A pair of bills in the Washington state legislature, House Bill 1496 and Senate Bill 5576, aimed at "establishing a comprehensive initiative to increase learning opportunities and improve educational outcomes in climate science literacy," have been reintroduced in the legislature.
Affirming that "knowledge, skills, and opportunities in science literacy, emphasizing climate science, should be increased for all students in Washington," both bills propose to replace a reference to "environment" with a reference to "environmental and sustainability standards" in a section of the Washington state code listing required areas of instruction for the state's public schools, thus placing a new emphasis on sustainability. Both bills also propose to establish a grant program for nonprofit community-based organizations and educational service districts to provide teacher training in the Next Generation Science Standards, "including climate change standards."
Both bills were originally introduced in January 2019. House Bill 1496 was reintroduced on January 13, 2020, and is with the House Committee on Education; Senate Bill 5576 was reintroduced on January 13, 2020, and is with the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
