In an 84-13 vote Monday morning, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen to delink standardized tests from high school graduation requirements.

It’s a proposal MacEwen has championed before. In 2017, he introduced similar legislation that was approved three separate times in the House, but was never brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate.

This year, MacEwen hopes House Bill 1089 will be the vehicle that makes it all the way to the governor’s desk. His bill, which would be retroactive to the 2015 graduating class and apply to subsequent graduating classes, would discontinue both the Certificate of Academic Achievement and the Certificate of Individual Achievement.

“Our priority as lawmakers should be passing legislation that helps students succeed in the classroom and in life,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “Tying their graduation prospects to a standardized test that isn’t itself tied to the curriculum that’s been taught is an unnecessary burden. It’s time we acknowledge that and get this bill to the governor’s desk.”

House Bill 1089 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.