---
type: "Bill"
title: "Supporting the implementation of competency-based education."
description: "Supporting the implementation of competency-based education."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "SB 5189"
citation: "Washington SB 5189 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Wellman"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 41
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-01-08"
last_action: "2025-05-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c2210bc8-3ba2-4fcb-82c8-41baafa5e695"
source_url: "https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=5189&Year=2025&Initiative=false"
source_hash: "2a997fd12b50ddf3f64582cf2fa79cb59c409cf6c6b80e05bd3cafe2d4167144"
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 SB 5189 (2025-2026) — Supporting the implementation of competency-based education.

## 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/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5189.htm)
2. **Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5189.PL.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#21) — **44–5** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#8) — **47–2** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#13) — **63–33** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Wellman — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Harris — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Kauffman — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Saldaña — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-08** Prefiled for introduction. `filing`
- **2025-01-13** First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education. `reading-1`
- **2025-01-15** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 1:30 PM.
- **2025-02-04** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 8:00 AM.
- **2025-02-04** EDU - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-04** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-04** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-02-04** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-02-05** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-17** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2025-02-27** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
- **2025-02-27** WM - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-27** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-02-28** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2025-03-03** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2025-03-05** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2025-03-05** Third reading, passed; yeas, 47; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2025-03-07** First reading, referred to Education. `reading-1`
- **2025-03-13** Public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 10:30 AM.
- **2025-03-20** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Education at 8:00 AM.
- **2025-03-20** ED - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-20** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-03-21** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-02** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- **2025-04-04** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
- **2025-04-04** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-04** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-04-04** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2025-04-08** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-11** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-04-15** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2025-04-15** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2025-04-15** Third reading, passed; yeas, 63; nays, 33; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2025-04-17** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2025-04-17** Passed final passage; yeas, 44; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2025-04-19** President signed. `passage`
- **2025-04-22** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2025-04-23** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-13** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-13** Chapter 278, 2025 Laws. `became-law`
- **2025-05-13** Effective date 7/27/2025. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c2210bc8-3ba2-4fcb-82c8-41baafa5e695`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).