HB 1060 amends Washington state tax law to exempt newspaper publishers and eligible digital content providers from certain taxes. It specifically applies to businesses primarily engaged in printing/publishing newspapers or producing monthly electronic publications with identifiable authorship (e.g., news sites). To maintain the exemption, businesses must file annual tax reports and reduce the exemption by their business expenditures during the tax period. Failure to comply results in a 0.484% tax on related income, plus retroactive interest. The law took effect July 27, 2025.
HB 1720 expands the types of medication assistance nonpractitioners (like care staff) may provide to residents in community-based care settings, such as developmental disability programs, adult family homes, and assisted living facilities. The bill clarifies that "medication assistance" includes actions like reminding residents, handing medication containers, opening containers, or using devices to support self-administration of legend drugs (including controlled substances), but excludes intravenous or injectable medications (except for pre-filled insulin syringes or diabetic device setup). This change allows care staff to provide more hands-on support while ensuring safety through practitioner oversight for medication preparation. The law, effective July 27, 2025, directly affects residents in these settings and their non-medical caregivers.
HB 1314 amends Washington state law to establish and fund two accounts for early learning facilities: a revolving account and a development account. These accounts provide state matching funds for planning, renovating, purchasing, or constructing childcare facilities serving children aged 1 month to 12 years, primarily for programs like early childhood education and working connections child care. The bill requires the Department of Commerce to administer the program, prioritizing financial hardship exemptions for match funding and adding emergency grants for natural disasters or health/safety threats to facilities. It directly affects eligible childcare organizations, school districts, and tribal compact schools seeking facility improvements or emergency repairs.
HB 1234 establishes the Washington State Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee. The bill mandates a 9-member committee with specific composition: two licensed mental health counselors, two marriage and family therapists, one licensed independent clinical social worker, one licensed advanced social worker, and three public consumer members who are unaffiliated with these professions. Committee members serve 1- to 3-year terms (max two consecutive terms), must reside in Washington, and cannot hold professional association leadership or state employment. The committee advises the state on matters related to these professions and will be appointed by the secretary, with members compensated per state law. This law, effective July 27, 2025, does not change service standards but creates a formal advisory body.
HB 1353 creates a program allowing cities in Washington to let registered architects self-certify that accessory dwelling unit (ADU) projects meet building code requirements, instead of requiring full city review. This directly affects homeowners building ADUs, architects who can self-certify, and cities that choose to adopt the program. Key provisions include mandatory random audits (at least 20% of applications yearly), penalties for failed audits (temporary suspension for first failure, permanent ban for second within 5 years), and requirements for architects to maintain insurance. Cities must also track and share audit results with a state database to prevent problematic architects from participating in other cities. The law aims to streamline ADU permitting while maintaining safety through oversight.
This bill amends Washington's license fee structure to require an additional $25 annual fee from many licensed health professionals. The funds will be transferred to the University of Washington to support its health sciences library. It affects all licensed health professionals in Washington covered by the fee structure, including nurses, physicians, therapists, psychologists, and others listed in the bill. The fee increase takes effect July 27, 2025, and is now law following the governor's signature.
HB 1094 creates a property tax exemption for nonprofit organizations that loan, lease, or rent property to government entities (like cities, counties, or state agencies) for character-building, benevolent, protective, or rehabilitative social services - such as youth programs, homeless shelters, or community health initiatives. It directly affects qualifying nonprofits that provide these services and government agencies using their facilities. The key provision expands existing tax exemptions by allowing property used by government for these purposes to be exempt, even if owned by a nonprofit. This policy change aims to reduce costs for nonprofits and governments delivering essential community services, effective July 2025.
HB 1706 requires health insurance carriers in Washington to implement digital systems (application programming interfaces) for prior authorization that align with federal standards. It sets strict time limits: carriers must decide on electronic prior authorization requests within 3 days (standard) or 1 day (expedited), and within 5 days (standard) or 2 days (expedited) for non-electronic requests. The bill mandates carriers to maintain evidence-based clinical review criteria that address disparities for underserved populations and adopt federal interoperability standards for electronic health data exchange. This directly affects insurance companies and healthcare providers who submit prior authorization requests, streamlining processes for both. The law takes effect July 27, 2025.
This bill requires Washington State Patrol inspections and specific documentation for certain vehicle title applications to address inspection backlogs. It affects owners titling rebuilt/salvage vehicles, new assembly vehicles (like street rods), or vehicles with altered VINs, mandating original invoices for parts and verification of vehicle history. The law exempts all-terrain vehicles and vehicles titled under specific chapter 46.09 rules from VIN inspections. These changes take effect July 1, 2026.
SB 5118 updates Washington's licensing rules to create a specific pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking clinical experience. The bill establishes a time-limited "clinical experience license" allowing IMGs who don’t yet qualify for full licensure to work under supervision at approved healthcare facilities, meeting requirements like English proficiency and passing specific exams. This directly affects IMGs aiming to complete required clinical training before obtaining full medical licensure in Washington. The license permits practice only within approved training programs and terminates after one year unless renewed, requiring continuous progress toward full licensure. The bill became law on April 4, 2025, and takes effect July 27, 2025.
SB 5006 updates Washington State's corporation laws by clarifying rules for corporate equity awards and board committees. It specifies that boards of directors can set restrictions on who may exercise stock options or warrants (e.g., preventing certain shareholders from acquiring shares) and prohibits officers from self-designating for equity awards. The bill also refines how board committees operate, requiring board approval for their creation, limiting committees from approving distributions or filling board vacancies, and adding rules for alternate committee members. These changes directly affect corporations operating under Washington law, their boards, and officers managing corporate governance. The bill became law on April 4, 2025, and takes effect July 27, 2025.
SB 5457 modifies Washington State's business tax for radio and television broadcasters. It requires broadcasters to calculate tax based on gross income minus specific advertising revenues, directly affecting FCC-licensed radio and TV stations operating in Washington. The key provision allows broadcasters to exclude national/regional ad revenue either through a standard deduction (based on U.S. Census data) or by itemizing out-of-state audience revenue using defined signal strength contours. This change, effective July 2025, adjusts how taxable income is calculated for broadcasters under the existing 0.484% business tax rate.
