Washington Bills

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1038: Prohibiting puberty blocking medications, cross-sex hormones, and gender transition surgeries for minors.

HB 1038 prohibits licensed health care providers in Washington from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or gender transition surgeries to minors (under 18) for the purpose of altering gender appearance or perception. Exceptions include treatment for medically verified disorders of sex development, tapering off existing medications, addressing complications from prior procedures, and emergency care for life-threatening conditions. The bill defines "minor" as under 18 and "sex" as biological characteristics present at birth (chromosomes, hormones, anatomy), excluding gender identity. It directly affects transgender and gender-diverse minors seeking these medical treatments, while allowing care for specific medical conditions. The bill is currently pending in the Health Care & Wellness committee after being prefaced in December 2024.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5269: Providing judicial discretion to modify sentences in the interest of justice.

SB 5269 allows Washington courts to review and potentially reduce long prison sentences for eligible individuals who meet specific criteria. It directly affects incarcerated people who have served significant time (ranging from 7 years for juvenile offenses to 20 years for adults) or face terminal illness, with eligibility phased in starting July 2026. The bill requires petitioners to demonstrate rehabilitation or reduced risk of reoffending and gives courts discretion to modify sentences while prohibiting harsher penalties or release before a six-month minimum post-hearing. Courts cannot override mandatory minimums or shorten sentences below the original minimum term. This law aims to align sentences with current circumstances, reduce recidivism risk, and lower incarceration costs, as noted in the legislative findings.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5447: Concerning wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities.

This bill requires employers in high-hazard facilities (like chemical plants or refineries) to pay skilled journeypersons at least the 75th percentile wage for their occupation and location, based on Washington state employment data. It defines "skilled journeyperson" as workers who either graduated from an approved apprenticeship program or have equivalent on-the-job experience. The rule applies to all high-hazard facility workers classified as journeypersons, not just those on public projects. The change takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1831: Allowing for corrections to wage and salary disclosures.

HB 1831 requires employers with 15 or more employees to disclose wage ranges and benefits in all job postings, including internal transfers and promotions. It adds a 10-day correction window for employers to fix posting errors after receiving written notice from applicants or employees, preventing penalties if corrected within that time. The bill amends Washington’s existing wage transparency law (RCW 49.58.110) to clarify this correction process. It directly affects employers and job seekers in Washington state by standardizing disclosure requirements and reducing enforcement penalties for minor, fixable errors.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HJR 4205: Abolishing excess enrichment and capital levies.

HJR 4205 proposes a constitutional amendment to cap Washington's total property tax levies at 1% of a property's true value annually. This would affect all Washington property owners by limiting annual tax rates, with specific exceptions allowing school/fire districts to exceed the cap for up to 4-6 years for facility projects, and taxing districts to exceed it for bond payments on capital projects. The amendment requires voter approval at the next general election and would replace the current constitutional tax limit in Article VII, section 2. It does not change current tax rates but sets a new annual ceiling for all property taxes combined.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1165: Expanding access to the property tax exemption program for seniors, people retired due to disability, and veterans with disabilities.

HB 1165 expands Washington state's property tax exemption program to help seniors, people retired due to disability, and veterans with disabilities keep their homes. The bill creates three income thresholds based on combined disposable income (including certain medical expenses), setting limits at 50%, 60%, and 70% of county median household income for 2024-2026. Homeowners meeting these income thresholds for their primary residence qualify for reduced property taxes, with thresholds adjusted every three years. This directly affects eligible residents who own or rent their primary home and meet the income criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing ✓ Veterans

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5415: Concerning financial feasibility of collective bargaining agreements.

SB 5415 establishes that family child care providers receiving state subsidies are considered public employees solely for collective bargaining purposes. It creates a statewide bargaining unit and limits negotiations to compensation (including reimbursement rates), health benefits, training, grievance procedures, and labor-management committees - excluding retirement benefits. The governor must submit funding requests for approved agreements by October 1st each year, requiring financial feasibility certification from the director of financial management, which blocks requests tied to tax increases or budget stabilization account withdrawals. The legislature must approve or reject the full funding request, and providers cannot strike.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1216: Concerning the capital budget.

HB 1216 is Washington State's capital budget bill for fiscal years 2026-2027, allocating specific funds for state projects. It provides $1.5 million for the Secretary of State's archives HVAC system, $14.2 million for 2026 FIFA World Cup infrastructure (including $4.1 million for Seattle's stadium), and $52 million for early learning facility grants to expand childcare capacity. The bill specifies that funds must be used strictly for designated purposes (e.g., construction, renovations, or loan programs), with no administrative costs for certain allocations. It also includes conditions requiring departments to develop methods for identifying early childhood education needs based on school district data.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1635: Concerning the composition of the boards of directors of consumer cooperatives and cooperative associations.

HB 1635 requires large consumer cooperatives (with 2,500+ global employees) to reserve two board seats for nonsupervisory, nonmanagerial employees. These employees must be selected by majority vote among all such workers, and they cannot vote on wage, benefit, or employment condition decisions affecting their group. The bill amends Washington’s cooperative association laws to implement this board composition requirement, applying only to qualifying large cooperatives. It does not affect smaller cooperatives or change general board election rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5155: Extending a program to streamline the environmental permitting process for salmon recovery projects.

SB 5155 extends Washington's 2021 pilot program to make a streamlined permitting pathway permanent for salmon habitat projects. It allows qualifying projects - such as those funded by Puget Sound restoration programs, tribal initiatives, or state fish recovery funds - to use this optional process instead of full environmental reviews, while still requiring compliance with flood risk and cultural resource protections. Projects must be listed in 18 specific restoration programs (e.g., Bonneville Power Administration projects or tribal fish barrier removal) and submit 60-day notices to tribes and archaeology offices before approval. This change speeds up habitat restoration without replacing existing permit requirements.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5225: Concerning candidate filing requirements.

SB 5225 amends Washington state election law to prevent voter confusion caused by similar candidate names. It makes it a class B felony to file as a fake person, someone else's true name, or a name intentionally similar to an incumbent to mislead voters. The bill also requires election officials to list confusingly named candidates consecutively on ballots and add distinguishing details (like occupation or "incumbent" status) to clarify choices for voters. These changes directly affect candidates filing for office and election officials managing ballot listings. The bill was referred to the Senate Rules Committee but did not advance past committee review in early 2025.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5222: Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement.

SB 5222 limits annual rent and fee increases for Washington tenants to 7% (with specific exemptions), requires landlords to provide written notice for increases, and bans excessive or arbitrary fees. It directly affects all renters under Washington’s residential and manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant acts, including households with children, seniors, and communities of color disproportionately impacted by rent hikes. Key provisions include allowing tenants to terminate leases without penalty if increases violate the cap, creating a landlord resource center for compliance support, and establishing parity between month-to-month and fixed-term leases. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General to enforce violations and recover damages for unlawful rent or fee charges.

Topics ✓ Housing

Bill results