Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
State Government & Tribal Relations Committee |
SB 5865
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Declaring October as Filipino American history month.
Sponsors: Senators Hasegawa, Nguyen, Conway, Dhingra, Schoesler, Billig, Honeyford, King, Randall, Saldaña and Wilson, C..
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 3/20/19
Staff: Jason Zolle (786-7124).
Background:
In 1991 the Filipino American National Historical Society (Society) proposed the first Filipino American History Month to be celebrated in October 1992. The Society chose October because historians had concluded that October 18, 1587, was the earliest documented proof of Filipino presence in the continental United States.
One or both houses of the Legislature passed annual resolutions in each year since 2010 to celebrate the anniversary of Filipino presence in the United States in October or to particularly recognize Filipino veterans.
As of the 2010 census, Washington is home to the fifth-largest Filipino population in the United States, and Filipino Americans are the largest Asian Pacific American population in the state. The census documented 137,083 people of Filipino descent alone or in any combination living in Washington.
In 2000 Washington declared May of each year to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Summary of Bill:
The state declares that October of each year is Filipino American History Month.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.