HB 2489 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Establishing statewide standards for when local governments may enforce laws regulating the use of public space for life-sustaining activities.

HB 2489 establishes statewide rules preventing local governments from penalizing people for basic life-sustaining activities (like sleeping or eating in public) when no adequate shelter is available. It requires cities to prove shelter space existed before enforcing public space laws, and invalidates citations or prosecutions that violate this rule. The bill protects individuals experiencing homelessness from punishment for necessary activities while ensuring enforcement actions are limited to immediate safety risks. It does not create a right to shelter, but mandates cities to document shelter availability and coordinate with service providers to address homelessness.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Feb 4, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and updated to reflect its progression as a substitute bill. The most significant change is the expansion of the definition of 'adequate alternative shelter space' to include portable mats, beds, or sleeping spaces in drop-in shelters, including those owned by religious organizations. This change broadens the requirement for local governments to demonstrate available shelter before enforcing laws against life-sustaining activities.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains consistent across cities, towns, code cities, and counties, but the definition of what counts as valid shelter has been expanded to include more types of temporary accommodations.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for local governments to prove adequate shelter availability now includes portable mats, beds, or sleeping spaces in drop-in shelters, including religious buildings, as valid shelter options.

DEFINITION

A new definition for 'imminent' was added to clarify exceptions where enforcement can proceed despite a lack of shelter if there is an immediate risk of harm or obstruction of emergency access.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from H-2524.4 to H-3390.1, and the title was updated from 'House Bill' to 'Substitute House Bill' to reflect legislative amendments.

The reading date was updated from 01/14/26 to 02/04/26, and the sponsor list was reformatted to indicate the bill was originally sponsored by the House Housing committee.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Housing at 1:30 PM.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 4:00 PM.

lower

1 primary · 24 co-sponsors