WA HB1279

Strengthens Washington's authority to investigate complaints and enforce consumer protections for all students residing in the state enrolled in online or distance education programs, regardless of where the institution is headquartered

Requires interstate reciprocity agreements (NC-SARA) to meet specific conditions by July 1, 2028, including maintaining state consumer protections, surety bond requirements, and disclosure of institutional investigations or financial instability

Mandates the Student Achievement Council report to the legislature by December 31, 2026 on whether NC-SARA has reformed its policies, and establish alternative interstate arrangements if equivalent protections are not adopted

Expands complaint grounds to include misrepresentation of educational programs, accreditation, job placement statistics, and student debt/earnings data, in addition to tuition loss

Prohibits reducing surety bond requirements for out-of-state institutions and requires nonpublic, for-profit online institutions to prominently disclose students' complaint rights on websites and promotional materials