SB 6130 — Celebrating national voter registration day.

S-4694.1Z-0557.2 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6130 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Krishnadasan, Bateman, Conway, Cortes, Dhingra, Hunt, Liias, Nobles, Orwall, Riccelli, Saldaña, Slatter, and Valdez;

by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction)Instruction READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/04/26.01/14/26.

Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

and adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW.RCW;

and creating a new section.

The legislature recognizes the importance of fostering lifelong civic engagement and that there is an opportunity to align Washington state with the national voter registration day celebrations and activities, both benefiting teachers and improving the civic engagement of high school students.

The legislature further recognizes that moving some activities from January 16th to the third Tuesday in September allows for teachers to incorporate civic education lessons and voter registration activities closer to the November general election.

Therefore, the legislature intends to align Washington state with national civic engagement activities by celebrating national voter registration day.

NEW SECTION.

Sec.

2.

(1) On the third Tuesday of September of each year, or the following Tuesday if the third Tuesday of September falls on a major religiousp. holiday, each public high school shall observe "National Voter Registration Day." (2) Each year on "National Voter Registration Day," or within a two-week period before or after that date to accommodate school schedules, public high schools must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors and when possible high school students in other grades.

1 SB 6130 religious holiday, each public high school shall observe "National Voter Registration Day." (2) Each year on "National Voter Registration Day," or within a two-week period before or after that date to accommodate school schedules, public high schools must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors and when possible high school students in other grades.

(3) County auditors may, as resources allow, help coordinate elements of the future voter program, and participate in voter p.registration events for students on "National Voter Registration Day." (4) On each "National Voter Registration Day" all students 16 years of age or older will be given the opportunity to register to vote or sign up to register to vote online in the classroom as part of the future voter program.

1 SSB 6130 registration events for students on "National Voter Registration Day." (4) On each "National Voter Registration Day" all students 16 years of age or older will be given the opportunity to register to vote or sign up to register to vote online in the classroom as part of the future voter program.

(8)p. For the purposes of this section:

2 SB 6130 (8) For the purposes of this section:

2.3.

p.(1) On January 16th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16th falls on a nonschool day, there shall be observed within each public school "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day." Annually the state superintendent of public instruction shall duly prepare and publish for circulation among the teachers of the state a program for use on such day embodying topics pertinent thereto and may from year to year designate particular laws for special observance.

2(2) SSBEach 6130 (1) On January 16th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16th falls on a nonschool day, there shall be observed within each public school "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day."Day," Annually((social thestudies stateteachers)) superintendent of public instructionhigh shallschools dulymust, prepareas andresources publishallow, forcoordinate circulation among the teachers of the state a programvoter forregistration useevent onin sucheach dayhistory embodyingor topicssocial pertinentstudies theretoclass andattended mayby fromhigh yearschool toseniors yearin designatealignment particularwith lawssection for2 specialof observance.this act.

(2) Each year on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," ((social studies teachers)) public high schools must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors in alignment with section 1 of this act.

(5)p. The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the secretary of state, must update and distribute youth voter registration materials annually, by December 1st, for eligible students to register to vote at school.

3 SB 6130 (5) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the secretary of state, must update and distribute youth voter registration materials annually, by December 1st, for eligible students to register to vote at school.

(6) The superintendent of public instruction must consult with the secretary of state to provide registration methods that enable the electronic collection of information on the number of students who registered to vote on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," with the goal of achieving at least fifty thousand new voter registrations p.for seventeen and eighteen year olds annually, beginning in January 2020.

3 SSB 6130 for seventeen and eighteen year olds annually, beginning in January 2020.

4 SSBSB 6130