SCPTSA advocates under National PTA & Washington State PTA (WSPTA) to make every child’s potential a reality. WSPTSA & SCPTSA engage and empower families and communities to advocate for all children by organizing members across Washington state and Seattle through priorities selected by membership.

WSPTA Top 5 Legislative Priorities for 2025–26

1. Closing the Funding Gaps

2. Addressing the Student Mental Health Crisis

3. Addressing Funding, Inclusion, and Supports in Special Education

4. Preventing and Reducing Gun Violence and Suicide

5. Expanding School Construction Funding Options

WSPTA also supports The People’s Big 5 Legislative Priorities for Equitable Schools — a grassroots coalition echoing Professor David Knight’s “Big 5” legislative priorities for fully and equitably funding education in Washington State. SCPTSA encourages local PTA’s to vote with members to sign the pledge and share it with your school community!

SCPTSA is also informed by

• Seattle Public Schools 2025 Legislative Priorities

• The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s 2025 Legislative Budget Requests

WA State Legislature District Finder by Address

36th Legislative District
(Northwest Seattle)
Representative Liz Berry, Chair, Labor & Workplace Standards Committee
Senator Noel Frame, Vice Chair, Human Services, and Ways & Means, Finance Committees.
Representative Julia Reed, Vice Chair, Transportation

46th Legislative District
(Northeast Seattle)
Representative Darya Farivar, Vice Chair, House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee
Representative Gerry Pollet, Member, Appropriations, Post Secondary Education & Workforce, Education and Committees
Senator Javier Valdez, Chair, State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections, and Vice Chair, Joint Administrative Rules Review Committees

43rd Legislative District
(Central Seattle)
Representative Nicole Macri, Vice Chair, Appropriations Committee
Senator Jamie Pedersen, Majority Leader
Representative Shaun Scott, Vice Chair, Labor & Workplace Standards Committee

34th Legislative District
(Southwest Seattle)
Senator Emily Alvarado, Vice Chair, Housing Committee
Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, Majority Leader
Representative Brianna Thomas, Assistant Majority Whip

37th Legislative District
(Southeast Seattle)
Senator Rebecca Saldaña, Chair, Labor & Commerce Committee
Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, Chair, Education Committee
Representative Chipalo Street, Majority Caucus Vice Chair

Did you know that you can watch or listen to Legislative Work Sessions and Public Hearings via TVW? And most are recorded and become available approximately two hours after the close of the hearing or session. Check out all the ways to access TVW.

Here are a few suggestions of sessions/hearings to watch/listen to…

JAN 13
House Education • 1:30 pm 👁️‍🗨️ watch on TVW
Work Session
➜ K-12 System Overview 

JAN 16
Senate Ways & Means • 4 pm 👁️‍🗨️ watch on TVW
Work Session
➜ Special education service delivery, access, funding formulas, and spending. 

JAN 21
House Education • 4 pm 👁️‍🗨️ watch on TVW
Work Session
➜ Overview of Legislative Efforts to Address Student Behavioral and Mental Health in Washington.

JAN 22
Senate Early Learning & K–12 Education • 1:30 pm 👁️‍🗨️ watch on TVW
Public Hearing
➜ At the end of the hearing, Committee Chair Lisa Wellman doubled down on the Big 3, with a clear statement of support to fund K-12 education. While Senator Wellman mentioned the state was facing fiscal challenges, this was the paramount duty of the state. Watch the clip.

Send a Message About a Bill
After searching for a bill, click the dark green "Comment on a Bill" button on the Bill Summary Page to send a message to your elected official and share your opinion. You can request a response to your message if you wish.

Many bills introduced in the Legislature will receive a public hearing, where citizens are given a chance to present their opinions on proposed legislation.

There are three ways to participate in a public committee hearing:

1. Testify in a Committee Hearing
   Duri​ng the Legislative Session, you can register to testify in a​ committee hearing in-person or remotely through Zoom. 

   If you frequently testify on bills, you may find it useful to create a Legislative Account.​​ An account allows you to autofill sign-in information and view and edit your sign-in history.

2. Submit Written Testimony to a Committee
   Written testimony has a 5000 character limit. You will need to copy and paste your testimony into a form box. 2 MB of supporting info can also be uploaded.

3. Note Your Position on a Bill for Legislative Record
   If you wish, you can choose to simply have your position noted — Pro (for the bill), Con (against the bill, or Other (there is more nuance to the decision).

To sign-up to participate in a committee hearing,

1. Start from the Homepage of the WA State Legislature website, enter the bill number, and click the “search” button.

2. Once on the Bill Summary Page, click the dark green “sign-up to testify/submit written testimony” button. If you do not see this button (directly below the “Send a comment on this bill…” button) there may not be opportunities to participate.

3. Once on the Committee Sign In Page, select the bill/agenda item you would like to comment on and a list of options to participate will be listed below.

4. Select the option you would like, fill out a simple form (your street address is NOT required), and click the “Submit Registration” button.

Alternatively, you can start from the Committee Sign In Page on the WA State Legislature website, however, you will need the following info to navigate to the registration page…

1. The chamber (House or Senate) where the public hearing will take place

2. The committee the bill has been assigned to

3. The Meeting date and time

4. The agenda item/bill you would like to comment on

The Washington State Legislature is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can fully participate in the legislative process. Requests for onsite spoken language and ASL interpretation should be submitted at least 48 hours in advance by completing our Accessibility Request Form and coordinating with the ADA Coordinators in the House or Senate. The more advance notice you are able to provide, the higher likelihood that your request can be fulfilled.

For complete information, visit the accessibility information page.

Any legislative number can be reached via the state Telephone Relay Service at 800-833-6384 (voice) or 800-833-6388 (TTY).

January 13 – First day of session.

February 21 – Policy Committee Cutoff. Last day to read in committee reports in house of origin, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

February 28 – Fiscal Committee Cutoff. Last day to read in committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in house of origin.

March 12 – House of Origin Cutoff. Last day to consider bills in house of origin (5 pm).

April 2 – Policy Committee Cutoff - Opposite House. Last day to read in committee reports from opposite house, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

April 8 – Fiscal Committee Cutoff - Opposite House. Last day to read in opposite house committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

April 16 – Opposite House Cutoff. Last day to consider opposite house bills (5 pm).

After 5 pm on the 94th day, only initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, matters that affect state revenue, messages pertaining to amendments, matters of differences between the two houses, and matters incident to the interim and to the closing of the session may be considered.

April 27 – Last day allowed for regular session under the state constitution.

May 20 – The last day the governor has to take action on a bill.

July 27 – 90-day effective date. Legislation becomes effective 90 days after adjournment of the session unless otherwise specified in the bill text.

If the 2025 session ends before the 105th day, these dates will change accordingly.