Governor signs Rep. Skyler Rude’s school board transparency bill into law

Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill that would provide transparency at school board meetings by requiring the meetings be recorded into law on Thursday.

House Bill 1210 was introduced by Rep. Skyler Rude, ranking Republican on the House Education Committee.

“This is a great bill in support of a more transparent government,” said Rude, R-Walla Walla. “It is important for parents, students, and the public to have access to what’s happening in our school board meetings.”

Rude’s bill will:

  • Require all school district board meetings to be audio recorded, subject to exceptions for executive sessions and emergencies.
  • Audio recordings must include comments made by the board and the public if formal public testimony was accepted.
  • Audio recordings must be kept for at least one year.
  • When possible, school districts are encouraged to make the content of school board meetings available in formats accessible to those needing communication assistance and in languages other than English.

“Parents, students, and the public often hear stories of what happened in a meeting, but often there is no primary record of it, and meeting minutes aren’t designed to capture discussion and context around board action,” continued Rude. “This is a simple solution to allow working parents who can’t attend each board meeting to stay current on what’s happening.”

The bill passed the Legislature will strong bipartisan support. It will go into effect later this year.

The 2023 legislative session adjourns on April 23.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov