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WashingtonHB 25942025-2026 Regular SessionHouse

Ensuring that unhoused children and youths in Washington have equal access to free, appropriate public education.

Sponsored By: Kristine Reeves (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Equal school access for unhoused children

The law protects free public education for children without a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime home, including qualifying public preschool. Covered situations include sharing housing because of hardship and living in motels, shelters, cars, or parks; qualifying migratory children are included. The protections also cover homeless youths outside a parent’s or guardian’s physical custody, charter schools, and state-tribal compact schools. Enrollment includes attending classes and fully joining school activities, and officials must address barriers to access and school success. Students get comparable transportation, meals, career training, highly capable programs, and eligible services such as special education and English-language support.

Unhoused students enroll without missing records

Schools must enroll unhoused students right away, even without records, required documents, or enrollment deadlines missed during homelessness. Schools must seek past records, keep them ready for transfers, and connect students with help getting immunizations or health records. Students also stay enrolled at the requested school during disputes over eligibility, school choice, or enrollment, including available appeals. Families and unaccompanied youths must receive a written decision and information about appeal rights. The district’s homeless-student liaison must help resolve disputes as quickly as possible.

Grants support unhoused students’ school needs

Subject to appropriated funding, the state education office makes competitive district grants available for up to three years. Awards depend on district need and application quality; districts must submit a needs assessment, proposed services, and required assurances. Grants can fund tutoring, faster learning-needs assessments, transportation help, preschool education, school supplies, document costs, and emergency attendance aid. They can also fund health referrals, youth outreach, before- and after-school activities, mentoring, parent education, staff training, and agency coordination. Services must expand or improve regular programs, not replace them, and integrate students wherever practical; brief separation is allowed for health or safety emergencies or temporary extra support for unique needs.

Unhoused families get dedicated school help

Every district must name a homeless-student liaison to identify students, support enrollment, explain rights, and help with records and transportation. Liaisons connect families with eligible early-childhood programs and health, dental, mental-health, substance-use, housing, and other services. They also support parent involvement, reach out to youths outside school, and train school staff. Unaccompanied youths get information and verification help for independent-student status for federal college aid. Districts receiving this law’s funding must coordinate with service agencies and other districts on transportation and records, with housing agencies where applicable, and with disability-education services for students served by both systems.

Unhoused students gain inclusion and privacy

Homelessness alone cannot justify separating a student from the regular school setting. Districts receiving funding specifically for this law cannot place students in separate schools or programs because they are homeless. Schools must treat details about a student’s living situation as protected education records, not directory information.

Unhoused students get school stability and rides

Districts must start by assuming unhoused students should stay at their school of origin, which can include preschool or a designated receiving school. Placement must reflect achievement, health, and safety, giving priority to the family’s request or an unaccompanied youth’s request. Students can instead attend the school serving where they live; school-of-origin placement lasts through homelessness and the remaining school year after permanent housing. Districts must arrange rides to and from the school of origin when a parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth’s liaison requests them. After a move across districts, the districts must agree on transportation responsibility and costs, or share them equally.

School support grants carry eligibility limits

Districts applying for these grants must show compliance with the federal and state requirements that apply to other public schools. A district that fails loses eligibility for chapter-specific funding for programs at the affected school after the first failure date. Applications must also show that combined district and state education spending meets a 90% threshold. Prior-year spending per student, or total spending, must be at least 90% of the level in the second prior year.

Washington tracks and protects unhoused students’ access

Washington’s education office must name a state coordinator to lead the education plan, monitor districts, coordinate services, train staff, and answer families’ questions. It must collect student and service data, post annual student counts, publish liaison contacts yearly, and explain liaison duties to families and service providers. A full status report is due October 1, 2030, and every four years afterward. Funded districts must review and revise barriers involving transportation, immunizations, residency, records, and guardianship, with special attention to students outside school. Compliance with equivalent federal McKinney-Vento requirements as of January 1, 2026, satisfies the state rules; provisions conflicting with federal funding conditions do not apply to the extent of that conflict, and regulations must preserve federal funding eligibility.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Kristine Reeves

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Gerry Pollet

    Democratic • House

  • Joel McEntire

    Republican • House

  • Mari Leavitt

    Democratic • House

  • Shaun Scott

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 237 • No: 2

House vote • 3/11/2026

Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 95 • No: 1 • Other: 2

Senate vote • 3/6/2026

3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 48 • No: 0 • Other: 1

House vote • 2/12/2026

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 94 • No: 1 • Other: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 6/11/2026.

    3/24/2026House

  2. Chapter 201, 2026 Laws.

    3/24/2026House

  3. Governor signed.

    3/24/2026legislature

  4. Speaker signed.

    3/12/2026legislature

  5. President signed.

    3/12/2026legislature

  6. Delivered to Governor.

    3/12/2026legislature

  7. Passed final passage; yeas, 95; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    3/11/2026House

  8. House concurred in Senate amendments.

    3/11/2026House

  9. Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1.

    3/6/2026House

  10. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/6/2026House

  11. Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.

    3/6/2026House

  12. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

    3/5/2026House

  13. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

    3/2/2026House

  14. Minority; without recommendation.

    3/2/2026House

  15. WM - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Early Learning & K-12 Education.

    3/2/2026House

  16. Referred to Ways & Means.

    2/25/2026House

  17. And refer to Ways & Means.

    2/24/2026House

  18. EDU - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

    2/24/2026House

  19. First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.

    2/16/2026House

  20. Third reading, passed; yeas, 94; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 3.

    2/12/2026House

  21. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    2/12/2026House

  22. 1st substitute bill substituted.

    2/12/2026House

  23. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.

    2/11/2026House

  24. Referred to Rules 2 Review.

    2/4/2026House

  25. ED - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.

    2/3/2026House

Bill Text

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