KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Washington

SB5878 • 2026

Plant-based food in schools

Offering plant-based food options in schools.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Senator Lovick, Senator Shewmake, Senator Bateman, Senator Liias, Senator Lovelett, Senator Saldaña, Senator Salomon, Senator Slatter, Senator Stanford
Last action
2026-01-12
Official status
S EL/K-12
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.

Plant-based food in schools

Plant-based food in schools

What This Bill Does

  • Plant-based food in schools

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.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-12 Senate

    First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.

Official Summary Text

Plant-based food in schools

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to plant-based food options in schools; and 1
adding a new section to chapter 28A.235 RCW. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.235 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
(1) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, when requested by a 6
student, parent, or legal guardian, a school district must offer a 7
plant-based food option as an alternative to any school meal or snack 8
that contains animal products. The plant-based food option must be 9
offered at no additional cost to the student beyond what would be 10
charged for a comparable nonplant-based food option. All written 11
materials describing school meal offerings must indicate that plant-12
based food options are available upon request. 13
(2) A school district must respond in a reasonable manner and 14
time to any request made under this section. Once made, the request 15
must be effective for every school meal or snack in which the student 16
is reasonably expected to participate. This section does not preclude 17
a school district from offering plant-based food options to students 18
who have not requested it, and does not preclude a student who has 19
requested a plant-based food option from selecting another available 20
option. 21
S-3605.1
SENATE BILL 5878
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Lovick, Shewmake, Bateman, Liias, Lovelett, Saldaña,
Salomon, Slatter, and Stanford
Prefiled 12/12/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5878
(3) This section does not apply to summer food service programs.1
(4) This section governs school operation and management under 2
RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools 3
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 4
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as 5
it applies to school districts. 6
(5) For the purposes of this section: 7
(a) "Animal product" means meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, 8
honey, and any derivative thereof; and 9
(b) "Plant-based food option" means foods or beverages that are 10
free of animal products and, as relates to the protein portion of a 11
meal, are recognized by the United States department of agriculture 12
as a meat alternate for purposes of the national school lunch 13
program. 14
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5878