Committees Dig Into Policy Work in Week 2

Prepared by Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org  

As we enter the third week of session, committee chairs and committees are getting into the groove of alternating between in-person and remote testimony, usually with good balance between the two forms of testifying. That said, the number of bills introduced in the first two weeks is overwhelming, with more than 1,000 bills vying for attention.

Last week the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee held a public hearing on a proposed substitute for SB 5311, special education funding. The proposed substitute:

• Lowered the cap on total student enrollment from 15% to 14.5%; but
• Increased the multiplier for students eligible for special education services who spent 80% or more of their time in general education instruction and the multiplier for those under the 80%, phased in over the next three school years.

WSPTA President Nancy Chamberlain had signed in as Con on the original bill because it continued the arbitrary cap and didn’t address other levers like the per student multiplier to close the huge funding gaps in what state spends and what it costs to provide services to students with disabilities. After reviewing the substitute bill, President Chamberlain changed to Other, pointing out the continuing challenge of limiting which students get services or forcing districts to rely on enrichment levies to meet state obligations.

Seattle Council PTSA co-President Samantha Fogg also testified but stayed with Con and raised many good points in the 60 seconds allowed during the public hearing. Both audio recordings can be found below under Advocacy in Action. The bill is scheduled for a vote in committee Thursday, January 26.

Also, up last week were bills on expediting clean energy facility siting; preventing gun violence through restrictions on firearms; and promoting universal screening for highly capable students.

Looking ahead to next week, education committees will hear bills on expanding dual credit opportunities and notification to parents and students; school meals for all; boosting elements of the High School and Beyond Plan; and promoting secure storage of medications and firearms to reduce youth suicide. Budget committees will hear about closing gaps in the student transportation funding formula and providing an extra inflationary factor for the maximum per pupil limit on levies. Check the schedule below for those bills and more.

Advocacy in Action

• On Tuesday, January 17, parent advocate Tanya Aggar asked House Education Committee members to pass HB 1109, which would encourage school districts to evaluate students for special education services and develop Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) prior to the start of the school year. As a parent of a student with disabilities, Tanya shared it took eight months for her son to be evaluated and he was half-way through 1^st grade before getting an IEP in place. Listen to Tanya’s testimony here.
• Continuing to champion common sense approaches to reducing gun violence, Dr. Gwen Loosmore asked legislators on the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee to “act now” on HB 1143 and HB 1144. As the Issue Submitter, at the January 17 public hearing she told lawmakers that WSPTA members are asking for legislation and policies that restrict dangerous access to all firearms, mandate safety training, and strictly regulate civilian ownership of firearms. Listen to Gwen’s testimony here.
• WSPTA issue submitter Rene Price spoke in strong support for SB 5072, requiring universal screening to identify highly capable students, before the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee on January 18. Her testimony can be found here. WSPTA member Austina deBonte, who also serves as President of the Coalition for Gifted Children, testified before the committee too. Listen here.
• WSPTA President Nancy Chamberlain thanked Senator Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, SB 5311 bill sponsor, for updating her original bill on funding for the state’s special education program to include increases to the multiplier for students with disabilities in general education and non-general education classes. In the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee January 19, Nancy shared WSPTA’s request to remove the arbitrary limit on state funding, which remains in the substitute bill; fully fund the gap between what the state provides and what districts spend on services for students with disabilities; and fund professional development for inclusionary practices. Listen to her testimony here.
• Also, during the hearing, Samantha Fogg, co-President of Seattle Council PTSA, gave strong testimony as to why a cap, even if increased, should be removed so that all students are served. Her testimony can be found here.
• Unfortunately, time ran out on past WSPTA President Michelle Nims in the public hearing on SB 5257, school recess, who was prepared to talk about a few concerns on implementation. Michelle’s testimony would have encouraged but not required 45 minutes of school recess each day; allowed the dressing and undressing of students to count as part of the recess time; clarified that recess shouldn’t be taken away from lunch time; and asked the legislature to provide funding for additional recess staff coverage. Written testimony with the key points was submitted instead.

Focus Day Returns: February 20

Just a reminder that Focus Day will return to Olympia this year and you are all invited! Learn more and click here. As a reminder, most legislators are meeting in-person, but they are also limiting the size of groups to a total of four visitors. If your group is bigger, when requesting an appointment, share the size of the group and ask if a conference room could be reserved.

Want to get more engaged or stay informed? Sign up for the Focus on Advocacy Newsletter, which will include week by week tips to prepare for coming to Olympia, as well as get access to session content. To subscribe, please contact support@wastatepta.org.

Because we know so many of you are new and haven’t been to an in-person Focus Day in Olympia before, we are offering two different “Office Hours” on February 1 to bring you up to speed. Registration for the February 1, noon-1 PM link is here, and the February 1, 7 PM to 8 PM link is here.

Keep up with the bills and committee hearings related to WSPTA member-generated legislative priorities and long-term positions by utilizing the WSPTA Bill Status Report.

The Week Ahead

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/23 @ 1:30pm

• SB 5243 – Public Hearing – Concerning high school and beyond planning. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.) (Remote Testimony Available).
• SB 5305 – Public Hearing – Establishing the office of career connect Washington. (Remote Testimony Available).
• SB 5339 – Public Hearing – Providing free school meals for all. (Remote Testimony Available).

Education (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/23 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1003 – Public Hearing – Expanding access to dual credit programs. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1071 – Public Hearing – Securing schools by authorizing funding for a school resource officer in every school. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1146 – Public Hearing – Notifying high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1316 – Public Hearing – Expanding access to dual credit programs. (Remote Testimony Available).

Environment & Energy (House) – HHR C and Virtual JLOB – 1/23 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1170 – Exec Session – Improving climate resilience through updates to the state’s integrated climate response strategy.
• HB 1347 – Public Hearing – Integrating community-based health assessments into foundational environmental policies to improve environmental justice. (Remote Testimony Available).

Appropriations (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/23 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1248 – Public Hearing – Concerning pupil transportation. (Remote Testimony Available).

Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/23 @ 4:00pm

• SB 5349 – Public Hearing – Repealing some postretirement employment restrictions. (Remote Testimony Available).

Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/24 @ 1:30pm

• SB 5380 – Public Hearing – Concerning clean energy siting. (Remote Testimony Available).

Postsecondary Education & Workforce (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/24 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1176 – Exec Session – Developing opportunities for service and workforce programs to support climate-ready communities.
• HB 1232 – Public Hearing – Enhancing the college bound scholarship program. (Remote Testimony Available).

Education (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/24 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1228 – Public Hearing – Building a multilingual, multiliterate Washington through dual and tribal language education. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1238 – Public Hearing – Providing free school meals for all. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1346 – Public Hearing – Creating the purple star award. (Remote Testimony Available).

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/25 @ 1:30pm

• SB 5031 – Exec Session – Concerning safety net award distributions.
• SB 5072 – Exec Session – Advancing equity in programs for highly capable students.
• SB 5126 – Exec Session – Providing common school trust revenue to small school districts.
• SB 5174 – Exec Session – Providing adequate and predictable student transportation.
• SB 5180 – Exec Session – Adopting the interstate teacher mobility compact.

Postsecondary Education & Workforce (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/25 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1194 – Public Hearing – Training, educating, and inspiring the next generation of the clean and renewable energy workforce. (Remote Testimony Available).

Appropriations (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/25 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1244 – Public Hearing – Increasing the maximum per pupil limit for enrichment levy authority. (Remote Testimony Available).

Education (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/26 @ 8:00am

• HB 1015 – Exec Session – Concerning minimum employment requirements for paraeducators.
• HB 1109 – Exec Session – Providing funding for school districts for special education. (Support/Low)
• HB 1207 – Exec Session – Preventing and responding to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools.
• HB 1230 – Public Hearing – Requiring school districts and other public education entities to make information from the department of health available. (Remote Testimony Available). (Support/Medium)
• HB 1277 – Exec Session – Establishing rules to improve the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental courses of study for paraeducators.

Human Services (Senate) – SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/26 @ 8:00am

• SB 5125 – Exec Session – Creating the Washington future fund program.

Health & Long Term Care (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/26 @ 10:30am

• SB 5219 – Public Hearing – Enacting the interstate counseling compact for licensed mental health counselors. (Remote Testimony Available).

Capital Budget (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/26 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1044 – Public Hearing – Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1064 – Public Hearing – Creating a school safety capital grant program. (Remote Testimony Available).
• HB 1444 – Public Hearing – Providing common school trust revenue to small school districts. (Remote Testimony Available).

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/26 @ 1:30pm

• SB 5248 – Public Hearing – Using COVID-19 relief funding on high quality tutoring and rigorous extended learning programs. (Remote Testimony Available).
• SB 5257 – Exec Session – Ensuring elementary school students receive sufficient daily recess.
• SB 5311 – Exec Session – Concerning special education funding formula.
• SB 5343 – Public Hearing – Reducing costs and increasing efficiency in school construction. (Remote Testimony Available).
• SB 5355 – Public Hearing – Mandating instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification for students in grades seven through 12. (Remote Testimony Available).

Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/27 @ 8:00am

• SB 5057 – Public Hearing – Creating a work group to evaluate the costs of the state energy performance standard for covered commercial buildings. (Remote Testimony Available).

Human Services, Youth, & Early Learning (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 1/27 @ 8:00am

• HB 1094 – Exec Session – Creating the Washington future fund program.

Postsecondary Education & Workforce (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/27 @ 8:00am

• HB 1069 – Exec Session – Adopting the mental health counselor compact.
• HB 1232 – Exec Session – Enhancing the college bound scholarship program.
• HB 1399 – Public Hearing – Establishing a Native American scholarship program. (Remote Testimony Available).

Civil Rights & Judiciary (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/27 @ 10:30am

• HB 1143 – Exec Session – Concerning requirements for the purchase or transfer of firearms. (Support/Medium)
• HB 1144 – Exec Session – Enhancing requirements for the purchase or transfer of firearms. (Support/Medium)
• HB 1178 – Exec Session – Concerning local government authority to regulate firearms. (Support/Monitoring)
• HB 1195 – Exec Session – Prohibiting the open carry of certain weapons in public parks and public hospitals. (Monitoring)
• HB 1240 – Exec Session – Establishing firearms-related safety measures to increase public safety. (Support/High)