House Bill 2026 (HB 2026)

Military recruiting in schools throughout Washington State: This state legislation deserves our support!

House Bill 2026 (HB 2026) was very limited when it was first introduced in 2007, but amendments have strengthened it. Last year's Senate amendment divides those who wish to recruit in schools into categories (institutions of higher education and vocational education, prospective employers, the military, the Peace Corps, the Job Corps, and AmeriCorps) and allows the student to "opt out" of any category of recruitment without opting out of all categories. This fixes a problem that has made it hard for many students to "opt out" of military recruitment contacts.

House Bill 2026 (HB2026) passed the Washington State House of Representatives on January 30 and has been working its way through the Senate. It has passed through its Senate committee and can reach the floor for a vote for the entire Senate. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR IMMEDIATELY TO SUPPORT THIS!

How to Contact Your State Senator:

The Legislature's website, www.leg.wa.gov has a place to click where you can find out who your legislators are. Simply type in your address and click to see their names, photographs, biographies, committee assignments, and contact information (office address, phone, e-mail, etc.). The same website lets you look up each piece of legislation by bill number or topic, see and print the text of any bill, track committee hearings, and more.

Besides their office phone numbers, you can call toll-free 1-800-562-6000 (TTY 1-800-635-9993) and leave messages for your legislators – either for any one individual or for or all three at once – and for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. This toll-free phone operates during the legislative session every weekday from 8 am to 8 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Some other language translation services can be arranged within a few minutes for people who speak other languages.

Each legislator's e-mail address follows this formula: lastname.firstname@leg.wa.gov (e.g., smith.jane@leg.wa.gov)