OLYMPIA — The Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would waive some graduation requirements for individual students during a state of emergency — an effort to help some students who may have struggled during the last year of online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill is a more permanent extension of a measure passed last session, which allowed school districts to provide temporary waivers for students in the class of 2020 who were on track to graduate before the pandemic disrupted their learning.

“At the time, we had no idea that the COVID-19 pandemic would continue to shape our lives and restrict our activities nearly one year later,” Rep. Sharon Tamiko Santos, D-Seattle, said on the House floor.

The bill approved Wednesday allows school districts to provide emergency waivers from testing requirements or credit requirements if a local, state or national emergency causes significant disruption to a student’s schooling. School districts would have to apply through the State Board of Education, which can adopt rules on how to administer the waivers.

It would put in place a permanent authority for the State Board of Education during states of emergency or national declarations of emergency.

Opponents of the bill raised concerns about waiving requirements and the effect on students’ preparedness for further education. Those opposed also brought up concerns about a lack of accountability for how the waivers are being used. Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, said in committee last week he was worried it could undermine the value of a high school diploma.

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, said the bill gave legislators “no good choice” that could set up students for potential failure whether they graduate on time or not. “Just passing them out doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve set them up for success,” he said.

Scott Kerwien, director of college and career readiness at Spokane Public Schools, said school districts don’t use these guidelines to waive the maximum amount possible for students. Counselors look at individual student’s requirements and their post-high school plans to help determine if anything should be waived, he said.

“It’s not a magic wand-waving for all students,” Kerwien said. “That would not encourage them to keep pushing toward the finish line. That’s nobody’s pursuit.”

The statewide requirements for graduation include:

■ 24 total credits, including 17 mandatory core credits and 7 elective credits

■ Graduation pathway, such as a state assessment, dual credit, AP exam, SAT or ACT test

Schools already have the option to waive two of the elective credits if all the other requirements are met . If students have a specific plan beyond high school, but they failed an elective unrelated to that plan, schools are able to waive those credits.

If the bill passed Wednesday becomes a law, schools would have a bit more flexibility to waive the graduation pathway requirement if students could not complete in-person testing due to COVID-19. Many in-person assessments, such as the ACT or SAT, were canceled last year because of the pandemic, Kerwien said.

The new bill could also allow for districts to waive more elective credits than the two they are currently allowed, although Kerwien said counselors would continue to look on a student-by-student basis for the fewest number of requirements they can waive.

Washington saw its highest graduation rate in 2020, with the 4-year graduation rate reaching 82.9%. Some lawmakers shared concerns that the reason the number was so high was because of the number of waivers used.

“We need accountability,” Walsh said. “We need a firm and clear understanding of how they’re being used and why.”

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is in the process of compiling data on how the waivers in 2020 were used and how that affected graduation rates.

As part of the bill, school districts would be required to maintain records and provide the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education with data from the classes of 2020 and 2021 on how the waivers were used. The state board would then provide data to the Legislature.

Supporters said providing emergency waivers helps students who worked hard and may be missing only a few credits because of reasons beyond their control, such as school closures and online classes.

“It gives hope to our students,” Cindy McMullen, of the Washington State School Association, told House Education Committee members last week.

Randy Spaulding, of the Washington State Board of Education, told committee members last week that without the bill, no authority would exist for the state board to assist in waiving requirements.

Ultimately, the decision is a local conversation with individual students to determine what they need to graduate, he said.

Many students are already facing barriers to education in the pandemic, such as unreliable internet or working a part-time job, Kerwien said. The emergency waivers would remove another barrier for many students. Electives shouldn’t be another barrier for graduation, he said.

“Acknowledging the difficulty of distance learning on students who have the most barriers in front of them means we need to acknowledge what’s important to them for their post-secondary plan,” he said.

The bills were one of lawmakers’ early action priorities relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bills related to unemployment insurance and foreclosure assistance are also expected to be debated this week.