Sen. Paul Harris

Maddy summarySB 6127 requires Washington's state auditor to conduct a performance audit of fraud protections, eligibility verification, and claim recovery processes in the state's paid family and medical leave program. The audit will evaluate how effectively the program prevents fraud, verifies claim eligibility, recovers improper payments, and communicates claim details to employers and employees. It mandates specific recommendations for improving these processes and requires progress reports by December 2026 and a final report by December 2027, with the requirement expiring December 31, 2027. This bill directly affects workers using the program and employers receiving claim information.

Maddy summarySB 5850 protects citizens participating in Washington's initiative and referendum process by making it illegal to pay for signatures, intimidate voters, or destroy petitions. It creates new penalties, including gross misdemeanors for offering money based on signature counts and class C felonies for altering or destroying signed petitions. The bill directly affects individuals gathering signatures for ballot measures and organizers seeking to manipulate the process. These changes aim to prevent corruption and ensure free participation in direct democracy, without altering existing campaign finance reporting rules.

Maddy summarySB 5851 adds a voluntary $1 or more donation option during Washington state vessel registration (initial or renewal) to fund salmon preservation efforts. The donations, collected by the Department of Licensing, are deposited into a dedicated "sea lion predation control account" in the state treasury. Funds from this account can only be spent - after legislative appropriation - to manage sea lion populations in the lower Columbia River, aiming to reduce their predation on salmon. This bill directly affects boat owners at registration time and creates a new funding mechanism for salmon conservation, separate from existing state agency budgets.

Maddy summarySB 5854 modifies Washington state procedures for releasing sexually violent predators from secure facilities to community-based treatment settings. It requires courts to consider "fair share principles" before approving such releases, meaning counties must have adequate local placement options proportional to their population of committed individuals. The bill also gives counties the authority to reject placements from other counties if the proposed location violates these fair share requirements. This applies to individuals committed under Washington’s sexually violent predator laws and aims to balance the geographic burden of community placements. The bill does not change release criteria for individuals but alters the administrative process for where they may be placed.

Maddy summarySB 5026 redirects a growing portion of Washington’s vehicle sales tax revenue to transportation funding. Starting in 2026, 16.66% of tax revenue from all new and used vehicle sales (including private-party sales) will fund transportation, increasing by 16.66% each year until 2031, when 100% will be dedicated to this purpose. The bill excludes certain vehicles like farm tractors, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and bicycles from this tax allocation. This policy change affects all vehicle buyers and sellers in Washington, with the tax revenue directly supporting transportation infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryWashington's SJM 8011 is a state application requesting Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V. It seeks amendments to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit federal power and jurisdiction, and establish term limits for federal officials and Congress members. The bill explicitly prohibits the convention from considering changes to the Bill of Rights and specifies that Congress may only perform a ministerial duty to call the convention once two-thirds of states apply for the same purpose. This is a procedural request by Washington state to initiate a process for potential constitutional amendments, not a law itself.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Washington's public colleges and universities to ensure students have access to medication abortion by the 2026-27 academic year. It mandates that student health centers offer medication abortion services (via in-person care, telehealth, or referrals) and directs institutions without health centers to provide referrals to qualified providers, telehealth support, and campus accommodations. Schools must also maintain clear online resources about reproductive health services, including appointment scheduling, academic accommodations for pregnancy-related needs, and direct links to state health resources. The law directly affects over 196,000 pregnancy-capable students at Washington's public institutions, aiming to reduce barriers like travel distances (up to 78 miles) and wait times for abortion care.

Maddy summarySB 5657 authorizes certified medical assistants with an "EMT" designation (medical assistant-EMT) to work in source plasma donation centers under physician supervision, expanding their scope beyond typical clinical settings. This directly affects plasma donation centers in Washington and medical assistants holding this specific certification. The bill amends certification rules to allow the medical assistant-EMT credential to be transferable exclusively between hospitals and plasma donation centers (previously limited to hospitals only). It specifies that these certified professionals may perform blood draw procedures (venipuncture), patient preparation, and other tasks listed in their scope of practice, as defined in the existing medical assistant regulations.

Maddy summarySB 5566 increases penalties for assaulting certain public safety personnel, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, transit workers, school bus drivers, healthcare providers, and court staff while they are performing their duties. It reclassifies assault against law enforcement from a class C felony to a class B felony (a more serious charge) and adds a mandatory minimum 180-day prison sentence for such assaults committed during riots. The bill also expands protections to include assaults against healthcare providers, transit operators, and court personnel under specific duty-related circumstances. These changes apply to anyone who physically harms these workers while they are on duty, with no additional policy implications or outcomes speculated.

Maddy summarySB 5183 bans the sale of all flavored tobacco and nicotine products (like fruit or candy-flavored cigarettes, cigars, or e-cigarettes) and vapor products with interactive gaming features (e.g., Pac-Man displays) in Washington starting January 1, 2026. It directly affects retailers who sell these products, including those marketing to youth with appealing flavors and games. The bill defines "flavored" broadly to include any taste, smell, or cooling sensation beyond tobacco, and "entertainment vapor products" as devices with gaming or video features. This policy change aims to reduce youth initiation and addiction by removing products specifically designed to appeal to young people, based on public health data showing flavored products drive most youth tobacco use.