SB 6246 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning emissions from emissions-intensive, trade-exposed facilities under the climate commitment act.

SB 6246 provides free carbon pollution allowances to specific high-emission manufacturing facilities in Washington state that face global competition, directly affecting industries like steelmaking (NAICS 331), paper mills (322), petroleum refining (324110), and cement production. The bill requires the state department to establish objective criteria by 2022 to identify these "emissions-intensive, trade-exposed" facilities, which qualify for no-cost allowances based on historical production data. Facilities can choose between two calculation methods: (1) carbon intensity (emissions per unit of production) or (2) a fixed mass-based baseline, with allowance percentages gradually decreasing from 100% (2023-2026) to 94% (2031-2034) over time. This policy aims to balance climate goals with economic competitiveness for covered industries under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.

Issues: ✗ Environment

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 20, 2026 Signed Mar 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Bill → Passed Legislature · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to simplify the legislative text by removing redundant sections and clarifying the timeline for future allowance schedules. Key substantive changes include expanding the reporting requirements for emissions reduction projects to cover a five-to-10-year horizon, adding a requirement for an independent third-party study on job and emissions leakage, and ensuring that sensitive facility data remains fully exempt from public disclosure.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined by removing a duplicate section regarding future allowance schedules and adding a new requirement for an independent study on the economic and environmental impacts of emissions-intensive facilities.

REQUIREMENT

Removed a redundant section that duplicated the requirements for a future report on allowance schedules, consolidating this into a single new section.

Expanded the reporting requirements for emissions reduction projects to include a five-to-10-year implementation timeline and added a requirement for an independent third-party review of the assessment.

Added a new requirement for the department to contract an independent third party to complete a report estimating the risk of emissions and job leakage.

ENFORCEMENT

Strengthened data privacy protections by explicitly stating that all facility assessments containing financial and proprietary information are fully exempt from public disclosure.

TIMELINE

Added expiration dates to the new sections, ensuring the additional reporting and study requirements are temporary and set to expire on July 1, 2029.

Bill → Engrossed Bill · 6 edits · Mar 10, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to simplify the reporting requirements for emissions-intensive facilities, shifting from a complex, multi-step process with detailed technical breakdowns to a streamlined assessment of feasible reduction measures. The deadline for initial reporting was extended from 2028 to 2028 (correcting a typo in the original text regarding the start date context) and the frequency changed from every two years to every four years. Additionally, the bill now explicitly requires the department to consider economic and technical feasibility when setting allowance reduction schedules and mandates that funds from consigned allowances be invested specifically at the facility where they originated.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding facility obligations was narrowed by removing mandatory detailed technical reporting requirements and expanding the department's discretion to consider feasibility in future allowance schedules.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the reporting frequency for emissions-intensive facilities from every two years to every four years, reducing the administrative burden on facilities.

Removed the requirement for facilities to submit a detailed, itemized analysis of emissions by specific heat temperature categories (low, medium, high) and industrial processes, replacing it with a broader assessment of feasible reduction measures.

Replaced the requirement for an independent third-party verification of technology plans with a certification by a licensed professional engineer that the assessment is credible and viable.

Mandated that the department's recommendations for future allowance schedules must explicitly consider technological and economic feasibility and infeasibility as barriers to implementation.

FISCAL

Added a requirement that proceeds from auctions of consigned allowances must be invested specifically at the emissions-intensive facility from which the allowances were consigned, rather than generally at the facility.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the timeline for the department's report on future allowance schedules to focus on recommendations for the period starting January 1, 2035, through January 1, 2050.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 12, 2026 · House Mar 6, 2026

How they voted

28–23

Passed

Total votes 51

Feb 12, 2026

D Democratic31

27 Yea 4 Nay

87% Yea

R Republican20

1 Yea 19 Nay

95% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 30, 2026

Vetoed

Governor partially vetoed.

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, 29; nays, 20; 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 6, 2026

Amended

Committee amendment not 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

APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Environment & Energy.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Environment & Energy at 4:00 PM.

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

WM - Majority; do pass.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

ENET - Majority; do pass.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 1:30 PM.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM.

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors