BILL TRACKER
Together, we can move our lawmakers to advance racial equity and improve the lives of Washington’s kids and families. This page contains details of the bills we are tracking in the 2026 legislative session which began on January 12.
For a list of current actions you can take to help advance these bills, please visit our action center.
| Bill Number | Position & Description | Status | Current stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Equity | |||
| HB 1834 | Leading: HB 1834 would stop online platforms from targeting children and youth with addictive feeds and sending notifications to them during school and sleep hours. | Dead | House Floor |
| SB 5708 | Leading: HB 1834 would stop online platforms from targeting children and youth with addictive feeds and sending notifications to them during school and sleep hours. | Dead | Senate Rules Committee |
| HB 2429 | Support: HB 2429 would codify WA Thriving as the guiding strategic plan for Washington's youth behavioral health policy work. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| SB 6224 | Support: SB 6224 would codify WA Thriving as the guiding strategic plan for Washington's youth behavioral health policy work. | Dead | Senate Fiscal Committee |
| HB 2225 | Support: HB 2225 would require AI companion chatbots implement safeguards to protect minor users from harmful influence such as encouraging self harm, as well as require certain mental health and crisis resources be shared with users. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| SB 5984 | Support: SB 5984 would require AI companion chatbots implement safeguards to protect minor users from harmful influence such as encouraging self harm, as well as require certain mental health and crisis resources be shared with users. | Dead | House Rules Committee |
| HB 2401 | Support: HB 2401 would create a new commission on boys & men to recommend policies that will address the disparate outcomes experienced by many boys and men, especially those furthest from opportunity and belonging to marginalized groups. | Dead | House Floor |
| Economic Justice | |||
| HB 2038 | Support: HB 2038 adds a new B&O tax on social media companies operating within the state and directs the revenue to fund a new Youth Behavioral Health Account to support efforts addressing the state's ongoing youth behavioral health crisis. | Dead | House Fiscal Committee |
| SB 5799 | Support: SB 5799 adds a new B&O tax on social media companies operating within the state and directs the revenue to fund a new Youth Behavioral Health Account to support efforts addressing the state's ongoing youth behavioral health crisis. | Dead | Senate Fiscal Committee |
| HB 2724 | Support: HB 2747 would establish a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million to fund essential state programs and the Working Families Tax Credit, as well as reduce taxes on some consumer goods and small businesses. | Dead | House Fiscal Committee |
| SB 6346 | Support: SB 6346 establishes a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million to fund essential state programs and the Working Families Tax Credit, as well as reduce taxes on some consumer goods and small businesses. The bill reserves 5% of revenue from the tax for early learning and child care, and it includes sales tax exemptions for diapers and over-the-counter medications. The bill also includes an intent to use revenue from the tax to fund free school meals for all public K-12 students. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| Early Learning | |||
| SB 5907 | Support: SB 5907 would allow Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) programs to serve more military families if space allows. Military families who are above the ECEAP income threshold but have a household income that qualifies for the Working Connections subsidy would be eligible for an available ECEAP slot. | Dead | Senate Floor |
| SB 5872 | Support: SB 5872 would establish the Pre-K Promise Account to accept philanthropic investments that are intended to support funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). | Alive | Session Law |
| SB 5500 | Support: SB 5500 would require that the biennial report from the Department of Children Youth and Families that includes a market rate survey also include a current cost of quality child care study, as defined by the Early Educator Design Team--a group of 30 child care providers across the state. The study informed by the Design Team includes a cost-estimation model that accounts for the true fixed costs of delivering high‑quality care based on: salaries reflect a living‑wage scale; benefits including paid leave, retirement contributions, and other essential supports; family and staff engagement activities; planning release time; cost for educational materials and curriculum; and professional development supports. In short, the updated definition ensures the model reflects the real cost of a stable, well‑supported early learning workforce. | Dead | House Rules Committee |
| HB 2219 | Support: HB 2219 would help improve efficiencies for child care providers by adjusting time periods for mixed age ratios that allow child care teachers to access meal and rest breaks | Alive | Session Law |
| HB 2317 | Support: HB 2317 would waive licensing requirements for school-day ECEAP and Head Start programs that are located in a public school building or a community or technical college. | Alive | Session Law |
| HB 2318 | Support: HB 2318 would allow Head Start and ECEAP programs to participate in Early Achievers Quality Improvement awards. | Dead | House Fiscal Committee |
| HB 1795 | Support: HB 1795 would reduce student isolation and restraint in public schools, by banning mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and physical restraint or escort that is life threatening, and prohibiting the construction, repurposing, or other establishment of any new isolation rooms or enclosed areas for purpose of student isolation. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| HB 2688 | Oppose: HB 2688 would adjust the funding formula for the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers Program to be separate from the special education multiplier for children ages 3-5. | Dead | House Rules Committee |
| HB 2689 | Other: HB 2689 sets Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) reimbursement at the 85th percentile of the 2024 Market Rate Study (MRS) starting 7/1/26 and the 75th percentile of the 2026 MRS starting 7/1/27. Beginning in 2028, regional survey results are only valid for purposes of setting provider reimbursement rates if survey response rates hit 40% and exceed the prior survey's response rates, and once a region reaches 65% response rates, it must maintain at least 65%. This budget also moves to attendance‑based pay for WCCC providers. When a child attends 16+ days, the provider may claim all authorized days; 9-15 days of attendance allows the provier to claim all authorized days or 15 days, whichever is fewer; and 1-8 days of attendance allows the provider to claim all authorized days or 11 days, whichever is fewer. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| HB 1128 | Monitor: HB 1128 would establish a workforce standards board to make recommendations for child care staff compensation and working conditions. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| SB 6353 | Oppose: SB 6353 would make several changes to Working Connections Child Care, including changing subsidy rate calculations, moving from enrollment-based to attendance-based payments, and striking the planned family eligibility expansions for 2029 and 2031. | Dead | Senate Rules Committee |
| Budget Bills | |||
| SB 5998 | Other: SB 5998 (the final confrence budget) has varied effects for early learning, health equity, and economic justice. Early learning: The budget sets Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) reimbursement at the 85th percentile of the 2024 Market Rate Study (MRS) starting 7/1/26 and the 75th percentile of the 2026 MRS starting 7/1/27. Beginning in 2028, regional survey results are only valid for purposes of setting provider reimbursement rates if survey response rates hit 40% and exceed the prior survey's response rates, and once a region reaches 65% response rates, it must maintain at least 65%. This budget also moves to attendance‑based pay for WCCC providers. When a child attends 16+ days, the provider may claim all authorized days; 9-15 days of attendance allows the provier to claim all authorized days or 15 days, whichever is fewer; and 1-8 days of attendance allows the provider to claim all authorized days or 11 days, whichever is fewer. The budget also cuts professional development funding for providers in half (-$2.15M) and sweeps home visiting underspend (-$2.3M). The budget does not include a cap or a waiting list for WCCC. Health equity: Apple Health Expansion will shift to fee-for-service in January 2027 but will have funding for 5,000 new slots. There is also language that requires a report to explore reductions in services or benefits to for an increase in enrollment capacity. The budget almost fully restores funding for the Partnership Access Line program, which includes a child psychiatry consultation service that improves access to behavioral health care for children statewide. The budget preserves funding for school-based medical, as well as anti-hunger and nutrition assistance programs. Economic justice: Funding is included to implement the Millionaires Tax. | Alive | On Governor's Desk |
| HB 2289 | Other: HB 2289 has varied effects for early learning, health equity, and economic justice. Early learning: Provider reimbursement rates through Working Connections Child Care (our state subsidy program) will move to the 85th percentile of the 2024 Market Rate Survey (MRS) for FY26 and should move to the 75th percentile of the 2026 MRS for FY27; WCCC will shift to an attendance -based payment model (full month for a child with 10 or fewer absences and half month for a child who attended at least one day but has 11+ absences); and reduces professional development funding by 50% ($2.15M/year). The bill does not include a cap or a waiting list for WCCC. Health equity: Apple Health Expansion will continue to provide coverage to roughly 8,000 immigrants who do not qualify for other Apple Health programs based on their immigration status. This budget will transition enrollees to a fee-for-service model before opening enrollment to additional 5,250 eligible individuals. Additionally, this budget does not include the necessary funding to restore the Partnership Access Line program, which includes a child psychiatry consultation service that improves access to behavioral health care for kids across Washington. Additionally, the state match for the school-based medical program is decreased from 50% to 25%, leaving school districts with a 25% match requirement. There are not currently any cuts to anti-hunger and nutrition assistance programs. Economic justice: Funding is included to implement the Millionaires Tax should it pass. | Dead | House Rules Committee |