Washington Bills

passed · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5108: Regulating service contracts and protection product guarantees.

Senate Bill 5108 aims to regulate service contracts and protection product guarantees, affecting consumers who purchase these agreements for various personal property. The bill updates and expands definitions for terms such as "administrator," "consumer," and "protection product guarantee." It broadens the scope of what constitutes a "service contract" to include specific services like tire and wheel repair from road hazards, paintless dent removal, windshield repair, and the replacement of motor vehicle keys or key fobs. Additionally, it defines "protection product guarantees" as agreements to repair or replace another product or cover incidental costs if a protective product fails to perform as specified.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5196: Concerning public inspection and copying of proprietary financial and security information submitted to or obtained by the gambling commission.

SB 5196 exempts specific proprietary financial and security information submitted to Washington's Gambling Commission from public disclosure. It directly affects gambling license applicants, licensees, gaming facilities, and tribes operating under tribal/state compacts. The bill protects financial statements, security system details (like camera specs and network diagrams), gaming equipment data, and internal operational procedures, but explicitly excludes quarterly license reports from this exemption. This change clarifies which sensitive information remains confidential under state public records law for the gambling industry.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5507: Providing coverage for massage therapy under medical assistance plans.

SB 5507 amends Washington state law to explicitly include massage therapy as a covered service under the state's medical assistance program (Medicaid) for medically necessary treatment. This change affects Medicaid beneficiaries who require massage therapy as part of a prescribed treatment plan for conditions like chronic pain or injury recovery. The bill updates the existing coverage list (previously covering physical/occupational therapy) to add massage therapy under the same category, ensuring it qualifies for reimbursement when provided by licensed practitioners for medical purposes. It does not cover cosmetic or non-medical massage services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1369: Creating special license plates that support working forests.

HB 1369 creates a new "Working forests" special license plate for Washington vehicle owners. The plate requires a $40 initial registration fee and a $30 annual renewal fee. Revenue from these fees will directly support working forests in the state, as specified by the bill's title and description. The plate will display an image representing working forests and is available for purchase by any vehicle owner who chooses to contribute.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1801: Including legislative members in the voting membership of the sentencing guidelines commission.

HB 1801 adds four voting members to Washington's Sentencing Guidelines Commission: two state legislators appointed by the House Speaker (one from each major caucus) and two by the Senate President (one from each major caucus). These legislative members would serve two-year terms, aligning with existing terms for other appointed members. The bill directly affects the commission's composition, ensuring legislative representation in developing sentencing guidelines that impact criminal justice outcomes statewide. This change modifies RCW 9.94A.860 to include legislative voting members as part of the commission's 29-member structure.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5047: Establishing protections for citizens participating in the initiative and referendum process.

SB 5047 prohibits public protests within 25 feet of individuals collecting signatures for or signing initiative or referendum petitions in Washington State. This bill directly affects citizens participating in the state's initiative and referendum process by creating a protected buffer zone around petition activities. The key provision amends RCW 29A.84 to make such protests a violation of existing election law, with penalties enforced under RCW 29A.84.250(4). The measure aims to prevent disruptions to grassroots civic engagement efforts during petition drives.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5598: Modifying provisions on joint legislative audit and review committee studies.

SB 5598 modifies Washington's joint legislative audit and review committee procedures by extending the sunset date for audit provisions from 2025 to 2045 and adding flexibility to extend study timelines. It specifically removes barriers to continuing the sustainable harvest study by requiring the committee to conduct an independent review of the Department of Natural Resources' forest inventory, growth modeling, and harvest calculation methodologies before the 2025-2034 sustainable harvest determination. The bill mandates that the committee hire independent contractors for technical reviews and requires the Department of Natural Resources to involve its sustainable harvest advisory committee in forest inventory updates. These changes directly affect the Department of Natural Resources, the joint legislative audit committee, and forest management decision-making processes.

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5070: Concerning prohibiting fees on certain acts of commerce to protect tipped wages for workers while reducing the financial burden on employers.

SB 5070 prohibits credit and debit card interchange fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions for businesses in Washington. This ensures tipped workers receive their full tips without deductions and reduces costs for businesses collecting state taxes on their behalf. Businesses must report tax and tip amounts during payment processing to avoid these fees, or submit documentation within 180 days to get refunds for any fees charged on those portions. The law requires payment networks to develop a system for reporting these amounts within two years, aiming to make transaction fees more transparent and fair.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1951: Concerning regulation of transportation network companies during large-scale events.

HB 1951 caps fares for transportation network companies (like Uber or Lyft) during large-scale events, limiting charges to 120% of the driver's pay for prearranged rides. It directly affects passengers using these services at events defined as gatherings of 1,000+ people indoors or 10,000+ people outdoors with defined entrances/exits (excluding school or religious events). The bill requires companies to provide fare estimates before rides and prohibits excessive pricing during events, with "driver's pay" defined as base compensation excluding tolls or tips. This policy aims to prevent price gouging during high-demand gatherings while maintaining existing state preemption over local regulations for transportation network companies.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Brianna Thomas (D) · 18 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1663: Enhancing youth mental health and well-being through advanced training and expansion of the workforce in schools.

HB 1663 aims to improve youth mental health in Washington schools by expanding the school social worker workforce. It requires educational service districts to coordinate with mental health agencies and universities to create in-school placements for social workers and trainees, directly addressing Washington's current ratio of one social worker per 3,798 students (compared to the recommended 1:250). The bill amends state law to clarify school social workers' roles in crisis intervention, trauma care, behavioral support, and collaboration with families and schools. These changes are designed to reduce student absenteeism, support students with mental health needs, and strengthen school-based mental health services for all K-12 students.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1227: Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium.

HB 1227 allocates $3.025 million to increase women and minority-owned contractor participation in transportation projects, with specific requirements for outreach, technical assistance, and a trucking resource-sharing program. It also provides $4.92 million for tribal electric boat grants to convert fishing vessels to electric motors and $2.4 million for the University of Washington to create a public sidewalk accessibility dataset. The bill appropriates funds across 10 state agencies for road maintenance, ferry operations, and capital improvements during the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. Key provisions include targeted spending conditions, such as requiring diversity action plans for pilotage commissions and prioritizing non-Puget Sound areas for contractor support.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Transportation

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5777: Creating a business and occupation tax deduction and increasing the rate for persons conducting payment card processing activities.

SB 5777 creates a tax deduction for payment card processors in Washington, allowing them to subtract interchange fees and network fees from their business and occupation tax base. The bill also increases the tax rate for these processors, establishing a 1.5% rate for businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue and a 1.75% rate for others. This directly affects companies that process electronic payments for merchants, such as credit and debit card transactions. The deduction is intended to address the unique fee structure of payment processing activities.

Bill results