HB 1192 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning disciplinary hearings held by the department of corrections.

HB 1192 reforms disciplinary procedures for individuals under community custody or in confinement within Washington State's Department of Corrections. It creates a structured system classifying violations as "low level" (with limits on confinement to three days) or "high level" (allowing up to 30 days in confinement), with escalation after five low-level violations. The bill mandates written notice, timely hearings (within 5-15 business days), and specific appeal rights to a three-member panel, requiring sanctions to be reasonably related to the offense, violation, or community safety. Special rules apply for individuals violating conditions related to certain violent or sexual offenses, requiring prehearing confinement until resolution or new charges. All disciplinary decisions must be based on a preponderance of evidence, not unconfirmed allegations.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Substitute Bill · 3 edits
MINOR
This bill modifies the standard of proof required for disciplinary hearings in the Department of Corrections. It lowers the burden of proof from 'beyond a reasonable doubt' to 'preponderance of the evidence' for individuals in partial confinement, while maintaining the lower standard for those in total confinement. This change allows the department to impose sanctions more easily for rule violations in partial confinement settings.
Scope change
The bill applies to all individuals in partial or total confinement and those serving community custody, specifically altering the evidentiary standard used in disciplinary hearings.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the burden of proof for partial confinement disciplinary hearings from 'beyond a reasonable doubt' to 'preponderance of the evidence'.

Updated the bill title and sponsor information to reflect that it is now a 'Substitute Bill' with a new reading date.

Adjusted the standard of proof for community custody violations from 'beyond a reasonable doubt' to 'preponderance of the evidence'.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
11
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Appropriations.
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee relieved of further consideration.
lower
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Community Safety at 8:00 AM.
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Community Safety at 4:00 PM.
lower
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors