Senate Bill 5193 would require school districts that operate online learning programs to allow students enrolled in those programs to take statewide assessments remotely beginning with the 2026–27 school year (per the bill summary); OSPI would develop assessment administration and security guidance to support remote testing, including device and network requirements and proctoring ratios.

Committee staff noted state and federal law already requires statewide assessments in grades 3–8, 10 and 11 and that more than 20,000 students were enrolled in primarily or exclusively virtual programs statewide in 2023–24. The bill text includes a pilot/rules component, which OSPI said would be helpful to test approaches before broad implementation; OSPI told the committee it anticipates a minor fiscal note tied to staff time for rulemaking and pilot support.

Parents and program representatives testified in support. Parents described travel burdens—some requiring overnight stays or lost work days—and accessibility challenges for students with disabilities, and urged remote testing to reduce those burdens and improve equitable access. Testimony from online program staff and operators said remote testing for online schools is done in other states that use Smarter Balanced assessments and urged Washington to adopt similar policy aligned with federal requirements.

OSPI staff clarified the bill language should make clear whether the intent is to permit testing at home or at alternative remote sites and noted existing remote testing in the state by fully remote programs occurs at centralized test sites for multiple weeks in the spring. Committee members asked about broadband and accessibility concerns; witnesses said districts and online programs already work to provide devices and connectivity to enrolled students, but broadband gaps remain a consideration for implementation.

The committee did not vote on the measure at the hearing.