Sen. Jeff Wilson

Maddy summarySB 5320 creates a new Smokey Bear special license plate for Washington vehicle owners, featuring Smokey Bear imagery and wildfire prevention messaging. The plate requires an initial fee of $40 and a $30 renewal fee, listed as plate type #29 under existing Washington state law (RCW 46.68.425). This procedural bill adds the Smokey Bear plate to the state's existing special license plate options, directly affecting vehicle owners who choose to purchase it for their vehicles.

Maddy summarySB 5136, the "Given Name Act," requires Washington public schools to use students' birth certificate names and pronouns matching their biological sex (as listed on their birth certificate) without parental written permission. School staff - including teachers, administrators, and support workers - must follow this rule unless parents provide specific written consent for alternative names or pronouns. The bill also allows school employees to refuse using non-biological-sex pronouns based on religious or moral beliefs and permits affected individuals to seek legal recourse for violations. It applies to all K-12 public school employees and students under 18, with no exceptions for discussing gender identity outside school duties.

Maddy summarySB 5678 creates a state task force to study Washington's residential landlord-tenant laws and imposes a 36-month moratorium on new local rental regulations. The task force, composed of landlords, tenants, housing advocates, and local government representatives, will examine issues like rent limits, evictions, security deposits, and tenant screening. Local governments (cities, towns, counties) cannot enact new rental rules during the moratorium period, which begins when the bill takes effect. The task force must report its recommendations to the legislature by July 2027, with the bill expiring in 2029.

Maddy summarySB 5389 changes how Washington State distributes revenue from liquor sales to local governments by repealing the previous distribution method (RCW 66.24.065) and establishing new rules. It requires quarterly distributions (June, September, December, March) of excess liquor revenue: 0.3% to border areas, with the remainder split as 50% to the state general fund, 10% to counties (based on unincorporated population), and 40% to incorporated cities and towns. Counties where liquor sales are banned in unincorporated areas by election are excluded from county distributions. The bill directly affects all local governments receiving these funds, including border areas, counties, and cities/towns.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows senior centers, senior housing organizations, and senior living communities (with a 55+ age minimum) to operate bingo games weekly, instead of the standard limit of twice yearly. It specifically amends Washington’s gambling laws to permit these senior-focused groups to conduct weekly bingo, with revenue from bingo capped at $10,000 annually. All proceeds must fund the organization’s charitable or nonprofit purposes, and they must follow standard reporting and notice requirements. This change directly affects senior living communities meeting the age criteria, providing them greater flexibility for fundraising through bingo.

Maddy summarySB 5383 exempts sales and use taxes on labor, materials, and equipment used in qualifying salmon recovery projects. It applies to sponsors (such as tribes, local governments, or nonprofits) receiving state funding for projects aimed at increasing salmon/steelhead stocks through habitat restoration, barrier removal, or hatchery improvements. To qualify, sponsors must obtain a department-issued exemption certificate and provide it to sellers before August 1, 2025. The exemption expires when the project is certified operationally complete, with sponsors required to pay any back taxes within 60 days of expiration. This policy directly reduces costs for entities undertaking state-funded salmon habitat restoration efforts.

Maddy summarySB 5783 prohibits Washington courts and administrative agencies from using a person's vaccination status as evidence or a factor in specific legal decisions. The law applies to guardianship cases (for minors or incapacitated adults), child custody/visitation disputes, adoption proceedings, and related family law matters under chapters 11.130, 26.09, 26.33, and 26.44 of the Revised Code of Washington. It explicitly bans courts from admitting vaccination status in evidence or considering it when making rulings on these issues. This change directly affects parents, children, adoptive applicants, and family courts handling such cases within the state.

Maddy summarySB 5050 requires that in Washington state presidential primary elections, voters' party preference selections be placed inside ballot envelopes so they cannot be seen from the outside. This change ensures party declarations remain as secret as other ballot choices, directly protecting voters' privacy during presidential primaries. The bill also mandates that ballot envelopes include a clear, visible notice reminding voters they must select a party for their ballot to be counted. These provisions aim to prevent outside observers from inferring a voter's candidate choice based solely on their party selection. The bill is currently under review in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Maddy summarySB 5145 requires new Washington state spending programs costing over $1 million in their first full biennium (and not self-funded by fees) to include an expiration date no later than 10 years from implementation. It mandates that each program must also include a "state spending performance statement" detailing its legislative purpose and specific, measurable metrics to evaluate effectiveness. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee must periodically review these programs using the stated metrics, considering factors like goal achievement, unintended benefits, and fiscal impact, then recommend to the legislature whether to continue, modify, or terminate each program. If a program fails to meet its metrics, the committee must recommend termination, applying to all new programs established after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 5274 establishes a pilot program requiring the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to implement body worn cameras at Green Hill School by January 2026. It expands authorized users of body worn cameras to include officers from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, the Department of Corrections, and personnel at jails and detention facilities. The bill also adds specific exemptions preventing public disclosure of body worn camera recordings when they contain sensitive information, such as medical details, intimate images, or the identity of victims in domestic violence or sexual assault cases. These changes aim to balance transparency with privacy protections for vulnerable individuals.