wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5574 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that:
The contributions of generations of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities have enriched and strengthened this state and nation. Washington is the proud home of the seventh largest Asian American population and third largest Pacific Islander population in the nation, which make up nearly 12 percent of our state's population. Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents have made valuable contributions to all areas of Washington, including in government, business, arts and sciences, medicine, law enforcement, and the military;
Yet, Washington state has seen an increase in hate crimes and violence against historically marginalized groups, two-thirds of which are based on race or ethnicity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 12,000 acts of harassment, discrimination, and violence, toward Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, were reported and Washington state was found to have the third-highest number of reported incidents in the nation. Such acts of hate and violence continue to be reported each year. According to local and national surveys, there has been a particularly significant rise in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander youth experiencing bullying and racism;
Regardless of one's background, every student in Washington state has a right to feel safe at school and in their communities;
Teaching students about Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander history and contributions is an important response to the hateful rhetoric and violence the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community has experienced in recent years, and a preventive measure to guard against such rhetoric and violence in the future. Too often, Asian Americans are viewed as either the "model minority" or "perpetual foreigner," or both, and omitted from ethnic studies, United States history, and Washington history curricula and instruction altogether. For Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, many of these traditionally overburdened communities have been defined, excluded, and underserved by systems and institutions for decades;
The Black American community has played a critical role in shaping the political, economic, cultural, and social foundations of the United States, which is essential for every Washington state student to know. From the forced labor that built early American infrastructure, to the intellectual, artistic, and scientific achievements that continue to influence the nation, Black American history is inseparable from the broader story of American democracy. Yet despite its centrality, Black American history has historically been ignored, minimized, distorted, or relegated to a narrow set of narratives that fail to capture the depth, diversity, and ongoing impact of Black communities. Ensuring students learn a comprehensive and historically accurate account of Black American history is critical to understanding the development of the nation and the shared struggles, movements, and contributions that shape our present;
Latino American history is an integral part of the story of the United States and of Washington state. Latino communities, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Afro-Latino, and indigenous Latin American populations, have contributed significantly to our economic development, labor movements, military service, arts, sciences, civic leadership, and cultural richness. Their histories illuminate the evolution of industries, such as agriculture, transportation, technology, and education, and their experiences shed light on key civil rights struggles that have helped define modern American democracy. Ensuring that students learn this history allows them to understand the interconnected nature of our shared past and the contributions that have shaped the communities they live in today;
Consistent with RCW 28A.655.300, it is important for public school students to be global citizens in a global society with an appreciation for the contributions of diverse cultures. Research has shown that using comprehensive and historically accurate curricula that include historically marginalized and underrepresented groups helps address lack of representation or misrepresentation, and leads to positive changes in students' attitudes, values, empathy, participation, academic performance, and attendance rates;
Comprehensive instruction around history that includes Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American histories is a key strategy for reducing racial bias and addressing the root causes of discrimination affecting multiple communities. Research demonstrates that when students learn about the interconnected histories of racialized groups, especially their shared experiences through systems of law, labor, migration, activism, and cultural exchange, they develop stronger cross-cultural understanding and are less likely to adopt harmful stereotypes. Providing students with this fuller historical context supports safe learning environments while reinforcing a shared civic identity grounded in truth and collective responsibility; and
Accordingly, and with the support of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino, Black, and other community-based organizations, the legislature intends for education regarding the history of Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, Latino Americans, and Black Americans, be mandatory in Washington's common schools.
By September 1, 2028, or after the superintendent of public instruction adopts revised social studies learning standards, whichever comes later, each school district shall adopt a policy ensuring that instruction in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history is included in one or more required social studies courses when the district reviews or adopts its social studies curriculum during its regular curriculum review cycle.
Policies adopted under this section must align with revised social studies learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.655.070 and the policies adopted under RCW 28A.345.130.
Each school district shall post the adopted policy on the district website within 30 days of school board approval.
Beginning in the 2029-30 school year, each school district shall provide instruction in grades K-12 consistent with the policies adopted under section 2 of this act, particularly when the topic aligns with existing frameworks of United States history and Washington state history.
When providing instruction under this section, school districts may use ethnic studies materials and resources as made available under RCW 28A.300.112, or other existing and appropriate public or private materials, personnel, and resources, provided that they align with the revised social studies learning standards adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.655.070 and the policies adopted under RCW 28A.345.130.
A school district may accept gifts, grants, and donations, including in-kind donations, related to instruction under this section.
Beginning June 30, 2030, and by each June 30th thereafter, each school district shall provide a report to the state board of education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the Washington state school directors' association, that the district is offering the instruction required under this section, and that the program of instruction is planned, ongoing, and systematic.
Nothing in this act supersedes the use of the John McCoy (lulilaš) since time immemorial curriculum developed and required under RCW 28A.320.170(1)(b). This act is supplementary to, and does not supersede, the ethnic studies materials and resources for public school students referenced in RCW 28A.655.300 and 28A.300.112.