2026 WaSHINGTOn State Legislative Session​

The Washington State Legislature is the state's lawmaking body, where elected Senators and Representatives come together to create and pass laws that shape the daily lives of Washingtonians.

The citizen Legislature meets annually on the second Monday in January in the Capitol building in Olympia. In odd-numbered years — the budget year — the Legislature meets for 105 days, and in even-numbered years for 60 days.

The 2026 regular session began on Monday January 12, 2026. It is a short session, lasting up to 60-days, with an expected end date of Thursday March 12, 2026. Prefiling for the 2026 session begans on Monday December 1, 2025.


Welcome to Week 3 of the WA State 2026 Legislative Session!

We have a few new priority bills with public hearings this week. We’re asking folks to “Sign in PRO” below. This means, if you choose to do so, you are noting a (PRO/in support of) position on the bills public legislative record by adding your name. Sign-ins are a really easy way to use your voice in support of students and takes less than a minute!

Signing-in closes one hour before the start time of a public hearing. Written testimony closes 24 hours after the start time of a public hearing.

Additional links


HB 2557・Providing parental access to special education evaluation reports.

SCPTSA says: Caregivers should be allowed sufficient time to review special education evaluations prior to eligibility decisions & discussions in which they are legally required to have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in.

Sign in pro — by 3 pm Tuesday!

Public Hearing・Tuesday, Jan 27, 4 pm
House Education Committee・Watch on TVW


HB 2594・Ensuring that unhoused children and youths in Washington have equal access to free, appropriate public education.

SCPTSA says: Washington has a responsibility to reduce barriers and ensure all unhoused children and youth have equal access to free, appropriate public education and ample opportunities to meet the challenging state academic standards to which all students should be held.

Sign in PRO — by 3 pm Tuesday!

Public Hearing・Tuesday, Jan 27, 4 pm
House Education Committee・Watch on TVW


SB 6224・Supporting children and youth behavioral health.

SCPTSA says: This bill would ensure that the efforts of the children & youth behavioral health work group align with the Washington thriving strategic plan and are implemented in an equitable manner. It would increases coordination and collaboration in the groups’ systemic approach to improving behavioral health care and supports.

Sign in PRO — by 4:45 pm Wednesday!

Public Hearing・Wednesday, Jan 28, 5:45pm
Senate Human Services Committee・Watch on TVW


HB 1295・Using evidence-based instructional practices in reading and writing literacy for public elementary students.

SCPTSA says: Illiteracy is a civil rights issue. ALL school districts must be required to have comprehensive structured literacy programs and educators that are trained in evidence-based instructional practices. We must ensure EVERY child receives the foundational reading and writing literacy skills that they deserve and need to thrive.

Sign in PRO — by 7 am Thursday!

Public Hearing・Thursday, Jan 29, 8 am
House Education Committee・Watch on TVW

 
    • HB 1634・Providing school districts and public schools with assistance to coordinate comprehensive behavioral health supports for students.

      Referred to Appropriations・Jan 26

    • HB 1795・Addressing restraint or isolation of students in public schools and educational programs.

      Referred to Rules 2 Review・Jan 27

    • HB 2289・Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.

    • HB 2320・Concerning the regulation of firearm manufacturing.

      Public Hearing・Jan 21, 8 am・House Civil Rights & Judiciary

    • HB 2429・Supporting children and youth behavioral health.

      Executive Session・Jan 30, 8 am・House Early Learning & Human Services

    • SB 5918・Providing funding for school *materials, supplies, and operating costs.

      Public Hearing・Jan 21, 10:30 am・Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

    • SB 5998・Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.

    • HB 5574・Providing instruction on Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander history in public schools.

      Passed to House Rules・Jan 22

    • SB 5984・Concerning regulation of artificial intelligence companion chatbots.

      Public Hearing・Tuesday, Jan 20, 1:30 pm・Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

    • SB 5855・Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers.

      Placed on second reading by House Rules・Jan 21

    • SB 5858・Providing pupil transportation safety net funding for special passengers.

      Referred to Senate Ways and Means・Jan 15

    • SB 5860・Concerning school board compensation.

      Executive Session・Jan 27, 4 pm・Senate Ways & means

    • SB 5906・Establishing data and personal safety protections within areas of public accommodation for all Washington residents.

      Executive Session・Jan 29, 10:30 am・Senate Law & Justice Committee

    • SB 5918・Providing funding for school materials, supplies, and operating costs.

      Public Hearing・Jan 21, 10:30 am・Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee

    • SB 5956・Addressing artificial intelligence, student discipline, and surveillance in public schools.
      Passed to Rules for second reading・Jan 23

    • SB 6005・Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium.

      Public Hearing・Jan 13, 4 pm ・Senate Transportation Committee

  • 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 recent work sessions that may be of interest:

    • Jan 12House Education Committee・Restraint and Isolation・Watch on TVW

    • Jan 12House Appropriations Committee・Presentation of the Governor's proposed 2026 Supplemental Operating Budget by the Office of Financial Management・Watch on TVW

    • Jan 13Senate Ways & Means Committee・Governor Ferguson’s 2026 Supplemental Operating Budget Proposal・Watch on TVW

    • Jan 13House Education Committee・Student Mental Health and Well-Being・Watch on TVW

    • Jan 13House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans Committee・Emerging technology innovation, digital risks, emerging risks, and effective governance・Watch on TVW

  • SCPTSA advocates under National PTA & Washington State PTA (WSPTA) to make every child’s potential a reality. WSPTA & 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

    SCPTSA is also informed by

  • 2025 Selected Reports

    K–12 Funding Equity Workgroup 2025 Annual Report
    The 2025 Legislature established the K–12 Funding Equity Workgroup to analyze K–12 education funding formulas and revenue sources and explore options for revisions to the funding formula that are responsive to student needs, including economic, demographic, and geographic differences in student and community populations. This report provides a summary of the Workgroup’s progress through October 2025, and State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s recommendations for the Legislature on actions for the 2026 Legislative Session.
    Authorizing legislation: House Bill 2049 (2025)

    High School and Beyond Plan Platform
    OSPI has formulated a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at expanding the universal online High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) platform in Washington state to engage students from the fifth grade onwards. Additionally, the report discusses future considerations regarding resource allocation, including the potential involvement of elementary school counselors in facilitating and supporting this expanded access. 
    Authorizing legislation: RCW 28A.230.215

    Statewide Individualized Education Program System Feasibility Study Report
    In accordance with legislative direction, OSPI conducted a feasibility study to evaluate the implementation of a statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP) system. The study explored the current state of IEP systems in Washington, identified challenges to delivering high-quality, equitable special education services, assessed potential vendors and costs, and a recommended path forward to improve outcomes for students with disabilities across the state.
    Authorizing legislation: SB 5950, Sec. 501(2)(d)

    UPDATE: Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation
    This report summarizes activities undertaken by OSPI’s Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation (RREI) project during fiscal year 2025, as mandated through 2023’s biennial operating budget and 2024’s supplemental operating budget. Demonstration projects incorporate “Pilot site” districts that strategically engage in the process of building systems of support, and “Demonstration site” districts that serve as learning communities to share their stories and highlight exemplary practices within these systems. Their outcomes have revealed promising practices and effective strategies for improving school safety and reducing the use of restraint and isolation. 71% of project sites decreased incidents of restraint and isolation in school year 2024-25, as compared to the previous school year. This decrease in incidents was statistically significant. 
    Authorizing legislation: ESSB 5950, Sec. 501(4)(mm)

    UPDATE: Student Transportation Allocation Determination
    OSPI annually submits a report outlining the method used in determining the coefficients for each site characteristic used to establish the transportation allocation for the following year. The 2025–26 regression analysis for coefficients will use data elements from the previous school year. The coefficients are then used in the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS) formula which will determine the 2025–26 school year allocation. 
    Authorizing legislation: RCW 28A.160.180(4)

  • WA State Legislature District Finder by Address
    Please note: the committee assignments below are for 2025 and we’ll see some shifting in early January before the 2026 session starts.

    36th Legislative District
    (Northwest Seattle)
    Representative Liz Berry・Chair, Labor & Workplace Standards
    Senator Noel Frame・Vice Chair, Human Services・Vice Chair Finance, Ways & Means
    Representative Julia Reed・Vice Chair, Transportation・Member, Postsecondary Education & Workforce

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

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

    34th Legislative District
    (Southwest Seattle)
    Senator Emily Alvarado・Vice Chair, Housing Committee・Member, Transportation Committee
    Representative Joe Fitzgibbon・Majority Leader・Member, Appropriations Committee・Member, Rules Committee
    Representative Brianna Thomas・Assistant Majority Whip・Member, Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee

    37th Legislative District
    (Southeast Seattle)
    Senator Rebecca Saldaña・Chair, Labor & Commerce Committee・Member, Rules Committee・Member, Ways & Means Committee
    Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos・Chair, Education Committee・Member, Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee・Member, Finance Committee
    Representative Chipalo Street・Majority Caucus Vice Chair・Member, Finance Committee・Member, Appropriations Committee

  • 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).

  • The 2026 regular session begins on Monday January 12, 2026. It is a short session, lasting up to 60-days, with an expected end date of Thursday March 12, 2026.

    December 1, 2025Prefiling begins.
    January 12, 2026 – First day of session.

    DRAFT - 2026 SESSION DATES
    The following 2026 cutoff dates are tentative, and must be approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate.

    February 4 – 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 9 – 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.

    February 17 – House of Origin Cutoff. Last day to consider bills in house of origin (5 pm).

    February 25 – 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.

    March 2 – 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.

    March 6 – 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.

    March 12 – Last day allowed for regular session under the state constitution.

    April 4 – The last day the governor has to take action on a bill.

    June 11 – 90-day effective date. Legislation becomes effective 90 days after adjournment of the session unless otherwise specified in the bill text.

    If the 2026 session ends before the 60th day, the governor action date and 90-day effective date will change accordingly.

Collaborate, support, learn & grow with SCPTSA — Join our Legislative Advocacy Committee ➜

Do you want to collaborate and learn more about state advocacy? Would you like to learn more about hosting inclusive meetings in multiple languages? SCPTSA is looking for technology & Zoom support. We are also looking for folks who are interested in coordinating & collaborating in support of student-centered advocacy! No experience required. If you would like to learn and grow with us, and support each other in advocacy efforts, please consider joining our legislative team. Email secretary@scptsa.org to learn more.


Kick off the 2026 Legislative Session with SCPTSA!

Watch the Kick-off recording now!

SCPTSA and guest advocates gathered in November to discuss the upcoming legislative session.

  • Liza Rankin, Seattle School Board Director & Legislative Liaison, and former SCPTSA Legislative Chair

  • Natalya Yudovsky, Washington State PTA Region 6 Director & 2025 WSPTA Outstanding Advocate

  • Danica Noble, Washington State PTA Advocacy Committee Member & McDonald Elementary PTA Legislative Advocacy Chair

Liza, Natalya, and Danica joined us to discuss the different roles of state, PTA, and school board/district leaders. We also talked about how to organize and where to find resources.


 
 

Do you have a question?
Want to join the SCPTSA Advocacy Committee?
Please reach out to secretary@scptsa.org