioral health system of supports and interventions. (Board Member Autymn Wilde / Pro)
• SB 6105 - Concerning the administration of state education agencies. (Director of Advocacy and Engagement, J. Lee Schultz / Other)
• SB 6262 - Teaching Washington's tribal history, culture, and government. (Board Member Bill Kallappa / Pro)
• SB 6521 - Creating an innovative learning pilot program. (J. Lee / Pro)
• SB 6505 - Expanding access to dual credit opportunities by eliminating direct costs to students and families. (J. Lee by email / Other)

Signed in support:

• HB 2233 - Expanding the college in high school program to students in ninth grade.
• SB 6253 - Creating a comprehensive statewide early care and education system by improving accessibility and affordability of early care and education programs for families.
• SB 6092 - Awarding diplomas posthumously.
• HB 2661 - Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs.
• HB 1860 - Addressing lead in drinking water in schools.
• SB 6117 - Concerning appropriations for special education programs.
• SB 6254 - Protecting public health and safety by enhancing the regulation of vapor products.
• SB 6279 - Expanding school-based health centers.
• SB 6416 - Providing telehealth services to schools.
• SB 6138 - Concerning the beginning educator support team program.
• SB 6255 - Supporting access to child care for parents who are attending high school or working toward completion of a high school equivalency certificate.
• HB 2288 - Creating statutory authorization for school-based health centers.
• HB 2708 - Establishing a work group on school-based health centers.  
• HB 2653 - Determining cultural bias in kindergarten assessments.
• HB 2816 - Nurturing positive social and emotional school and classroom climates.
• HB 2690 - Providing students with equitable access to a high-quality public education by developing an infrastructure that assists public schools in the delivery of integrated student supports.
• HB 2711 - Increasing equitable educational outcomes for foster care and homeless children and youth from prekindergarten to postsecondary education.
• SB 6263 - Creating a model educational data sharing agreement between school districts and tribes.
• SB 6264 - Concerning school district consultation with local tribes.
• SB 6607 - Permitting students to wear traditional tribal regalia and objects of cultural significance at graduation ceremonies and related events.
• HB 2737 - Updating the children's mental health work group.
• HB 2589 - Requiring contact information for suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations on student and staff identification cards.
• HB 2864 - Establishing a running start summer school pilot program.
• HB 2853 - Promoting the effective and efficient administration of the Washington state charter school commission.
• SB 6449 - Requiring contact information for suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations on student and staff identification cards.

We'll update the SBE blog often with updates about these bills and activity during this session. Subscribe to receive this news to your inbox weekly (if you haven't already).