FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5433

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.

C 198 L 15

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Requiring Washington's tribal history, culture, and government to be taught in the common schools.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Litzow, Rolfes, Roach, Fain, Hasegawa, Dammeier, McCoy, Nelson, Frockt, McAuliffe, Rivers, Kohl-Welles, Chase, Jayapal, Conway and Habib).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

House Committee on Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs

Background: There are 29 federally recognized Indian tribes whose reservations are located in Washington. In a 2012 report, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reported that 264 school districts in 2010 had between 1 and 1095 Native American or Alaskan Native students attending their schools.

In 2005 the Legislature encouraged OSPI to help school districts identify federally recognized Indian tribes within or near school districts and school districts were encouraged to do the following:

In 2011 the Legislature directed OSPI to create the Office of Native Education (ONE). ONE was tasked with several duties including facilitating the development and implementation of curricula and instructional materials regarding native languages, culture and history, and the concept of tribal sovereignty. ONE posts curriculum and other resources for elementary, middle, and high schools on its website.

Washington's high school graduation requirements include a minimum of one-half credit of Course work in Washington State history and government. Courses designed to meet this requirement are encouraged to include information on the culture, history, and government of Indian tribes in Washington.

Summary: The legislative direction encouraging OSPI and school districts to collaborate and take certain actions to develop and incorporate curricula about tribes is changed to require such collaboration and actions. OSPI must help school districts identify federally recognized Indian tribes within or near school districts, and school districts must do the following:

School districts must meet the requirements of collaboration and incorporation about tribal history, culture, and government by using the curriculum developed and made available free of charge by OSPI, but they may modify the curriculum in order to incorporate elements that have a regional focus or in order to incorporate the curriculum into existing curricular materials.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate

42

7

House

76

22

Effective:

July 24, 2015