The legislature finds that in 1975 legislation was adopted, codified as chapter 28A.640 RCW, recognizing the deleterious effect of discrimination on the basis of sex, specifically prohibiting such discrimination in Washington public schools, and requiring the office of the superintendent of public instruction to monitor and enforce compliance. The legislature further finds that, while numerous state and federal laws prohibit discrimination on other bases in addition to sex, the common school provisions in Title 28A RCW do not include specific acknowledgment of the right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, nor do any common school provisions specifically direct the office of the superintendent of public instruction to monitor and enforce compliance with these laws. The legislature finds that one of the recommendations made to the legislature by the *achievement gap oversight and accountability committee created in chapter 468, Laws of 2009, was that the office of the superintendent of public instruction should be specifically authorized to take affirmative steps to ensure that school districts comply with all civil rights laws, similar to what has already been authorized in chapter 28A.640 RCW with respect to discrimination on the basis of sex.

*Reviser's note: The "achievement gap oversight and accountability committee" was renamed the "educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee" by 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 s 33.