HB1796 • 2026

School construction debt

Concerning school districts' authority to contract indebtedness for school construction.

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Callan, Representative Berg, Representative Santos, Representative Parshley, Representative Ramel, Representative Wylie, Representative Reed, Representative Ormsby, Representative Hill
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: C 170 L 26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

School construction debt

What This Bill Does

School construction debt

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

1796 AMS EDU S2407.1

0 • Early Learning & K-12 Education

NOT CONSIDERED

Plain English: 1796 AMS EDU S2407.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

1796 AMS EDU S2407.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
1.
RCW 28A.530.080 and 2010 c 241 s 1 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1)(a) In addition to the authority granted under RCW 5 28A.530.010, a school district may contract indebtedness for any 6 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010 (2)((, (4), and)) through (5) or 7 for the purpose of purchasing any real or personal property, or 8 property rights, in connection with the exercise of any powers or 9 duties which it is now or hereafter authorized to exercise, and issue 10 bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor without a 11 vote of the qualified electors of the district, subject to the 12 limitations on indebtedness set forth in RCW 39.36.020(3) and this 13 subsection.14 (b) To exercise the authority in (a) of this subsection for any 15 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010(3) a school district must:16 (i) Have received approval from the qualified electors of the 17 district to collect a levy to support the construction, 18 modernization, or remodeling of school facilities as authorized under 19 RCW 84.52.053; and20 (ii) Not have been on binding conditions pursuant to RCW 21 28A.505.110 in the two years preceding the date of the contract.22 (2) Before issuing nonvoted bonds in excess of ((two hundred 23 fifty thousand dollars )) $250,000, a school district shall publish 24 notice of intent to issue such bonds and shall hold a public hearing 25 on the proposal at any regular or special meeting of the school 26 board.
The notice shall designate: The date, time, and place of the 27 hearing; the purpose and amount of the bonds; the type, terms, and 28 conditions of bonds; and the means identified for repayment.

1796 AMS EDU S5562.1

0 • Early Learning & K-12 Education

OUT OF ORDER

Plain English: 1796 AMS EDU S5562.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education OUT OF ORDER 03/05/2026 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

1796 AMS EDU S5562.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education OUT OF ORDER 03/05/2026 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
1.
RCW 28A.530.080 and 2010 c 241 s 1 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1)(a) In addition to the authority granted under RCW 5 28A.530.010, a school district may contract indebtedness for any 6 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010 (2)((, (4), and)) through (5) or 7 for the purpose of purchasing any real or personal property, or 8 property rights, in connection with the exercise of any powers or 9 duties which it is now or hereafter authorized to exercise, and issue 10 bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor without a 11 vote of the qualified electors of the district, subject to the 12 limitations on indebtedness set forth in RCW 39.36.020(3) and this 13 subsection.14 (b) To exercise the authority in (a) of this subsection for any 15 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010(3) a school district must:16 (i) Have received approval from the qualified electors of the 17 district to collect a levy to support the construction, 18 modernization, or remodeling of school facilities as authorized under 19 RCW 84.52.053, which must be used to fully repay the indebtedness; 20 and21 (ii) Not have been on binding conditions pursuant to RCW 22 28A.505.110 in the three years preceding the date of the contract.23 (2) Before issuing nonvoted bonds in excess of ((two hundred 24 fifty thousand dollars )) $250,000, a school district shall publish 25 notice of intent to issue such bonds and shall hold a public hearing 26 on the proposal at any regular or special meeting of the school 27 board.
The notice shall designate: The date, time, and place of the 28 hearing; the purpose and amount of the bonds; the type, terms, and 29 conditions of bonds; and the means identified for repayment.

1796 AMS WM S5880.1

0 • Ways & Means

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1796 AMS WM S5880.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Ways & Means ADOPTED 03/05/2026 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

1796 AMS WM S5880.1 HB 1796 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Ways & Means ADOPTED 03/05/2026 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
1.
RCW 28A.530.080 and 2010 c 241 s 1 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1)(a) In addition to the authority granted under RCW 5 28A.530.010, a school district may contract indebtedness for any 6 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010 (2)((, (4), and)) through (5) or 7 for the purpose of purchasing any real or personal property, or 8 property rights, in connection with the exercise of any powers or 9 duties which it is now or hereafter authorized to exercise, and issue 10 bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor without a 11 vote of the qualified electors of the district, subject to the 12 limitations on indebtedness set forth in RCW 39.36.020(3) and this 13 subsection.14 (b) To exercise the authority in (a) of this subsection for any 15 purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010(3) a school district must:16 (i) Have received approval from the qualified electors of the 17 district to collect a levy to support the construction, 18 modernization, or remodeling of school facilities as authorized under 19 RCW 84.52.053, which must be used to fully repay the indebtedness;20 (ii) Not have been on binding conditions pursuant to RCW 21 28A.505.110 in the three years preceding the date of the contract; 22 and23 (iii) Agree to delay for two years the receipt of state financial 24 assistance for the project that the school district is eligible for 25 under RCW 28A.525.162 through 28A.525.180.
26 (2) Before issuing nonvoted bonds in excess of ((two hundred 27 fifty thousand dollars )) $250,000, a school district shall publish 28 notice of intent to issue such bonds and shall hold a public hearing 29 on the proposal at any regular or special meeting of the school 30 board.

Bill History

2026-03-24 House
Effective date 6/11/2026.

Official Summary Text

School construction debt

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

AN ACT Relating to school districts' authority to contract 1
indebtedness for school construction; and amending RCW 28A.530.080.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.530.080 and 2010 c 241 s 1 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1)(a) In addition to the authority granted under RCW 6
28A.530.010, a school district may contract indebtedness for any 7
purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010 (2)((, (4), and)) through (5) or 8
for the purpose of purchasing any real or personal property, or 9
property rights, in connection with the exercise of any powers or 10
duties which it is now or hereafter authorized to exercise, and issue 11
bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor without a 12
vote of the qualified electors of the district, subject to the 13
limitations on indebtedness set forth in RCW 39.36.020(3) and this 14
subsection.15
(b) To exercise the authority in (a) of this subsection for any 16
purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010(3) a school district must:17
(i) Have received approval from the qualified electors of the 18
district to collect a levy to support the construction, 19
modernization, or remodeling of school facilities as authorized under 20
RCW 84.52.053; and21
H-0341.1
HOUSE BILL 1796
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Callan, Berg, Santos, Parshley, Ramel, Wylie,
Reed, Ormsby, and Hill
Read first time 02/03/25. Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.
p. 1 HB 1796
(ii) Not have been on binding conditions pursuant to RCW 1
28A.505.110 in the three years preceding the date of the contract.2
(2) Before issuing nonvoted bonds in excess of ((two hundred 3
fifty thousand dollars )) $250,000, a school district shall publish 4
notice of intent to issue such bonds and shall hold a public hearing 5
on the proposal at any regular or special meeting of the school 6
board. The notice shall designate: The date, time, and place of the 7
hearing; the purpose and amount of the bonds; the type, terms, and 8
conditions of bonds; and the means identified for repayment. The 9
notice shall also state that any person may appear and be heard on 10
the issue of issuing such bonds. The notice shall be published at 11
least once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of 12
general circulation in the district, or if there is none, in a 13
newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which 14
such district is a part. The last notice shall be published no later 15
than seven days immediately before the hearing. At the conclusion of 16
public comment, the board of directors may proceed to determine, by 17
resolution, whether to issue such bonds. 18
(3) The public notice and hearing requirements in subsection (2) 19
of this section shall not apply to any refinancing or refunding of 20
outstanding nonvoted or voted bonds. 21
(4) Such bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness shall 22
be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW, and the 23
proceeds thereof shall be deposited in the capital projects fund, the 24
transportation vehicle fund, or the general fund, as applicable.25
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p. 2 HB 1796