OLYMPIA, WA – A bill aimed at ensuring Washington students receive instruction on Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history was heard Wednesday in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

Senate Bill 5574, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, would require school districts to adopt policies ensuring instruction in those histories is included in one or more required social studies courses as part of regular curriculum review cycles.

Under the legislation, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction would be required to adopt revised social studies learning standards by Sept. 1, 2028, or when the standards are next updated, whichever occurs later. Beginning with the 2029–30 school year, school districts would be required to provide instruction aligned with the updated standards in grades kindergarten through 12, particularly when the subject matter intersects with United States and Washington state history.

The bill also requires school districts to publicly post their adopted policies and to submit annual reports beginning in 2030 confirming that instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic.

Supporters emphasized that the measure would not replace existing requirements, including current ethnic studies standards or the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum. Instead, the bill is intended to operate alongside existing law.

“For too long, many students have not seen the full breadth of our shared history reflected in their classrooms,” Nobles said. “This bill helps ensure students learn a more complete and accurate account of the communities and experiences that have shaped Washington and our country.”