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Committee hears divided testimony on proposal to shorten SEBB look-back from two years to one
Summary
Supporters — substitutes, unions and advocates — said SB 5,883 would prevent disruptive gaps in school employee health coverage by recognizing one year of work; school districts and administrators warned it creates an unfunded mandate and large local costs, with fiscal notes still pending.
Senate Bill 5,883 — which would presume continuing School Employee Benefits Board (SEBB) coverage after an employee first reaches the 630-hour eligibility threshold and allow hours to be stacked across districts — drew sharply divided testimony at the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 20, 2026.
Amanda Cecil, committee staff, told senators the bill would change the current practice that requires two years of meeting the threshold before continuous coverage is preserved. Advocates and labor witnesses said the existing two-year retroactive look-back forces substitutes and paraeducators into unstable insurance cycles. Jared Mason of the Washington Education Association and Erin Hike of SEIU 925 said a one-year look-back would reduce turnover, improve recruitment…
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