Washington Bills

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5687: Increasing the share of sales tax revenue dedicated to performance audits.

SB 5687 increases the portion of Washington's general sales tax revenue dedicated to performance audits from 0.16% to 0.2%. This change applies to taxes collected under RCW 82.08.020(1) on retail sales of tangible goods, digital products, and certain services. The additional funds must be deposited into the "performance audits of government account" established under RCW 43.09.475. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, and directly affects all businesses collecting retail sales tax in Washington.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5318: Concerning fingerprint-based background checks.

SB 5318 requires fingerprint-based background checks for individuals seeking certain jobs involving unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, children, or juveniles in Washington state. It affects long-term care workers, child placement providers, residential facility staff, and others in roles covered by specific state agencies (like DHS and DCS), particularly when applicants have lived in Washington less than three consecutive years. The bill mandates submitting fingerprints to both the Washington State Patrol and FBI for background checks to verify character and suitability for these positions.

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1277: Creating a sales and use tax exemption for the purchase and use of medical equipment and supplies by a critical access hospital.

HB 1277 creates a tax exemption for critical access hospitals located on islands within 25 miles of a military installation, eliminating sales and use taxes on qualifying medical equipment (like diagnostic machines) and supplies (such as gloves, syringes, and bandages). The exemption applies to purchases and use of these items beginning January 1, 2026, and expires January 1, 2036. It excludes construction materials, office equipment, and non-medical vehicles. This policy directly affects designated island-based hospitals by reducing their operational costs for essential medical resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1725: Increasing access to biosimilar medicines.

HB 1725 requires health plans in Washington to streamline access to biosimilar medicines (safe, effective, lower-cost alternatives to brand-name biologics) by mandating clear exception processes for coverage denials. It directly affects patients, doctors, and health insurance companies by requiring health plans to: (1) post plain-language exception rules online, (2) approve exceptions meeting specific medical criteria (like drug ineffectiveness or adverse reactions), and (3) follow strict timelines (1-3 business days) for urgent/non-urgent requests. The bill eliminates barriers by ensuring health plans must cover biosimilars when clinical evidence supports them, with automatic approval if deadlines are missed. This aims to reduce prescription drug costs without altering drug approval standards.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2078: Expanding access to medical cannabis consultants and department of health compliant cannabis product.

House Bill 2078 seeks to expand access to medical cannabis and related services in Washington state. The bill allows licensed cannabis processors to obtain a medical cannabis endorsement, enabling them to sell Department of Health-compliant cannabis products directly to qualifying patients and their designated providers. This endorsement also permits both cannabis retailers and processors to provide cannabis at no charge to these individuals. Overall, the bill aims to increase the availability of medical cannabis options for registered patients.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5591: Creating a sales and use tax remittance program for affordable housing.

SB 5591 creates a local sales and use tax reimbursement program for developers building affordable housing projects. It allows cities or counties to adopt programs that reimburse developers for sales taxes paid on construction materials, provided the project includes at least 50% units affordable to low-income households (costing ≤30-38% of income) for 40 years. Developers must apply to local governments, meet strict affordability and timeline requirements (completion within 3 years), and maintain affordability for the full 40-year period. The program applies only to projects meeting Washington’s defined "affordable housing" standards and requires local government approval before implementation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1350: Modernizing reimbursement rates for the working connections child care program.

HB 1350 updates Washington's child care subsidy reimbursement rates to better match the actual cost of high-quality care. It requires the state to use a new "cost of quality" rate model that covers full provider costs - including living wages, benefits, staff training, and materials - instead of relying solely on the current 85th percentile market rate. This directly affects licensed child care providers serving families in the Working Connections Child Care program and aims to stabilize the child care workforce. The bill maintains the existing baseline reimbursement rate but mandates future rate recommendations must reflect these updated cost calculations.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Emily Alvarado (D) · 18 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5301: Concerning extending governmental services from cities to tribal lands.

SB 5301 allows cities and tribal governments in Washington to voluntarily contract for city-provided services (like water, sewer, or roads) on tribal lands that are developing as urban areas, beyond the city's current boundaries. It amends the Growth Management Act to clarify that tribal lands within county planning areas can be included in urban growth planning when tribes choose to participate. The bill creates a legal framework for these agreements while requiring tribes to voluntarily engage in the planning process. It directly affects tribal governments and cities seeking to provide services on tribal lands with urban development. The change is procedural, enabling existing planning laws to accommodate tribal lands without altering service requirements.

Topics ✓ Transportation

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1178: Concerning sentencing enhancements.

HB 1178 modifies Washington's sentencing laws to impose stricter penalties for crimes committed to benefit criminal gangs. It expands the definition of "criminal street gang-related offense" to include any felony or misdemeanor committed for reasons like gaining gang membership, controlling criminal markets (e.g., drug trafficking), or retaliating against witnesses. This affects offenders convicted of such crimes, potentially leading to longer sentences under amended sentencing code sections. The bill amends specific laws (RCW 9.94A.030, 9.94A.533, etc.) to implement these sentencing enhancements.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1856: Concerning the compliance obligation under the climate commitment act for certain municipal gas utilities.

HB 1856 creates an alternative pathway for small municipal gas utilities (those with pre-2022 emissions under 27,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) to meet climate goals under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. These utilities can opt out of standard compliance by submitting a plan by September 1, 2025, demonstrating they will reduce emissions below 22,500 tons annually by 2030 while spending funds equivalent to their standard compliance costs. If they miss the 2030 target, they revert to full compliance and pay penalties for each ton of emissions exceeding the threshold from 2026-2030. The bill adjusts the state’s emissions program rules for 2026 onward if utilities choose this pathway, ensuring continued emissions accountability.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1005: Concerning prearrangement funeral services.

HB 1005 requires funeral homes in Washington to hold 80% of money paid in advance for prearranged funeral services in separate, insured trust accounts, not as business funds. This protects consumers' payments if a funeral home closes or faces financial issues. Funeral homes may keep up to 20% of the prepayment for their operations but must deposit the rest into the trust within 20 days of receipt. The bill directly affects funeral homes that sell prepaid plans and the people who purchase them, ensuring their funds are safeguarded for future services.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5737: Suspending the national board for professional standards certification bonuses for certificated instructional staff.

SB 5737 suspends annual bonuses for certificated instructional staff in Washington state who hold National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification, specifically for the 2025-26 through 2028-29 school years. The bill amends existing law to prevent payment of these $5,000 bonuses, which previously applied to certified teachers in all schools and additional bonuses for those in high-poverty schools meeting specific criteria. This suspension applies broadly to all eligible teachers under the current bonus structure, overriding prior provisions that would have continued payments. The change affects public school teachers with National Board certification, not the underlying eligibility rules for the bonuses themselves. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Education

Bill results