SB 6259

S-4022.1
  SENATE BILL 6259
State of Washington  69th Legislature      2026 Regular Session
By Senators Boehnke and Dozier
Read first time 01/21/26.    Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
1      AN ACT Relating to establishing that students are no longer
2  eligible for state aid and must repay grants, scholarships, and other
3  financial aid immediately upon determination of significant monetary
4  damage to a public institution of higher education; adding a new
5  section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.92
6  RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.118 RCW; and creating a new
7  section.
8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
9     NEW SECTION.   Sec. 1.   The legislature finds that an increased
10 threat of damage to the physical assets of our state's institutions
11 of higher education exists by students committing violent acts. Under
12 the guise of political speech, acts of vandalism and violence have
13 occurred, straining already limited budgets, damaging valuable
14 equipment and property, and impeding the ability of other students to
15 use that same equipment or property in furtherance of their
16 education. While the legislature strongly supports First Amendment
17 activities, these actions go well beyond that. As a first step in
18 making   injured  institutions   of  higher   education  whole,   the
19 legislature intends to recover costs spent supporting the education
20 of students who engage in extensive acts of vandalism and violence,
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1 including all state grants, scholarships, or other financial aid
2 previously awarded to students who engage in these destructive acts.
3     NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10
4 RCW to read as follows:
5     (1) As determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, any
6 student at an institution of higher education who causes damage to
7 the physical assets of any institution of higher education in an
8 amount equal to or greater than the cost of the current full academic
9 year's tuition and fees for one residential student at that
10 institution, is immediately ineligible for all state grants,
11 scholarships, and other financial aid awards. The court shall order
12 the student to immediately repay all current and previously awarded
13 state grants, scholarships, and other financial aid awards to the
14 awarding state agency.
15     (2) The student achievement council may adopt rules to implement
16 this section.
17     NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.92
18 RCW to read as follows:
19     All current and previously awarded state grants, scholarships,
20 and other financial aid awards under this chapter are immediately
21 repayable to the awarding state agency where a student is under court
22 order to repay those awards as specified under section 2 of this act.
23     NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28B.118
24 RCW to read as follows:
25     Where a student is ordered to repay state grants, scholarships,
26 and other financial aid awards as specified under section 2 of this
27 act, all property rights in the awards under this chapter immediately
28 revert to the state, and all current and previously awarded financial
29 aid under this chapter is immediately repayable to the awarding state
30 agency.
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