Criminal Justice

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5169: Concerning testimony of children.

SB 5169 expands the rules for how children's testimony is handled in legal proceedings. It allows statements made by children under the age of 18 (previously under 10 for some offenses) to be admissible in court for a wider range of crimes, including sexual contact, physical abuse, trafficking, and violent offenses, even if the act was against another child or a known person. The bill also broadens the circumstances under which a child under 18 can testify via one-way closed-circuit television in criminal cases. This includes situations where the child would be traumatized by the presence of the jury, in addition to trauma caused by the defendant's presence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands admissibility of child testimony in abuse cases, protecting victims' rights and improving court procedures - directly aligns with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5071: Updating the endangerment with a controlled substance statute.

Senate Bill 5071 updates Washington's law regarding endangerment with a controlled substance. It expands the types of substances covered to include fentanyl or synthetic opioids, in addition to methamphetamine, when a person knowingly or recklessly exposes a child or dependent adult to them. The bill also changes the required mental state for the crime from "knowingly or intentionally" to "knowingly or recklessly." It specifically exempts legitimate medical administration of these substances and protects Department of Children, Youth, and Families personnel acting within their role from criminal liability under this statute. The crime remains classified as a Class B felony.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands endangerment statute to cover fentanyl/synthetic opioids and lowers mental state to reckless for child protection, strengthening legal safeguards against dangerous substances.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

Track

signed · Washington · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2417: Changing the Washington code of military justice so that it includes certain protections for victims of an offense while serving within the organized militia of Washington.

HB 2417 updates Washington's military justice code to extend specific victim protections to members of the state National Guard (organized militia) who experience crimes while serving in their state capacity. It directly affects National Guard members who are victims of offenses under the state military code. The bill establishes concrete rights including protection from the accused, timely notice of court proceedings, the right to be heard at key hearings, privacy safeguards, and access to restitution. These provisions align state military justice standards with federal protections to ensure consistent victim treatment during both federal and state service.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends victim protections (privacy, notice, hearing rights) to National Guard members under military justice, advancing victim rights within criminal justice framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 5282: Reestablishing the advisory board for the missing and exploited children task force.

Senate Bill 5282 reestablishes an advisory board to guide the Washington State Patrol's task force on missing and exploited children. This board will advise on the objectives, management, and coordination of the task force's activities. It will comprise nine members, including representatives from law enforcement, legal professionals, a tribal member, a treatment provider, and an individual with direct lived experience of child abduction or exploitation. The board is required to meet annually and submit yearly reports to the legislature detailing the task force's operations, outcomes, and recommendations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReestablishes advisory board to guide law enforcement task force on missing children, supporting coordinated victim-focused law enforcement within criminal justice framework.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5278: Concerning emergency measures for managing juvenile populations at state juvenile correctional institutions.

SB 5278 addresses overcrowding in state juvenile correctional institutions, aiming to ensure the safe management of juvenile populations and protect both youth and employees. The bill amends existing state laws related to the management of individuals placed in juvenile rehabilitation institutions. Specifically, it updates definitions for key terms within juvenile justice, such as "assessment," "community-based rehabilitation," "community supervision," and "confinement." While the bill's title references "emergency measures," the provided text primarily focuses on these foundational definitions and legislative intent.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeUpdates definitions to prioritize community-based rehabilitation/supervision, addresses juvenile overcrowding for safety, aligns with reform goals to reduce incarceration reliance and enhance rehabilitation programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

Track

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 1811: Enhancing crisis response services through co-response integration and support.

Substitute House Bill 1811 aims to enhance crisis response services in Washington state by integrating and supporting "co-response" teams. The bill formalizes co-response as a multidisciplinary partnership between first responders (like law enforcement and EMTs) and human services professionals (such as social workers and behavioral health clinicians). These teams respond to emergency situations, including 911 and 988 calls, involving behavioral health crises and complex medical needs. The goal is to de-escalate situations, divert individuals from the criminal justice system, and provide immediate medical and behavioral health care in the field, benefiting vulnerable populations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill replaces police-only crisis response with co-response teams (social workers + EMTs), reducing criminalization of mental health crises and aligning with reform goals to divert from traditional law enforcement handling.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIntegrates behavioral health clinicians into co-response teams for mental health crises, enhancing crisis services and aligning with mental health support indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 1498: Concerning domestic violence co-responder programs.

HB 1498 establishes a grant program to help cities and counties create and operate domestic violence co-responder programs. These programs deploy domestic violence victim advocates alongside law enforcement to provide on-scene support, resources, and care navigation for victims and their families. The bill creates a dedicated state treasury account, funded primarily by an additional $100 fee on marriage licenses, to support this initiative. The Office of Crime Victims Advocacy will administer these grants, also providing technical assistance and support for billing health insurance for services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new $100 marriage license fee (tax) to fund domestic violence co-responder programs, directly allocating tax revenue to public safety services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds victim advocates alongside law enforcement for domestic violence response, improving victim support and aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Washington · Senate May 19, 2025

SB 5032: Expanding the duties of the office of the family and children's ombuds to include juvenile rehabilitation facilities operated by the department of children, youth, and families.

Senate Bill 5032 expands the responsibilities of the Office of the Family and Children's Ombuds. It extends the ombuds' oversight to include juvenile rehabilitation facilities operated by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). This allows the ombuds to investigate complaints, monitor procedures, and review these facilities. To facilitate this, DCYF must grant the ombuds access to facilities, individuals in custody, and relevant records, including the juvenile rehabilitation case management system.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands oversight of juvenile rehabilitation facilities to improve conditions and accountability, directly supporting criminal justice reform through enhanced rehabilitation oversight.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Washington · House May 13, 2025

HB 1829: Concerning tribal warrants.

House Bill 1829 establishes a formal process for Washington state courts and law enforcement to recognize and act upon arrest warrants issued by federally recognized tribal courts. It allows tribal courts to file their warrants with county superior courts. If a state superior court reviews the tribal warrant and finds probable cause for a crime, it must issue a corresponding state arrest warrant. The bill also grants federally recognized tribes standing in state court hearings concerning the legality of extradition and updates various legal definitions to include tribal legal processes. This legislation aims to facilitate cooperation between tribal and state justice systems regarding individuals subject to tribal warrants.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFormalizes tribal-state warrant coordination, enhancing tribal sovereignty and intergovernmental cooperation in criminal justice proceedings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Washington · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 5714: Declaring civil immigration enforcement as unprofessional conduct of bail bond recovery agents.

Substitute Senate Bill 5714 defines new types of unprofessional conduct for licensed bail bond agents and bail bond recovery agents in Washington state. The bill prohibits these agents from using their position to enforce civil immigration warrants. Additionally, it makes it unprofessional conduct for agents to share a defendant's immigration status outside of their bail bond agency's business. These provisions aim to regulate the specific activities and information handling practices of bail bond professionals.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits bail agents from enforcing immigration warrants and sharing immigration status, protecting defendants' civil rights within the criminal justice system.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationPrevents bail agents from enforcing immigration warrants or sharing status, limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice