SB 5574 — Providing instruction on Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander history in public schools.

S-3619.2S-0889.2 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5574 State of Washington 69th Legislature 20262025 Regular Session By Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Nobles, Trudeau, Cortes, Frame, Kauffman, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, Orwall, Riccelli, Stanford, Torres, Valdez, and C.

Wilson)Wilson READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 01/22/26.01/29/25.

ANReferred ACT Relating to instructionCommittee on AsianEarly AmericanLearning and& NativeK-12 Hawaiian/PacificEducation. Islander, Latino American, and Black American history in public schools;

addingAN aACT newRelating section to chapterinstruction 28A.320on RCW;Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander history in public schools;

adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW;

and creating new sections.sections;

and providing an expiration date.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 12,000 acts of harassment, discrimination, and violence, toward Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, were reported p.

1 SSB 5574 and Washington state was found to have the third-highest number of reported incidents in the nation.

Such acts of hate and violence continue to be reported each year.

(c)p. Regardless of one's background, every student in Washington state has a right to feel safe at school and in their communities;

1 SB 5574 (c) Regardless of one's background, every student in Washington state has a right to feel safe at school and in their communities;

TooFor often, Asian AmericansAmerican areand viewedNative asHawaiian/Pacific eitherIslander thestudents "modelspecifically, minority"it orwill "perpetualbolster foreigner,"their ormental both,health and omittedsense fromof ethnicbelonging studies,in Unitedthe Statesstate history,they andcall Washingtonhome. history curricula and instruction altogether.

For Nativeall Hawaiians/PacificWashington Islanders,students, manythis ofeducation thesewould traditionallyfoster overburdeneda communitiesstronger havesense beenof defined,community excluded, and underservedshared byhistory, systemsunderlining the struggles and institutionsvalues forthat decades;connect all of us as Americans;

(e) TheConsistent Blackwith AmericanRCW community28A.655.300, hasthe playedlegislature arecognizes criticalthe roleimportance inof shapingpublic theschool political,students economic,being cultural,global andcitizens socialin foundationsa ofglobal thesociety Unitedwith States,an whichappreciation is essential for everythe Washingtoncontributions stateof studentdiverse tocultures. know.

FromResearch thehas forcedshown labor that builtusing earlyhistorically Americanaccurate infrastructure,curricula to the intellectual, artistic, and scientific achievements that continueare toinclusive influenceof thehistorically nation,marginalized Blackand Americanunderrepresented historygroups ishelps inseparableaddress fromlack the broader story of Americanrepresentation democracy.or misrepresentation;

Yetand despiteleads its centrality, Black American history has historically been ignored, minimized, distorted, or relegated to apositive narrowchanges setin ofstudents' narrativesattitudes, thatvalues, failempathy, toparticipation, captureacademic theperformance, depth, diversity, and ongoingattendance impactrates; of Black communities.

Ensuring(f) studentsToo learnoften, aAsian comprehensiveAmericans andare historicallyviewed accurateas accounteither ofthe Black"model Americanminority" historyor is"perpetual criticalforeigner," toor understandingboth theand developmentomitted offrom theethnic nationstudies, andUnited theStates sharedhistory, struggles, movements, and contributionsWashington thathistory shapecurricula ourand present;instruction altogether.

(f)For LatinoNative AmericanHawaiians historyand isPacific anIslanders, integralmany part of thethese storytraditionally ofoverburdened thecommunities Unitedhave Statesbeen defined, excluded, and ofunderserved Washingtonby state.systems and institutions for decades.

Latino(2) communities,Accordingly, includingand Mexican,with Puertothe Rican,support Cuban,of CentralAsian American and SouthNative American,Hawaiian/Pacific Afro-Latino,Islander andcommunity-based indigenousorganizations, Latinthe Americanlegislature populations,intends havefor contributededucation significantlyregarding tothe ourhistory economicof development,Asian laborAmericans p.and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders be mandatory in Washington's common schools.

2 SSB 5574 movements, military service, arts, sciences, civic leadership, and cultural richness.

Their histories illuminate the evolution of industries, such as agriculture, transportation, technology, and education, and their experiences shed light on key civil rights struggles that have helped define modern American democracy.

Ensuring that students learn this history allows them to understand the interconnected nature of our shared past and the contributions that have shaped the communities they live in today;

(g) Consistent with RCW 28A.655.300, it is important for public school students to be global citizens in a global society with an appreciation for the contributions of diverse cultures.

Research has shown that using comprehensive and historically accurate curricula that include historically marginalized and underrepresented groups helps address lack of representation or misrepresentation, and leads to positive changes in students' attitudes, values, empathy, participation, academic performance, and attendance rates;

(h) Comprehensive instruction around history that includes Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American histories is a key strategy for reducing racial bias and addressing the root causes of discrimination affecting multiple communities.

Research demonstrates that when students learn about the interconnected histories of racialized groups, especially their shared experiences through systems of law, labor, migration, activism, and cultural exchange, they develop stronger cross-cultural understanding and are less likely to adopt harmful stereotypes.

Providing students with this fuller historical context supports safe learning environments while reinforcing a shared civic identity grounded in truth and collective responsibility;

and (i) By equipping young people with an honest, multiperspective understanding of our state and nation, Washington prepares students to recognize misinformation, challenge prejudice, and participate meaningfully in a diverse democracy.

Instruction that reflects the full breadth of our collective history is not only academically beneficial, it is fundamental to building a more just, cohesive, and resilient society.

(2) Accordingly, and with the support of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino, Black, and other community- based organizations, the legislature intends for education regarding the history of Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific p.

3 SSB 5574 Islanders, Latino Americans, and Black Americans, be mandatory in Washington's common schools.

A new section is added to chapter 28A.32028A.655 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By September 1, 2028, orthe afteroffice of the superintendent of public instruction adopts revised social studies learning standards, whichever comes later, each school district shall adopt a policy ensuring that instruction in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander,Islander Latino American, and Black American history islearning includedstandards inas onepart orof more required social studies courses when the districtstate reviewsp. or adopts its social studies curriculum during its regular curriculum review cycle.

(2)2 PoliciesSB adopted5574 undersocial thisstudies sectionlearning muststandards alignand withshall revisedidentify socialavailable studiescurricula learningand other instructional materials that are aligned to those standards adoptedfor underuse RCWby 28A.655.070school districts and collected in collaboration with leaders of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community-based organizations and the policiesstatewide adoptedassociation underof RCWeducational 28A.345.130.service districts.

(3)For Eachpurposes schoolof districtdeveloping shallthe postlearning thestandards, adoptedAsian policyAmerican onand theNative districtHawaiian/Pacific websiteIslander withinhistory 30includes, daysbut is not limited to, the history of schoolAmericans boardof approval.East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent.

(2) The history learning standards adopted under subsection (1) of this section must include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

(a) A focus on the history of Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in the state, the region, and the United States, including incorporated and unincorporated territories of the United States;

and (b) The local, regional, and national contributions of:

(i) Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders towards advancing civil rights from the 19th century to the present day;