---
type: "Bill"
title: "Expanding background check requirements for certain educational institutions."
description: "Expanding background check requirements for certain educational institutions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "HB 2259"
citation: "Washington HB 2259 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["BACKGROUND CHECKS", "SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION", "OFFICE (OSPI)", "DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES", "INDIVIDUALS WITH"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rude"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 23
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-12-20"
last_action: "2020-03-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0d75f54c-4d82-4743-8b7b-5aa45694d3b1"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2259&year=2019"
source_hash: "0dbdca1b369892d3049e9a8d62175e84e7dbd8ade004858b719f06033b9e36c8"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington HB 2259 (2019-2020) — Expanding background check requirements for certain educational institutions.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/2259.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#24) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#7) — **98–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Rude — primary (person)
- Leavitt — cosponsor (person)
- Thai — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-12-20** Prefiled for introduction. `filing`
- **2020-01-13** First reading, referred to Education. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-04** ED - Majority; do pass.
- **2020-02-06** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2020-02-10** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2020-02-17** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-02-17** Third reading, passed; yeas, 98; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2020-02-19** First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-24** EDU - Majority; do pass.
- **2020-02-25** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-03-02** Placed on second reading consent calendar.
- **2020-03-03** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-03-03** Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-03-05** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-06** President signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-09** Delivered to Governor.
- **2020-03-18** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2020-03-18** Chapter 22, 2020 Laws. `became-law`
- **2020-03-18** Effective date 6/11/2020. `became-law`
- **2020-01-20T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 01:30 PM
- **2020-02-04T20:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 03:30 PM
- **2020-02-24T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 01:30 PM
- **2020-02-24T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 01:30 PM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0d75f54c-4d82-4743-8b7b-5aa45694d3b1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).