HB 2539 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning inmate funds.

HB 2539 is a definitional bill that amends Washington State's RCW 72.09.015 to clarify terms related to inmate funds and correctional services. It defines key terms such as "indigent inmate" (with less than $100 in an institutional account), "privilege" (earned through good conduct/performance), and "community custody." The bill does not create new policies or change existing laws - it solely establishes standardized definitions for use across correctional facility operations. This procedural bill directly affects the Washington Department of Corrections and inmates by providing clear terminology for managing funds and services.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 16, 2026 Signed Mar 24, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was passed by both the House and Senate and certified for enrollment. The primary substantive change updates the definition of an 'indigent inmate' to allow the $100 income threshold to increase automatically every four years based on inflation, starting in 2029. It also requires the Department of Corrections to publish this updated rate on their website and at correctional facilities annually starting in 2027.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded by adding a new section to the chapter governing inmate funds, introducing a mechanism for periodic adjustment of financial eligibility criteria.

ELIGIBILITY

The definition of 'indigent inmate' was modified to include a provision for adjusting the $100 disposable income threshold based on the Consumer Price Index.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added for the Department of Corrections to publish the current indigent rate on their website and at correctional facilities.

TIMELINE

New timelines were established: the inflation adjustment mechanism begins July 1, 2029, and the publication requirement begins July 1, 2027.

TECHNICAL

A Certificate of Enrollment was added to the document, confirming the bill passed both legislative chambers.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House Mar 11, 2026

How they voted

32–18

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Mar 3, 2026

D Democratic31

30 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican20

2 Yea 18 Nay

90% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 24, 2026

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 57; nays, 38; absent, 0; excused, 3.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

House concurred in Senate amendments.

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (32-18-1)

senate

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

HS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

upper

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 8:00 AM.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors