Self-resiliency skills

AN ACT Relating to supporting student success through instruction 1
in self-resiliency skills; amending RCW 28A.300.288; adding a new 2
section to chapter 28A.320 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 3
28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration 4
date. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that there 7
is an ongoing youth mental health crisis that requires a thoughtful 8
and effective response strategy. The rates of psychological distress 9
among young people have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 10
Psychological distress can manifest as depression or anxiety, 11
impulsiveness or irritability, substance abuse, as well as suicidal 12
ideations and suicide attempts.13
(2) The legislature finds that teaching students how to build the 14
skills to cope with stress, navigate their emotions, build healthy 15
relationships, and develop problem solving skills helps to reduce 16
harmful student behaviors and improve student success.17
(3) The legislature finds that numerous public schools in 18
Washington are teaching students skills that promote self-resiliency 19
within a prevention-based framework and within a continuum of 20
H-0155.3
HOUSE BILL 1590
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Timmons, Eslick, Callan, Rule, Doglio, and Reed
Read first time 01/24/25. Referred to Committee on Education.
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support, but that many schools do not have the capacity or resources 1
to proactively provide similar student supports. 2
(4) Therefore, the legislature intends to encourage all public 3
schools to provide instruction on skills that promote self-resiliency 4
inclusive of self-awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, social 5
awareness, social management, and social engagement consistent with 6
the adopted learning standards and benchmarks. 7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 8
RCW to read as follows: 9
(1) Every school district and public school is encouraged to 10
provide instruction on skills that promote self-resiliency inclusive 11
of self-awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, social awareness, 12
social management, and social engagement consistent with learning 13
standards and benchmarks adopted by the office of the superintendent 14
of public instruction pursuant to RCW 28A.300.478. It is recommended 15
that any curriculum used to provide instruction in accordance with 16
this section is research-based or evidence-based, developmentally 17
appropriate, linguistically responsive, and culturally sustaining, 18
incorporates elements of universal design, and promotes and supports 19
student learning, mental health, and well-being. 20
(2) School districts and public schools are encouraged to 21
coordinate actions to implement this section with related efforts, 22
such as planning for emotional or behavioral distress in students 23
under RCW 28A.320.127, priorities of school counselors, social 24
workers, and psychologists under RCW 28A.320.280, implementing a 25
comprehensive school counseling program under RCW 28A.320.600, and 26
providing staff training under RCW 28A.415.445. 27
(3) For the purpose of this section, "public school" has the same 28
meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 30
RCW to read as follows: 31
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 32
specific purpose, between August 1, 2025, and June 30, 2030, the 33
office of the superintendent of public instruction shall annually 34
distribute funding to school districts, charter schools, and state-35
tribal education compact schools for the purpose of supporting 36
instruction in social-emotional learning that is consistent with the 37
learning standards and benchmarks adopted by the office of the 38
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superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.300.478. The 1
process for distributing funding must be streamlined for the 2
effective delivery of resources to rural and small school districts.3
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must 4
prioritize funding distributed under this section first to the 5
highest poverty school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal 6
education compact schools that are not providing instruction 7
consistent with the social-emotional learning standards and 8
benchmarks, and second to school districts, charter schools, and 9
state-tribal education compact schools in communities identified as 10
highest risk under RCW 28A.300.288 and that provide instruction in 11
self-resiliency as a component of primary prevention for youth 12
suicide prevention activities. 13
(3) Recipients of the funding under this section must comply with 14
the recommendations under section 2 of this act, including the 15
social-emotional learning curriculum recommendations.16
(4) As required by the office of the superintendent of public 17
instruction, recipients of the funding under this section must report 18
to the office of the superintendent of public instruction with their 19
perspectives on any student outcomes that were impacted by increasing 20
the instruction in social-emotional learning using the learning 21
standards and benchmarks adopted under RCW 28A.300.478.22
(5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must 23
work with state and community partners to implement this section.24
(6) By October 15, 2030, and in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, 25
the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall submit 26
to the appropriate committees of the legislature a report indicating 27
the recipients of the funding, what each recipient used the funding 28
for, and perspectives on impacted student outcomes.29
(7) This section expires August 1, 2031. 30
Sec. 4. RCW 28A.300.288 and 2014 c 103 s 2 are each amended to 31
read as follows: 32
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 33
work with state agency and community partners , including prevention 34
experts in the division of behavioral health and recovery of the 35
state health care authority, to assist schools in implementing youth 36
suicide prevention activities, which may include the following:37
(a) Training for school employees, parents, community members, 38
and students in recognizing and responding to the signs of suicide;39
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(b) Partnering with local coalitions of community members 1
interested in preventing youth suicide; and 2
(c) Responding to communities determined to be in crisis after a 3
suicide or attempted suicide to prevent further instances of suicide.4
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, 5
working with state and community partners, shall prioritize funding 6
appropriated for subsection (1) of this section to communities 7
identified as the highest risk. 8
(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction is 9
encouraged to work with state agency and community partners to 10
promote funding opportunities available under this section to 11
eligible schools.12
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