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Bill

SB 5637

Promoting student access to information about media literacy and civic education.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Phil Fortunato

Expands high school civics to include voter registration, media literacy, and how to influence policy; ensures districts access nonpartisan online resources, updated periodically.

By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
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Bill Summary · SB 5637

Summary: Substitute Senate Bill 5637 (Promoting student access to information about media literacy and civic education)

Overview

SB 5637 seeks to strengthen high school civics education in Washington by expanding the required content of the mandatory half-credit stand-alone civics course and by mandating greater accessibility to nonpartisan media literacy and civic education resources. The bill is sponsored by Senator Fortunato and is currently in the Senate Rules Committee for third reading after a resolution return.

  • Objective: Improve student understanding of government, civic engagement, and media literacy; ensure districts provide up-to-date, nonpartisan resources.
  • No new state appropriation is listed; fiscal notes are available.

Key Provisions

1) Stand-alone Civics Course Content
- Baseline (existing): Each high school must offer a mandatory half-credit civics course; credit applies toward social studies graduation requirements.
- Subsection (new in the substitute): Beginning with the bill’s effective date, the civics course must include the three branches of government and the checks-and-balances system.
- Expanded content starting in 2026-27:
- The process of voter registration.
- Media literacy related to elections and civic engagement, including critical engagement with online information and combating misinformation.
- Tools and methods individuals or groups may use to initiate changes in public policy/institutions and how those tools can influence elections, policy, public opinion, etc.
- Factors influencing political participation and representation (e.g., redistricting, gerrymandering, reapportionment).

2) Access to Materials and Resources
- By Sept. 1, 2025, OSPI must collaborate with specified nonprofits to identify and post on its website nonpartisan materials for use in the 2026-27 civics content (including preexisting resources from the Washington Open Educational Resources hub).
- OSPI must review these materials at least every five years to ensure relevance.
- The initial materials requirement (2020) remains, requiring collaboration with county auditors and a nonprofit engaged in voter outreach to post civics resources.

3) Definitions
- “Media literacy” is defined as the ability to decode media messages, assess their influence, and access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication.

Who Is Affected

  • High school students statewide (mandatory half-credit civics course).
  • School districts and high school administrators (implementation of expanded curriculum).
  • OSPI (coordination, posting resources, and ongoing review).
  • Nonprofit organizations and media-literacy/civic-education groups (partnerships to supply and maintain materials).
  • Washington Open Educational Resources hub (integration of preexisting resources).

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

  • Introduced: February 3, 2025.
  • Hearings: House Education hearing held March 24, 2025.
  • Senate action: Substitution bill advanced in February 2025; passed the Senate on March 12, 2025; later returned to Senate Rules for third reading (status as of April 27, 2025).
  • Current status: By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
  • Effective date: 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is enacted.
  • No appropriation included in the bill; fiscal note available.

Impact snapshot

  • The bill elevates civics education by ensuring explicit coverage of government structure and media literacy.
  • It ties curriculum to updated resources and nonpartisan materials accessible online, with periodic review.
  • It encourages informed civic participation and critical evaluation of online information among students.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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