Legislative Bills
2008 Legislative Update
Bills approved by the Governor
February 6, 2008 – Senate Bill No. 6335 – Relating to the homeless families services fund.
February 11, 2008 – Senate Bill No. 6272 – Relating to expanding financial literacy through education and counseling to promote greater homeownership security.
February 14, 2008 - Senate Bill No. 6794 -Relating to the procurement of new ferry vessels that carry no more than one hundre motor vehicles.
February 20, 2008 - Executive Order - To establish a New Americans Council to improve our state's economic vitality by supporting individuals and families seeking to become new Washingtonians and U.S. Citizens.
Updates on other bills
SSB 6673- an act relating to learning opportunities to assist students to obtain a high school diploma. New section. Sec. 1. the legislature finds that high school students need to graduate with the skills necessary to be successful in college and work. The state graduation requirements help to ensure that Washington high school graduates have the basic skills to be competitive in a global economy. Under education reform started in 1993, time was to be the variable, obtaining the skills was to be the constant. Therefore, students who need additional time to gain the academic skills needed for college and the workplace should have the opportunities they need to reach academic achievement, even if that takes more than the standard four years of high school. This bill is by the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education ( originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Brandland, Hobbs, McDermott, Rasmussen, Weinstein, Oemig, Tom, Kauffman, Hargrove, Fairley, Franklin, and Shin; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction). Read for the first time on 2/04/08.
SB 6536 - Establishing best practices for students at risk. Sponsors: Senators McAuliffe, King, Kauffman, Parlette, Franklin, Brandland, Murray, Rasmussen, Rockefeller, Shin, and Kohl-Welles. With Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.
SB 6535 - Teacher Preparation Program - at Senate Rules 2
SB 5104 - Baccalaureate Pilot Program - on 3rd reading February 11. Sponsors: Senators Shin and McAuliffe.
HB 2634- Regarding graduation requirements for certain English language learner students. Sponsors: Representatives Quall, Hasegawa, Ormsby, Kenney, Hudgins and Santos. Brief summary: Permits English language learner students in the class of 2008 through 2012 to graduate without earning a Certificate of Academic Achievement or Certificate of Individual Achievement if they: a) have not passed a language proficiency test or met the state standard on the reading or writing Washington assessment of Student Learning (WASL); b) meet other graduation requirements; c) retake the WASL annually until graduation; and d) earn additional credits in English language Arts.
HB 2925 – Establishing a plan for improving the effectiveness of the office of minority and women’s business enterprises. Now in House Rules.
2008 Bill Tracking
The following are bills in which you may be interested. Click on bills to read summary
HB 1352 - An act postponing the requirement of proficiency on the WASL for high school gradution.
3SHB 1601 - An act creating the children's environmental health and protection advisory council.
SHB 1817 - Adding an additional payment plan for small loans.
HB 2072 - An act relating to increasing accesss to higher education.
HB 2157 - Expanding resident student eligibility for purposes of the state need grant program.
HB 2279 - Prohibiting discrimination against affordable housing developments.
HB 2303 - Creating a future bilingual teacher mentoring and training program.
SHB 2325 - Creating the community development fund.
HB 2607 - An act requring the professional educator standards board to convene a work group regarding English language learner students.
HB 2634 - An act regarding graduation requirements for certain English language learner students.
HB 2712 - An act conerning criminal street gangs.
HB 2808 -Providing additional opportunities to assist students who have not completed all graduation requirements.
HB 2810 - An act enhancing resources and assistance in school districts with concentrations of English language learners.
HB 2925 - Establishing a plan for improving the effectiveness of the office of minority and women's business enterprises.
HB 2997 - Enhancing Higher Education Accountability.
HB 3047 - Requiring disclosure of certain information relating to higher education course materials.
HB 3212 - Monitoring and addressing achievement of groups of students.
HB 4219 - Ammending the constitution to establish English as the official language of Washington.
SB 5056 - Continuing the small farm direct assistance program
SB 5455 - Creating the community revitalization partnership pilot program.
SB 5814 - Creating educational opportunities in mathematics, science and technology.
SB 6133 - An act limiting tuition increases at state colleges and universities.
SB 6257 - An act requiring aggregate reporting of results of the Washington assessment of student learning.
SB 6333 - An act establishing a citizens' work group on health care.
SB 6407 - Increasing the small business credit for the business and occupation tax.
SB 6466 -Creating a task force to study teaching Chinese and Spanish in public schools.
SB 6536 - Establishing best practices for students at risk.
SB 6540 - Delaying requiring the reading and writing content areas of the WASL for high school graduation.
SB 6684 -Requiring language access services for persons with limited English proficiency in health care and insurance matters.
SB 6728 - Enacting the Governor's homeownership security task force recommendations regarding responsible mortgage lending and homeownership.
