SB 6162 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning property tax reform.

SB 6162 expands Washington’s senior property tax relief program to help older residents and veterans with lower incomes. It directly affects seniors aged 61+ (or disabled retirees), veterans with 40%+ VA disability ratings, and surviving spouses aged 57+ who meet income thresholds. The bill provides tiered tax relief: full exemption from all property taxes for those below income threshold 3, and partial exemptions (covering up to 80% of home value) for those between thresholds 1 and 2. Key changes include simplifying eligibility rules, allowing income adjustments for events like spouse death or Social Security COLAs, and locking in lower property valuations for qualifying homeowners.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 15, 2026 Signed Mar 23, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill added a new requirement for the Department of Revenue to report on the potential consolidated property tax rate by March 1, 2027, to help the legislature decide on future rate adjustments. This report will analyze the impact of the new senior citizen relief program and other tax shifts. The act's effective date remains unchanged, and specific tax code sections are explicitly excluded from applying to this legislation.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a mandatory legislative report on property tax consolidation and rate setting, with a specific expiration date for this reporting requirement.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new Section 401 requiring the Department of Revenue to submit a report by March 1, 2027, detailing what the consolidated property tax levy rate would have been without the new rate set in Section 301, accounting for various factors like the limit factor and relief program expansions.

TIMELINE

The new reporting requirement in Section 401 is set to expire on December 31, 2027.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new Section 403 explicitly stating that RCW 82.32.805 and 82.32.808 do not apply to this act, clarifying the legislative intent.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 16, 2026 · House Mar 6, 2026

How they voted

43–8

Passed

Total votes 51

Feb 16, 2026

D Democratic31

31 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican20

12 Yea 8 Nay

60% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 41; nays, 8; absent, 0; excused, 0.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in House amendments.

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

FIN - Majority; do pass.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.

upper

1 primary · 24 co-sponsors