Looking for a summary of our Top Bills?
These are the bills we deem major and significant. Click the image below.
Are you looking for a summary of our Top Bills for 2026? These are bills we deem major and significant. If so, use the filter below.
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Taxes & Financial
Exempting health care conditioning education classes from retail sales and use tax.
Bill Summary
HB 2208 exempts health‑care continuing education classes from Washington’s new retail sales and use tax on services. It is narrowly targeted to continuing education for health‑care professionals, not a broad tax carve‑out for unrelated industries. The Legislature’s own findings note that taxing CE classes makes it harder for providers to meet mandatory training and licensing requirements, which worsens workforce shortages. Removing this tax is a limited, pro‑workforce tax relief measure: it lets nurses, therapists, techs, and other clinicians keep more of their own money while still complying with state requirements. The bill keeps faith with the idea that if the state mandates training for licensure, it should not simultaneously jack up the price of that training with a new sales tax.
The legislative intent section explicitly connects CE costs to access to care, warning that higher prices exacerbate the state’s workforce challenges and impede the professional development needed to sustain a skilled and competent health care system. By making CE more affordable, HB 2208 helps retain providers in rural and underserved communities, where a single nurse, paramedic, or physical therapist can be critical to local care capacity. It does not create a new program, bureaucracy, or entitlement; it simply stops the state from taking extra money from people who must take these courses to keep working. This bill offers targeted tax relief instead of expanding government—exactly the kind of practical, conservative fix we need more of in Olympia.
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Criminal Justice
Concerning sentencing enhancements for theft offenses, robbery, possessing stolen property, and trafficking stolen property.
Bill Summary
As a bipartisan bill, House Bill 2209 strengthens Washington’s sentencing laws by adding new, value-based sentence enhancements for serious theft-related felonies, including theft, possessing stolen property, second-degree robbery, theft with intent to resell, organized retail theft, retail theft with special circumstances, and trafficking in stolen property. Specifically, it requires courts to add 12 months to the standard range when the stolen, possessed, or trafficked property exceeds $20,000 but does not exceed $50,000, and 24 months when the value exceeds $50,000. By tying additional prison time to high-dollar losses, the bill targets the large-scale, repeat, and organized conduct that drives major financial harm to retailers, small businesses, and consumers. The measure is designed to deter professional theft operations and fencing networks by increasing the consequences for the highest-impact cases rather than treating them like routine property crimes.
It also helps prosecutors and law enforcement disrupt trafficking pipelines by making the downstream “possession” and “trafficking” offenses carry clearer, stronger penalties when the value is substantial. Importantly, the bill preserves judicial discretion in cases where a person is being sentenced in adult court for conduct committed under age 18, allowing the court to account for youth and depart from otherwise mandatory enhancements. This balances accountability with individualized sentencing where rehabilitation considerations are strongest. The legislation fits within the existing sentencing enhancement framework in RCW 9.94A.533, making it administratively straightforward for courts to apply. Communities benefit when chronic, high-value theft and resale schemes are meaningfully deterred because these crimes often correlate with broader criminal activity and public disorder. Proper justice should never be sacrificed.
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Elections
Protecting local representation by strengthening and securing fair elections in local governments.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2210 would authorize counties, cities, school districts, fire districts, and port districts to adopt ranked choice voting or proportional representation systems for local elections, fundamentally changing how votes are cast, counted, and winners are determined. The bill lays out an intricate and highly technical framework for ballot design, vote tabulation, tie-breaking, primaries, and multi-round counting methods that would be difficult for many voters to understand and trust. By allowing up to five candidates on general election ballots and introducing instant runoff and single transferable vote methods, the measure risks increasing voter confusion, ballot errors, and disengagement, particularly among infrequent voters. It also shifts substantial administrative complexity onto county auditors, who would be responsible for implementing new systems across multiple jurisdictions, sometimes spanning more than one county.
Although the bill claims costs will be reimbursed, it clearly authorizes significant new expenses for software, hardware, staff training, voter education, and ongoing maintenance, which ultimately come from local taxpayers. Smaller jurisdictions with limited administrative capacity would be especially strained by these mandates. The six-year “decision window” effectively pressures local governments to adopt permanent election system changes during a period of legal uncertainty, rather than encouraging caution and stability. The bill further weakens the simplicity of Washington’s well-understood top-two primary system by carving out numerous exceptions and special rules. Declaring the act an emergency and making it effective immediately limits public debate and thoughtful local deliberation over sweeping election changes. House Bill 2210 represents an unnecessary, costly, and confusing overhaul that should be rejected.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2214 requires self‑insured employers who intend to allow a workers’ compensation claim to issue an allowance order within 30 days of getting notice of the claim, instead of leaving workers in limbo for up to 60 days with no clear action. If the employer has not made a decision within 60 days, it must, by day 65, send the claim file to Labor & Industries, notify the worker the claim is in provisional status, and pay provisional time‑loss benefits if the worker appears eligible. L&I would then quickly issue the formal allowance or denial. If the employer plans to deny the claim, it must request denial within 60 days and give written notice—with reasons—to both the worker and the director, triggering the director’s review and preserving appeal rights.
This legislation doesn’t expand who qualifies for workers’ comp or raise benefit levels; it simply tightens timelines and notice rules so everyone knows where they stand, reducing costly disputes and legal gamesmanship. Most self‑insured employers already try to handle claims promptly; this bill prevents a few slow or abusive actors from dragging out claims and giving self‑insurance a bad name, which in turn protects the option of self‑insurance from heavier future regulation. When a self‑insurer fails to act, L&I steps in to decide the claim—but only inside the existing system, using current standards; there is no new program or entitlement, just enforcement of timely decisions.
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Environment & Disasters
Concerning climate commitment act compliance obligations for fuels supplied or otherwise sold into Washington.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2215 changes how Washington assigns Climate Commitment Act (CCA) compliance obligations for transportation fuels by sharply lowering the threshold at which fuel-related emissions trigger coverage, aiming to ensure that nearly all fuel supplied into the state is tied to a covered entity. It does this by moving from the current structure that effectively exempts smaller-volume fuel suppliers (referenced as 25,000 metric tons in the findings) toward a regime where coverage applies in “de minimis” volumes and, for certain fuels like gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, and propane, begins at 500 metric tons of CO₂e per year, with authority for Ecology to lower that threshold by rule.
The bill also expands “backstop” liability by making purchasers potentially responsible for compliance when they buy fuel from sellers that are not properly registered as covered entities. In practice, this increases regulatory reach deep into the fuel distribution chain and creates new compliance, registration, and reporting burdens for smaller businesses and end-use purchasers who are not positioned to manage carbon-market obligations. Those added administrative costs will not stay on paper; they are likely to be embedded into fuel prices and passed along to families, commuters, and small employers who have limited near-term alternatives. Citizens should oppose HB 2215 because it broadens and accelerates CCA obligations in ways that will likely raise fuel costs, expand bureaucracy, and push compliance risk onto smaller suppliers and purchasers rather than delivering clear, measurable emissions reductions.
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Criminal Justice
Concerning rehabilitative pathways for persons charged with certain felony offenses who have no prior felony convictions in adult criminal court.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2217 is another soft-on-crime bill that fails to uphold justice. It significantly expands deferral and suspended sentence eligibility for first-time felony defendants by creating a strong presumption that courts must grant these alternatives, even before a case reaches trial. While framed as rehabilitation, the bill shifts discretion away from judges and toward automatic leniency, limiting the court’s ability to weigh public safety, victim impact, and the specific facts of each case. It allows defendants to avoid timely adjudication by deferring conviction for up to a year, potentially delaying accountability and closure for victims and communities.
The bill also requires defendants to waive fundamental constitutional rights, including trial and confrontation of witnesses, in exchange for deferral, creating pressure to accept a legal shortcut rather than pursue a full and fair defense. By permitting repeated use of deferrals and suspended sentences across multiple current offenses, it risks normalizing felony conduct rather than treating it as a serious breach of the law. The relaxed evidentiary standards in revocation hearings further erode due process while still relying heavily on police reports instead of live testimony. This approach prioritizes administrative efficiency over transparency and over public confidence in the justice system.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2218 revises Washington workers’ compensation medical-care rules to improve access, curb employer steering, and standardize quality through a provider network overseen by the Department of Labor & Industries. It reinforces that an injured worker may choose their provider if conveniently located, and it requires employers to inform workers of that right while prohibiting employers from requiring or inducing treatment at a particular clinic, with investigations and penalties for violations. It maintains the concept of a medical provider network and sets minimum standards for providers who participate, with advisory-group input and ongoing oversight. It clarifies that network providers must follow the department’s evidence-based coverage decisions and treatment guidelines when medically appropriate, and should also follow appropriate national guidelines when medically appropriate. It creates a “second tier” within the network for providers who demonstrate occupational health best practices, paired with financial and non-financial incentives to encourage higher-quality care.
Once a network exists in a worker’s area, the bill generally limits non-network care to an initial office or emergency-room visit, but it adds an access safeguard: if no network provider within 15 miles is willing to treat the worker, the worker can use a notice-and-declaration process and then obtain non-network care paid at the state fee schedule. It requires utilization review decisions to be completed within 10 business days or the treatment is authorized, aiming to reduce delays that can worsen injuries and prolong disability. It also requires payment for the initial visit and initial prescription drugs in state-fund claims even if the claim is ultimately not allowed, reducing the risk that workers face immediate out-of-pocket barriers to getting evaluated and stabilized. It preserves existing rules about treatment duration in accepted claims and explicitly continues coverage for cancer monitoring at a frequency recommended by the treating oncologist when cancer is an accepted diagnosis. These changes strengthen worker choice, deter coercive employer practices, create practical backstops when network access is thin, and speed up approvals so injured workers get timely, evidence-based treatment that can shorten disability and protect family income.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2219 aims to improve the operational efficiency of child care providers by making Washington’s licensing system more practical without compromising child safety. It continues the state’s “single set of licensing standards” approach for child care and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, ensuring consistent baseline rules across program types. Those standards must still provide minimum licensing requirements, rely on Early Achievers for quality improvement, account for the distinct realities of family providers, outdoor nature-based programs, and child care centers, and promote safety in care settings.
The bill preserves the framework for mixed-age grouping in child care centers by allowing limited “mixed-ratio time,” as long as the center maintains the staff-to-child ratio and group size required for the youngest child in the group. Specifically, it allows up to 2.5 hours per day of mixed-ratio scheduling, with an option of up to four hours per day if at least 90 minutes of that time is set aside to enable meal and rest breaks for staff. This flexibility helps centers manage predictable pinch points—early mornings, late afternoons, and staffing transitions—without diluting safety standards tied to the youngest children.
The bill also respects the autonomy of private-school early learning programs that do not take state subsidies by limiting state oversight largely to health, safety, and transition-to-elementary readiness requirements. Most notably, it requires the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to waive a duplicative preservice orientation requirement for individuals who have already completed the applicable department orientation in the past. That waiver reduces redundant paperwork and training repetition, helping providers hire and onboard qualified staff faster at a time when workforce shortages are a primary constraint on child care capacity. HB 2219 supports providers, stabilizes staffing, and expands reliable child care access for working families, while keeping core safety protections intact.
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Criminal Justice
Concerning state oversight and accountability of the criminal justice training commission.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2220 strengthens public trust in Washington’s criminal justice system by improving state oversight, transparency, and accountability at the Criminal Justice Training Commission. The bill clarifies key definitions and reinforces the commission’s authority to certify, discipline, retrain, suspend, or revoke the credentials of peace officers, corrections officers, and participating tribal police officers. It enhances investigative responsibilities to ensure complaints are handled comprehensively and in a timely manner, directly addressing concerns about consistency and integrity in officer accountability. The legislation requires biennial reporting from all law enforcement agencies on officer certifications, training completion, and decertifications, creating a clear, statewide picture of training standards and outcomes. Those reports are then synthesized and delivered to the Governor and Legislature, ensuring policymakers have reliable data to guide reforms and funding decisions.
HB 2220 also refines the structure of certification hearing panels, adding balanced representation and accountability expertise while preserving due process protections. By making hearing records and decisions publicly accessible, the bill promotes transparency without undermining fairness. Importantly, it preserves the commission’s independence so accountability is not nullified by local disciplinary reversals or settlements. This approach supports professional law enforcement by setting clear expectations and consequences while maintaining rigorous standards. House Bill 2220 upholds consistent training, credible oversight, and renewed public confidence in Washington’s criminal justice institutions.
Bill Summary
HB 2221 states that healthy ungulate populations (mule deer, white‑tailed deer, elk, moose, etc.) are economically and culturally important, especially to rural communities and hunters in Washington. The bill directs WDFW to use measurable population data (10‑year rolling averages) and clear “at‑risk” triggers when deciding when to intervene to protect ungulate herds. It requires predator‑prey management actions—such as seasonal predator reduction, wolf translocation within Washington, or targeted removal/non‑lethal mitigation—when ungulate numbers drop 25% or more below their 10‑year rolling average in areas where wolves are federally delisted.
This legislation supports rural economies and hunting. The bill’s findings emphasize that hunting and outdoor recreation bring “hundreds of millions of dollars” to rural communities through tourism, gear, guides, access fees, and fuel purchases. It requires WDFW to follow its own existing game and wolf management plans with transparent thresholds and mandatory actions, instead of discretionary, opaque decision‑making. SB 5960 also sets management rules inside the existing wildlife framework and directs WDFW to act within already existing department resources, instead of creating new agencies, taxes, or broad regulatory programs.
Additionally, HB 2221 gives sportsmen and ranchers a statutory tool to demand action when predator pressure is clearly harming deer herds, instead of leaving them to plead with the commission on a case‑by‑case basis. This helps stabilize deer numbers so that license‑buying hunters and rural families are not asked to sacrifice opportunity while predators continue to expand unchecked in delisted areas. Furthermore, it encourages collaboration with “sportsmen” groups—explicitly defined as licensed hunters and recognized wildlife associations that fund the department—ensuring those who pay into the system have a voice.
Environmental groups have framed HB 2221 as an anti‑wolf bill, but its structure is tied to specific population data and focuses on restoring ungulate herds, not eliminating wolves. The bill’s predator mitigation tools allow a balanced approach that maintains wolf presence while preventing severe, prolonged deer declines.