Washington Bills

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 6277: Promoting educational stability for children of military families.

SB 6277 modifies Washington state school enrollment rules to help children of military families maintain educational stability during relocations. It allows schools to conditionally enroll students before arrival using temporary military housing addresses (like on-base lodging or leased housing) as proof of residency, and requires schools to accept special education plans from prior schools without delay. The law applies to students moving due to active duty orders, military exigencies, or transfers to military installations within Washington or bordering states. Schools must finalize enrollment once military orders and residency proof are provided, ensuring continuity for students with individualized education programs.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2480: Concerning residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones.

HB 2480 requires cities and counties with populations over 30,000 to allow residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones, prohibiting local governments from banning homes in these areas. It removes requirements that residential projects must include ground-floor commercial space or mixed-use as a condition for permits. Exceptions include industrial zones, areas within 3,200 feet of oil/gas refineries, historic preservation sites, and certain waterfront or critical areas. The law would override conflicting local zoning rules one year after enactment, applying to all affected jurisdictions.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2573: Concerning community access to food, medicine, and health services.

HB 2573 requires supermarkets, full-service grocery stores, and pharmacies to provide advance notice of closures or major operational changes to local governments and the public. Specifically, these businesses must give six months' notice for general areas and one year's notice in "overburdened communities" (defined under Chapter 70A.02 RCW), including posting notices in primary languages spoken by 5% of residents. Local governments must include these notices in land use permits and public outreach, and can use zoning tools to prioritize redeveloping vacant properties for these essential services. The bill aims to prevent "food and pharmacy deserts" by ensuring continued access to healthy food, medicine, and health services in communities planning for increased density, affordable housing, and transit-oriented development.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2626: Increasing the insurance premium tax on certain health insurance providers.

HB 2626 increases Washington State's insurance premium tax for certain health insurance providers. Starting March 1, 2027, it raises the tax rate from 2% to 3% on premiums collected by health maintenance organizations, health care service contractors, and self-funded health plans. A new 1% tax also applies to disability insurers and certain group stop-loss insurers beginning March 1, 2028. Providers must pay these taxes in installments (45% by June 15, 25% by September 15, 25% by December 15) annually, with exemptions for Medicare/Medicaid payments and specific dental services. The bill directly affects these insurers by altering their tax obligations under state law.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 6303: Concerning sustainability and safety in cannabis product packaging and vapor devices.

Washington State's SB 6303 modifies cannabis packaging, product safety, and waste management rules for licensees. It allows edibles to be sold in reusable, child-resistant containers (meeting federal standards) instead of individually wrapped servings, and adjusts concentrate/vapor product packaging to match daily purchase limits without increasing per-transaction amounts. The bill also requires digital batch tracking for cannabis plants (replacing individual tags), creates voluntary recycling programs for open packages/vapor devices, and mandates removable batteries in vapor products to improve safety and recycling. These changes take effect 24 months after the law's effective date, with rules to be adopted within 12 months. The bill directly affects cannabis retailers and producers operating under Washington's cannabis regulations.

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2641: Prohibiting certain law enforcement agencies from hiring certain federal employees.

HB 2641 prohibits Washington state law enforcement agencies (both general and limited authority) from hiring individuals who became sworn officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on or after January 20, 2025. The law applies only to future hires, not current employees, and takes effect October 1, 2026. It directly affects Washington agencies seeking new sworn officers by restricting recruitment from a specific federal agency. The bill does not alter existing employment contracts or impact other federal law enforcement roles.

Topics ✗ Immigration

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2559: Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing programs.

HB 2559 allows Washington counties, cities, and towns to impose a local 4% tax on short-term rental lodging (like Airbnb stays) to fund affordable housing programs. The tax revenue must go to a dedicated state account and can be used for acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing affordable housing, rental assistance, or related support services like job training. Local governments must report annually on how funds are spent and cannot implement the tax before April 2027. This bill directly affects short-term rental operators (who pay the tax) and local governments (which can choose to adopt the tax and manage housing funds).

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 6318: Concerning commercial shellfish fees.

SB 6318 sets maximum annual fees for commercial shellfish operations in Washington State, directly affecting harvesters, shippers, and processors. It establishes specific fee limits based on business type and scale, such as $416 for harvesters, $752 for large shellstock shippers, and up to $1,912 for large shucker-packers. The bill also caps biotoxin testing fees (e.g., $733 for harvesters with multiple sites) and export certificate fees at $75. These provisions amend existing shellfish fee laws to standardize and limit costs for the industry.

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2394: Enhancing public safety and enforcement of crimes that impact insurance.

HB 2394 updates Washington's insurance fraud laws to better address modern schemes. It clarifies definitions of "insurer" to include health care service contractors and health maintenance organizations, and explicitly lists fraud types like submitting false medical bills, embezzling premiums, or misrepresenting insurance claims. The bill upgrades insurance fraud to a class B felony and requires restitution for insurers and victims. This directly affects insurers, consumers, and individuals committing fraud involving insurance claims or payments.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2530: Changing the deadline for forming a public facilities district for regional aquatics and sports facilities.

HB 2530 changes the deadline for local governments to form a new public facilities district specifically for regional aquatics and sports facilities. It affects cities, towns, or counties that want to create joint districts under existing rules (subsections 35.57.010(1)(f) and (e)). The bill amends state law to replace the current deadline of July 1, 2026, with a new date (not specified in the provided text), ensuring districts can be established before this revised date. This change directly impacts communities planning to develop shared recreational infrastructure.

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 6325: Enhancing higher education procedures.

SB 6325 aims to fix Washington's higher education funding system by ending the "fund split" methodology, which forces public colleges and universities to use tuition revenue to cover mandatory costs like faculty raises and benefits instead of state funds. This change would restore state funding for these costs, allowing institutions to use tuition revenue to improve educational quality rather than cover fixed expenses. The bill also requires a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to define essential student services (like academic support, mental health resources, and career counseling) and determine the per-student cost needed to provide them. This study, due by June 2027, will create a "student service adequacy index" to guide future budget decisions. The bill directly affects public four-year colleges, community colleges, and students through improved program access and faculty stability.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 6159: Strengthening public hospitals.

This bill allows public hospital districts in Washington to form cooperative agreements without competing with each other, enabling shared services, combined equipment purchases, and joint contracts to support their public mission. It specifically amends laws to permit these arrangements for serving vulnerable populations, including low-income and uninsured patients. Additionally, the bill creates a new $0.75 annual assessment per insurance coverage month for insurers, with penalties for late payment, to fund public hospital infrastructure. The policy directly affects public hospital districts, publicly owned health care entities, and health insurers in Washington.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

Bill results