WA People
BILL · 2025–26 SESSION · LATEST VERSION 2SSB 5179

SB 5179: Education complaint process

Establishing a complaint process to address willful noncompliance with certain state education laws.

Summary

  • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a process to investigate complaints alleging willful noncompliance with state laws concerning civil rights, harassment, intimidation, bullying, certain curriculum and instructional materials requirements, use of student restraint and isolation, or student discipline.
  • Requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to adopt compliance action plans if the OSPI finds noncompliance with any of these state laws.
  • Permits the OSPI to impose certain consequences for willful noncompliance with these state laws.
  • Directs the Professional Educator Standards Board to adopt rules making a school district superintendent's willful noncompliance with these state laws an act of unprofessional conduct.
  • Amends the school directors' oath to include support for the laws of Washington.

From the Second Substitute House Bill Analysis 2025 (2SSB 5179), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗

Did not pass Did not pass · passed Senate, stalled in House
  1. IntroducedJan 13, 2025
  2. Out of committeeFeb 28, 2025
  3. Passed SenateMar 10, 2025
  4. Passed Housestopped here
  5. Governor
  6. Law
Prime sponsor
Claire Wilson (D-30)
Introduced
January 13, 2025 in the Senate
Last action
January 12, 2026
Budget
Has a fiscal note
Versions
SB 5179, SSB 5179, 2SSB 5179

AN ACT Relating to establishing a complaint process to address willful noncompliance with certain state education laws;

Sponsors

Prime sponsor: Claire Wilson (D-30)

10 co-sponsors (10 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

Liz Lovelett D-40Adrian Cortes D-18Manka Dhingra D-45Noel Frame D-36Bob Hasegawa D-11Marko Liias D-21John Lovick D-44T'wina Nobles D-28Yasmin Trudeau D-27Lisa Wellman D-41

Votes

Senate · 3rd Reading & Final Passage

Passed March 10, 2025
Version voted on: 2SSB 5179
30 Yea 19 Nay 0 Absent 0 Excused
PartyYeaNayAbsentExcused
Democrat30000
Republican01900
How each member voted
Permalink to this vote

History

  1. Senate Rules "X" file. (2SSB 5179)
  2. By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status. (2SSB 5179)
  3. By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading. (2SSB 5179)
  4. First reading, referred to Education. (2SSB 5179)
  5. Third reading, passed; yeas, 30; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0. (2SSB 5179)
  6. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. (2SSB 5179)
  7. 2nd substitute bill substituted. (2SSB 5179)
  8. 2nd substitute bill substituted. (SSB 5179)
  9. 2nd substitute bill substituted.
  10. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. (2SSB 5179)
  11. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. (SSB 5179)
  12. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
  13. Minority; do not pass. (2SSB 5179)
  14. WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (2SSB 5179)
  15. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. (2SSB 5179)
  16. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. (SSB 5179)
  17. WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (SSB 5179)
  18. Minority; do not pass. (SSB 5179)
  19. Minority; do not pass.
  20. WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
  21. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
  22. Referred to Ways & Means. (SSB 5179)
  23. Referred to Ways & Means.
  24. EDU - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (SSB 5179)
  25. Minority; do not pass. (SSB 5179)
  26. Minority; without recommendation. (SSB 5179)
  27. And refer to Ways & Means. (SSB 5179)
  28. And refer to Ways & Means.
  29. Minority; without recommendation.
  30. Minority; do not pass.
  31. EDU - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
  32. First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.
  33. Prefiled for introduction.

SB 5179 in other sessions

Bill numbers restart every two years, so the same number is a different bill in each session.

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