The GPR
committee has identified the legislative priorities for WSASP in the 2019
session. There are hundreds of bills filed so far this session. To
identify bills of interest we have 2 primary avenues. First, NASP uses an
algorithm to search for bills with key words such as psychologist or social
emotional learning. Second, the WEA Lobbyist who supports the GPR
Committee brings bills to our attention that cross her desk. GPR then
reviews all bills and determines priority based on many factors including the
WSASP mission and vision, the GPR Committee's goals, support for the bill in
Olympia, and available resources. This list of priorities is subject to change
as new bills can be filed every day. Please look regularly for the most up to
date information. If you have any questions about how or why a bill was
prioritized, please contact us at gpr@wsasp.org.
HIGH PRIORITY: These bills are tracked by the
committee. The WEA Lobbyist will sign in on our behalf at public hearings
when we cannot attend ourselves. In addition, the committee will provide
written testimony and input throughout the legislative process. This might
include a call to action for all WSASP members. Finally, committee
members are committed to providing testimony on these bills.
MEDIUM PRIORITY: These bills are tracked by the
committee. The WEA Lobbyist will sign in on our behalf at public hearings
when we cannot attend ourselves. In addition, the committee will provide
written testimony and input throughout the legislative process. This might
include a call to action for all WSASP members. Finally, committee
members will provide testimony in person if possible.
LOW PRIORITY: These bills are tracked by the committee.
The WEA Lobbyist will sign in on our behalf at public hearings when we
cannot attend ourselves. Should the need arise, the committee is prepared
to dedicate more resources to these bills which could include written
testimony, a call to action for WSASP members, or providing testimony.
Bill Priority List – Updated 3/18/2019 – Brief
NOTE: Several of our priority bills are in a position now where a
vote may take place at any time. Please check frequently for Advocacy
Action Requests.
For detailed information about each bill click here.
HIGH PRIORITY
Social Emotional Learning
SB5082SCreating a committee to promote and expand social
emotional learning.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
Current Status:
March 6 - Passed the Senate! 30 Yeas, 18 Nays, 0 absent, 1
excused
March 21 – Scheduled for Executive Session in the House Education
Committee
SB 5689Concerning harassment,
intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in public schools.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
Current Status:
Feb 27 -Passed the SENATE- Third reading, passed; yeas, 29; nays,
20; absent, 0; excused, 0.
March 21 – Scheduled for Executive Session in the House Education
Committee WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
GPR Committee member Dr. Jill Davidson provided testimony in the
Public Hearing with the Ways and Means Committee. You can view this
testimony here, our testimony starts at 1:25. Dr. Davidson's testimony was
referred to in this article in the Spokesman-Review.
Dr. Jill Davidson testified again, this time before the House
Education Committee. You can view this testimony here, our testimony starts at
1:28.
MEDIUM PRIORITY
Delinking test scores from graduation
HB 1089Concerning certificates of
academic and individual achievement.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
Current Status:
March 4 - Passed the House 84 Yeas, 13 nays, 0
absent, 1 excused
March 6 – Introduced into the Senate Education Committee
HB 1599Promoting
career and college readiness through modified graduation requirements.
WSASP - PRO WEA - PRO
Current Status:
March 8 - Passed House 91 yeas, 4 nays, 0 absent, 3 excused
March 20 – Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Education
Committee at 1:30 pm
School Safety Issues
HB 1264Concerning secondary traumatic
stress in public school staff.
WSASP – PRO WEA – PRO
Current Status:
March 4 - Passed the House 96 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 2 excused
March 15 - Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Education
Committee
HB 1216Concerning non-firearm measures
to increase school safety and student well-being.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
Current Status:
March 7 - Passed the House 83 yeas, 14 nays, 0 absent, 1 excused
March 18 – Scheduled for public hearing
in the Senate Education Committee at 1:30
WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
Written testimony sent to the Senate
Education Committee prior to the hearing on 3/18.
Advocacy Action Request to membership on
3/6
Recruitment and Retention Issues
HB 1139Expanding the current and
future educator workforce supply.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
Current Status:
March 8 - Passed the House, 93 yeas, 2 nays, 0 absent, 3 excused
March 18 – Scheduled for public hearing
in the Senate Education Committee at 1:30
WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
Written testimony sent to the Senate
Education Committee prior to the hearing on 3/18.
Professional Practices
SB 5532Concerning special education.
WSASP – PRO WEA – Other
Current Status:
March 9 - Passed the Senate - 46 yeas, 0 nays, 0- absent, 3 excused
March 19 – Scheduled for public hearing
in the House Education Committee at 3:30 pm
WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
Advocacy Action Request to membership
started 3/6.
No further action this session (dead in policy
committee)
Did not make it out of policy committee, so likely will not have
any further action this session. Likely to be on the agenda again
next session.
High Priority
SB 5315Increasing student support staff
in the prototypical school funding model.
WSASP – Pro WEA – Pro
WSASP
ACTION TAKEN:
Advocacy Action Request to membership started 3/6, still active!
Written testimony provided to the Senate
Education Committee for the 1/30/2019 Public Hearing. See this testimonyhere.
Carrie Suchy, NCSP, gave testimony in the public
hearing (clickhereto view,
our testimony starts around 1:58) in addition to submitting written
testimony(availablehere).
SB 5821/HB 2012 Providing
equitable bonuses to K-12 instructional staff who attain national certification
through professional organizations.
WSASP – PRO WEA – PRO
Medium Priority
SB 5317 Concerning non-firearm
measures to increase school safety and student well-being.
WSASP – PRO WEA –
PRO
WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
Advocacy Action Request to membership on 3/6 for both bills,
request is still active for 5317!
Written testimony provided to the Senate
Education Committee for the 1/30/2019 Public Hearing. See this testimonyhere.
SB 5216 Developing
multistage threat assessments to increase safety in K-12 schools and
institutions of higher education.
WSASP – PRO WEA – PRO
WSASP ACTION TAKEN:
Written testimony provided to the Senate Education Committee for
the 1/30/2019 Public Hearing. See this testimony here.
LOW PRIORITY
Gun Issues
HB 1763 Preparing
for and responding to active shooter events and other acts of mass violence at
schools.
WSASP – CON WEA – CON
HB 1038 Allowing
public school districts and private schools to adopt a policy authorizing
permanent employees to possess firearms on school grounds under certain conditions.
WSASP – CON WEA – CON
Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health
SB 5685 Requiring
a primary contact in schools to recognize, screen, and respond to emotional or
behavioral distress in students.
WSASP – CON WEA –
CON
HB 1221 Improving
crisis planning in schools to prevent youth suicide.
WSASP – PRO WEA – PRO
SB 5014 Reducing state assessment requirements to only those
required for federal purposes in order to facilitate removal of inequitable
barriers to students.
WSASP – PRO WEA – PRO
