Washington SB 6136: Removing concurrent enrollment requirement of algebra II for AP computer science courses to be counted as equivalent to high school mathematics.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 6136
Chapter 162, Laws of 2026
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE PREMIUM RATES—ANNUAL REPORTING
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026
Passed by the Senate February 10,
2026
Yeas 48 Nays 0
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Passed by the House March 4, 2026
Yeas 94 Nays 0
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
the attached is SENATE BILL 6136 as
passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
hereon set forth.
SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary
Approved March 23, 2026 3:45 PM FILED
March 24, 2026
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to promoting transparency in certain industrial 1
insurance rate increases; amending RCW 51.16.035; and creating a new 2
section.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that:5
(a) Open and transparent governance is an absolute necessity for 6
any state program. With it, the people the government serves are 7
fully informed of its successes and can appropriately address its 8
shortfalls. In its absence, failures continue onward unchecked. At a 9
minimum, the lack of transparent decision making shakes the public's 10
confidence in the state;11
(b) This axiom is strained during the premium rate-setting 12
process for the state's workers' compensation program. It has become 13
common practice to artificially limit the premium rate change for 14
certain risk classes below what it should be based on actuarial 15
principles. Meanwhile, the rate classes limited, their actual 16
premium, and how the limited rate is subsidized across other risk 17
classes is not presented in a clear and concise manner;18
(c) This practice leads to increased use of contingency reserves 19
to further limit proposed rates. The department of labor and 20
industries has utilized contingency reserves to cap the proposed 21
SENATE BILL 6136
Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senator King
p. 1 SB 6136.SL

premium rate for three consecutive years. In the latest rate setting 1
this is an 8.1 percent reduction from the "break-even" rate, leading 2
to a $240,000,000 reduction in contingency reserves. Use of reserves 3
to limit the annual rate increase, while laudable in the short term, 4
is not a sustainable option;5
(d) This practice clouds the workers' compensation program's true 6
costs, leaves the people uninformed, and makes the legislature slow 7
to the draw on potential reforms.8
(2) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to promote 9
open and transparent governance, and to ensure the continued health 10
of the state's workers' compensation program, through the proper 11
reporting of annually proposed premium rates.12
Sec. 2. RCW 51.16.035 and 2005 c 410 s 1 are each amended to 13
read as follows:14
(1) The department shall classify all occupations or industries 15
in accordance with their degree of hazard and fix therefor basic 16
rates of premium which shall be:17
(a) The lowest necessary to maintain actuarial solvency of the 18
accident and medical aid funds in accordance with recognized 19
insurance principles; and20
(b) Designed to attempt to limit fluctuations in premium rates.21
(2) The department shall formulate and adopt rules governing the 22
method of premium calculation and collection and providing for a 23
rating system consistent with recognized principles of workers' 24
compensation insurance which shall be designed to stimulate and 25
encourage accident prevention and to facilitate collection. The 26
department may annually, or at such other times as it deems necessary 27
to achieve the objectives under this section, readjust rates in 28
accordance with the rating system to become effective on such dates 29
as the department may designate.30
(3)(a) After the first report is issued by the state auditor 31
under RCW 51.44.115, the workers' compensation advisory committee 32
shall review the report and, as the committee deems appropriate, may 33
make recommendations to the department concerning:34
(i) The level or levels of a contingency reserve that are 35
appropriate to maintain actuarial solvency of the accident and 36
medical aid funds, limit premium rate fluctuations, and account for 37
economic conditions; and38
p. 2 SB 6136.SL

(ii) When surplus funds exist in the trust funds, the 1
circumstances under which the department should give premium 2
dividends, or similar measures, or temporarily reduce rates below the 3
rates fixed under subsection (1) of this section, including any 4
recommendations regarding notifications that should be given before 5
taking the action.6
(b) Following subsequent reports issued by the state auditor 7
under RCW 51.44.115, the workers' compensation advisory committee