Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
SB 5498
Brief Description: Awarding diplomas posthumously.
Sponsors: Senators Wilson, C., Billig, Das, Lovelett, Lovick, Nobles, Wagoner and Wellman.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires school districts to issue high school diplomas for deceased students if a request is made by a parent, guardian, or custodian, and if other requirements are met.
Hearing Date:
Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).
Background:

To qualify for graduation from a public high school, students must satisfy course and credit requirements established by the State Board of Education (SBE), meet any locally established requirements, complete a high school and beyond plan, and meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway option.  School districts, upon students' satisfactory completion of the state and local requirements, must issue diplomas to students to signify graduation from high school.
 
School districts may also issue high school diplomas to honorably discharged members of the United States armed forces who left high school before graduation to serve in World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era.  These diplomas may be issued to or on behalf of an eligible recipient even if the recipient holds a high school equivalency certification or is deceased.
Summary of Bill:

School districts, at the request of the parent, guardian, or custodian, must issue a high school diploma to a deceased student if the student:

  • was enrolled in a public school in the district at the time of death;
  • completed at least 75 percent of the total number of credits required for graduation, as established by the SBE, before the time of death; and
  • died after the completion of the 11th grade school year or equivalent.

 
The high school diploma may not be issued before the graduation date of the class in which the student was enrolled at the time of death, and school districts are not required to award the diploma at the same ceremony or event as other graduating students.
 
Diplomas issued for the deceased students do not count toward student graduation counts or for any other purpose of federal and state accountability data collection.

 

A short title is included indicating that the act may be known and cited as Evitan's Law.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.