Z-0288.3
SENATE BILL 5307
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Bateman, Cortes, Frame, Krishnadasan, Liias, Nobles, Slatter, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, and C. Wilson; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Read first time 01/16/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to special education funding; amending RCW 28A.150.390 , 28A.150.560 , and 28A.150.392 ; adding a new section to chapter 28A.155 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that students receiving special education services are entitled, under both federal and state law, to a free appropriate public education that enables their full participation. Furthermore, special education is fully part of the state's statutory program of basic education that is deemed by the legislature to implement Article IX, section 1 of the state Constitution.
The legislature recognizes that a cap or enrollment limit on the number of students receiving special education services that generate state special education funding is not consistent with the state's duty to provide a free appropriate public education. An enrollment limit that fails to provide equity for all students with disabilities affects all students in public schools.