This bill (Substitute Senate Bill S-3619.2 / Substitute Senate Bill 5574, 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session) creates new statutory requirements by adding sections to chapter 28A.320 RCW and chapter 28A.230 RCW. It requires each Washington school district to adopt, by September 1, 2028 (or after the superintendent adopts revised social studies learning standards, whichever is later), a policy ensuring mandatory instruction in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander history, Latino American history, and Black American history be included in one or more required social studies courses during the district’s regular curriculum review. Districts must post the adopted policy on their website within 30 days of school board approval, align the policy with revised social studies learning standards under RCW 28A.655.070 and policies under RCW 28A.345.130, may use ethnic studies materials made available under RCW 28A.300.112 or other public or private materials that align with those standards, may accept related gifts or grants, and must begin K‑12 instruction consistent with their policies in the 2029–30 school year. Beginning June 30, 2030, and each June 30 thereafter, districts must report annually to the State Board of Education, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Washington State School Directors’ Association that the required instruction is offered and is planned, ongoing, and systematic. The act expressly preserves the John McCoy (lulilaš) "since time immemorial" curriculum required under RCW 28A.320.170(1)(b) and is declared to be supplementary to ethnic studies materials referenced in RCW 28A.655.300 and RCW 28A.300.112. The change is a procedural and curricular mandate rather than a criminal or penalty change: it creates a new obligation for districts to adopt policies, provide specified instruction, post policies, and report to state entities. The extracted text does not provide formal definitions for the named histories, details about grade levels, instructional scope, duration, or specific content standards, nor does it include enforcement mechanisms, compliance review procedures, or consequences for noncompliance. The revised social studies learning standards referenced and the policies under RCW 28A.345.130 are not included in the provided text, and the timing or length of a district’s “regular curriculum review cycle” is not specified.

If enacted, every public school district will have to create and post a policy by September 1, 2028 (or later if state social studies standards are still being revised) requiring Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history to be taught in one or more required social studies courses, and start delivering K–12 instruction consistent with that policy in the 2029–30 school year. Districts and school boards must also post the approved policy online within 30 days and file an annual report each June 30 beginning in 2030 to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, and the Washington State School Directors’ Association; districts can use state-provided ethnic studies materials or other aligned materials and may accept related gifts, grants, or donations to help implement the requirement. Practically, this shifts clear planning, curriculum, training, and administrative duties onto districts and school boards and likely creates new costs for curriculum development, teacher preparation, and annual compliance reporting — though districts can seek outside funding. Important implementation details are missing: the revised social studies standards and the specific content, grade-level scope, timing of a district’s “regular curriculum review,” and any enforcement or consequences for noncompliance are not provided, so the actual workload and expense for districts will depend on those yet-to-be-specified standards and policies.