SB 5207 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Requiring refunds to consumers for early cancellation of term-based subscriptions to electronic media services.

This bill would require electronic media services (like streaming or music subscriptions) to refund consumers who cancel annual subscriptions early, calculating refunds based on the time the service was used (pro-rata) up to the end of the month of cancellation. It mandates that companies disclose refund policies and fees before sign-up and issue refunds within six months. The law applies only to individual consumers (not businesses or government) and covers subscriptions for intangible content like music, news, or entertainment. The bill is currently pending in the legislature and has not yet become law.

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

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What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from S-0434.1 to S-1518.1 and updated to reflect its status as a substitute bill after committee review. The most significant policy change is the redefinition of a 'subscription' to require a term of at least one year, meaning the refund protections now only apply to annual contracts rather than month-to-month plans. Additionally, the refund calculation timeline was adjusted to cover the period up to the end of the cancellation month, and the bill now explicitly requires refund schedules to be disclosed before a consumer signs up.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed regarding eligibility; it now applies exclusively to subscriptions with a minimum term of one year, excluding shorter-term recurring plans from the refund requirements.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'subscription' was changed to require a term of at least one year, previously covering any regularly recurring basis.

The definitions of 'electronic media' and 'electronic media service' were updated to remove 'software' and 'games' from the list of covered items.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement mandates that refund schedules, including any cancellation fees, must be disclosed to consumers before or upon initiating a subscription.

TIMELINE

Refunds must now be calculated based on time elapsed up to the end of the cancellation month, rather than the exact date of cancellation.

TECHNICAL

The bill header was updated to reflect the new bill number (S-1518.1) and the procedural history of being a substitute bill read for the first time on 02/14/25.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade at 8:00 AM.

upper

Jan 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade at 8:00 AM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade at 8:00 AM.

upper

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors