2024 Bill Status Reports
Each week, WSPTA Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan assembles a list of bills and upcoming events that are associated with our legislative priorities. We will update this page regularly during the 2024 Legislative Session with Marie’s updates. Reports will be updated every Monday morning. Week 1 – January 8 to January 12 Week 2 – January…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Parental Rights and Public Education
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA President Angela Steck shared comments on Initiative 2081, concerning parental rights relating to public school education, at the joint meeting of the House Education and Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committees on Wednesday, February 28. Angela noted that WSPTA had a long history of supporting the health, safety, and welfare…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Save the School Construction Assistance Program
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA Advocacy member Susan Baird-Joshi thanked House Capital Budget members for the $55 million investment for indoor air quality, the continued support for the Small District Modernization and Tribal Compact grant program, and the incremental increases to activities that support urgent and emergency repair. Watch Susan here Sharing the WSPTA’s disappointment with…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Dual and Tribal Language Education
Advocacy in Action! In a bill-packed day, WSPTA Advocacy member Danica Noble testified in favor of 3SHB 1228, building a multilingual, multiliterate Washington through dual and tribal language education. Danica shared her students’ experiences with a dual language program and encouraged the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee to pass the bill so that…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Urging Further Education Investments
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA President Angela Steck testified during the Senate Ways & Means meeting on Monday, February 19 on the proposed 2024 supplemental operating budget, SSB 5950. While the Senate proposal supports a small increase in special education, additional transportation funding for McKinney Vento students, and an increase in ratios for paraeducators, Angela expressed…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Dual Credit Programs & Graduation Requirements
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA Advocacy Committee member Natalya Yudkovsky testified in support of HB 1146, requiring school districts to provide information about dual credit programs and any financial assistance available to reduce dual credit and exam costs for students and their families. In addition to supporting the bill in the Senate Early Learning & K-12…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Legislature passes halfway point, budgets released soon
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org While the Senate adjourned for the weekend February 9, the House worked into the wee hours last Friday and through late afternoon Saturday in an effort to advance bills before the February 13 deadline by which bills must pass out of the chamber in which they started. See the full 2024 Bill…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
WSPTA Testifies: Increased Allocation for Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs
Advocacy in Action! Shoreline School District parent advocate Michelle Harris testified on behalf of Washington State PTA in strong support of HB 2494, increasing the allocation for Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs. Michelle shared that for her district, skyrocketing insurance increases will cost $2 million or about 8% of the enrichment levy. Watch Michelle here.…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Mid-Week Update: Fiscal cutoff spells end for more bills
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Monday, February 5 was the final day for bills to pass out of the fiscal committees in the chamber in which they started. The exceptions to this are revenue bills and any bills labeled Necessary to Implement the Budget or NTIB. And, as a reminder, no bill is ever officially done…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Summer EBT Food Program Requires Support from Olympia
by Nigar Suleman, WSPTA Federal Legislative Committee, and Susan Baird-Joshi, WSPTA Federal Legislative Chair Due to the Public Health Emergency expiring, 2023 was the last year for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) food benefits. Now, thanks to new federal funding initiatives, benefits that aim to reduce child hunger when school is not in session will…