This bill creates a new section in chapter 28A.310 RCW authorizing the school information processing cooperative of Washington's educational service districts to develop, maintain, and govern a statewide digital transcript file standard and a secure, platform-independent environment for two-way exchange of transcript data among school districts, charter schools, state-tribal education compact schools, and postsecondary institutions. It requires the cooperative to establish governance over transcript content, compliance, and ongoing evolution of the standard. The new law makes participation in the statewide digital transcript environment mandatory for school districts, charter schools, state-tribal education compact schools, and public institutions of higher education (as referenced in RCW 28B.10.016), and optional for private four-year not-for-profit Washington institutions referenced in RCW 28B.92.030(4)(b). Disclosure of digital transcript data is allowed only with the express, revocable permission of the student or the student's parent or legal guardian when required by law. Participation by covered entities satisfies data-sharing authorization requirements between participating entities for the subjects covered by the section and removes the need for individual bilateral data-sharing agreements. The change is a new statutory provision establishing a procedural framework for standardized electronic transcript exchange and governance; it does not create new crimes or change criminal penalties. The provided facts do not include the exact new section number, statutory definitions for the cooperative or “postsecondary institutions,” timelines, funding, technical specifications, enforcement mechanisms, penalties, exceptions, or how entities that cannot currently connect would operationally participate.

If enacted, the law will create a statewide standard and secure system for exchanging student transcripts so school districts, charter schools, state-tribal compact schools, and public colleges must connect and can send and receive transcript data two ways; private four-year nonprofit colleges may join. Students (or parents when required) must give and can revoke express permission before their transcript data is shared, and participating entities will no longer need separate bilateral data‑sharing agreements for the transcripts covered by this system, which should reduce routine paperwork and approvals. The school information processing cooperative will gain ongoing responsibility to set and enforce the transcript content and sharing rules, so it will need to staff and govern that work. Local districts and colleges face changed responsibilities: they must participate, manage consent from students, and meet any new operational or privacy duties, which could create one-time and ongoing costs to connect and comply; they may also see reduced administrative costs from fewer bilateral agreements. Important details that affect real costs and timing—such as funding, implementation timelines, technical specifications, and enforcement mechanisms—are not provided in the extracted text, so the net financial and operational impact is uncertain.