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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Community Concerns
Concerning defective license plates issued by the Department of Licensing.
Bill Summary
HB 2114 requires the state to provide replacement plates when they are defective. If the Department of Licensing (DOL) issues plates that prematurely peel, fade, or otherwise fail, the state—not the individual vehicle owner—must replace them. That shifts the cost of remedying a state‑caused defect away from drivers and onto the agency responsible, which is a basic consumer‑protection and fairness measure.
When the state issues a defective license plate and then charges you again to fix its own error, that functions like a back‑door fee increase. HB 2114 corrects that by making DOL own and fix its mistakes. The bill doesn’t expand DOL’s regulatory reach or create a new entitlement; it simply requires the agency to stand behind the physical product it is already mandated to provide. It’s a small, practical fix with bipartisan sponsorship, framed around a specific, real‑world problem that drivers have experienced.
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Taxes & Financial
Restoring the 1985 tax exemptions for the sale of precious metals and bullion.
Bill Summary
As a bipartisan bill, House Bill 2115 restores Washington’s longstanding tax exemption for sales of precious metals and bullion, reinstating a policy first adopted in 1985 and only recently repealed. By removing wholesale and retail sales of precious-metal bullion and monetized bullion from the state’s business and occupation (B&O) tax base, HB 2115 helps ensure that the trading of gold, silver, platinum, and similar metals remains competitive with neighboring states that already offer similar exemptions. This protects Washington businesses from losing customers to out-of-state dealers and helps keep investment dollars circulating within the state economy.
The bill also simplifies the tax structure by taxing only the commission earned on bullion transactions rather than the entire sale value, which is consistent with how financial instruments are typically treated. This approach recognizes that bullion functions more like an investment vehicle than a consumable good, and taxing commissions rather than full prices prevents disproportionately high tax burdens on low-margin dealers.
Supporters of HB 2115 note that it strengthens Washington’s economic competitiveness, promotes investment stability, and prevents unnecessary tax increases on individuals who use bullion as a hedge against inflation or market volatility. The bill also supports small and independent bullion dealers, many of whom would otherwise struggle under new tax burdens imposed after the 2025 repeal. Finally, the emergency clause ensures immediate implementation, signaling the legislature’s commitment to protecting local commerce and preventing economic disruption. Overall, HB 2115 is a targeted, practical measure that restores fairness and predictability to Washington’s tax code while supporting both small businesses and individual investors.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2116 is another attempt to increase taxes by way of government education, a system that is already bloated, demonstrates a consistent failure of not educating students well, and costs taxpayers more than $20,000 per student. This bill targets local taxes by significantly increasing the amount that school districts may raise through local levies (raising the cap from $2.50 to $3.00 per $1,000 of assessed property value). While framed as an education-funding measure, the bill shifts more of the school-funding burden onto local property taxpayers rather than ensuring the state meets its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education.
By introducing an “inflation enhancement” that artificially boosts levy authority beyond actual inflation, HB 2116 establishes a mechanism for automatic tax growth that can outpace household income and place long-term strain on families and small businesses. Property owners—especially those in rapidly appreciating markets—could face substantial levy increases without any guarantee that funds will lead to measurable improvements in classroom outcomes. The retroactive adjustments to inflation calculations also make the levy system more complex and harder for voters to understand. Standing against HB 2116 sends a clear message that Washington should protect taxpayers, maintain fairness across districts, and pursue responsible, statewide approaches to school finance rather than expanding local levy dependence and an education system that too often fails to educate.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2118 protects homeowners in common interest communities—such as condominium associations, homeowners’ associations, and apartment-owner associations—by preventing those associations from imposing new, more onerous “use” restrictions on an existing owner than the restrictions in place when the owner bought the unit or lot. In plain terms, it stops boards from changing the rules midstream and then applying the stricter rules to current owners unless those affected owners expressly agree in writing at the time of the change. The bill focuses on “types of use,” including whether a property may be used for residential, agricultural, or commercial purposes (as allowed by the recorded rules), the ability to rent for any length of time, and the ability to develop the property in line with applicable laws unless the original recorded restrictions already prohibited it. If an owner claims this protection, the owner can require that an exception be recorded for that specific unit or lot, with the owner paying the recording fees.
The bill also limits the benefit for future buyers: successors generally cannot claim the prior owner’s exception for restrictions adopted before they purchased, with narrow exceptions for shared-ownership situations and certain foreclosures. It does not block restrictions required to comply with federal, state, or local law, and it does not invalidate existing covenants that were already in place before the bill takes effect. It further clarifies that associations may still enforce the restrictions that applied at the time an owner acquired the property, preserving predictable community standards. This bill is a straightforward consumer-protection measure that reinforces fairness, reliance, and property rights by ensuring owners are not blindsided by shifting rules that can undermine housing stability and financial planning.
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State Budgets
Modifying joint legislative audit and review committee work plans to ensure efficient use of staff resources.
Bill Summary
HB 2120 modifies how the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) plans its workload so that staff resources are used more efficiently on the audits and evaluations the Legislature actually needs. The bill adjusts statutory references that previously hard‑wired specific recurring assignments—such as certain biennial reports—so that JLARC can prioritize, sequence, or retire work based on legislative direction and capacity.
By removing or updating old, automatic reporting mandates the bill reduces audit clutter and lets JLARC focus on programs where waste, duplication, or performance issues are more likely. Better work‑plan flexibility means legislators can direct JLARC to look at large, expensive, or controversial programs instead of burning staff time on low‑impact statutory leftovers, improving oversight value per tax dollar spent.
HB 2120 does not raise taxes, create new entitlement programs, or expand regulatory authority; it is a housekeeping measure to streamline how an existing oversight body does its job. It as a small, but concrete step toward leaner government: fewer automatic busy‑work reports, more focus on exposing inefficiency and improving accountability across agencies.
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Taxes & Financial
Exempting nonprofits and schools from certain sales and use taxes on services.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2121 provides targeted tax relief to nonprofits, public schools, and educational institutions by exempting them from sales and use taxes on a wide range of entities such as IT support, advertising, data processing, website development, training services, and various digital goods. Because schools and nonprofits increasingly rely on contracted services to operate efficiently—especially in technology, communications, and program delivery—HB 2121 would reduce their overhead and allow more funding to be directed to student learning, community programs, and mission-critical services. By eliminating these service-based tax burdens, the bill supports small local nonprofits that often struggle to absorb rising administrative costs.
“The disastrous state sales tax hike created by the horrible Senate Bill 5814 has hurt public schools all around Washington,” said primary sponsor Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. “That tax hike, which the current governor eagerly signed into law, was so poorly designed that it was full of errors and what even tax-and-spend Democrats have called ‘unintended consequences.’ One of those unintended consequences is that this new tax forces public schools and nonprofit organizations like food banks to pay sales taxes to Olympia that they’ve never had to pay in our state’s history. My bill fixes that mess.”
Citizens who want their tax dollars to flow directly into classrooms, youth programs, community services, and charitable activities should support HB 2121. It empowers nonprofits and educational institutions to invest more in people and programs rather than administrative overhead. Supporting this bill strengthens Washington’s social infrastructure and ensures that limited resources are used where they matter most.
Bill Summary
HB 2123’s title – “Concerning foreign national participation in Washington State Elections” – suggests addressing or limiting foreign participation. Given the content of the proposed legislation, we believe this bill title is misleading. At a time of heightened concern about foreign interference in American elections, this bill goes in the wrong direction. HB 2123 repeals Washington’s explicit prohibitions and certification requirements around foreign national contributions, independent expenditures, out-of-state committee spending, political advertising, and electioneering communications. Current law forces sponsors and committees to explicitly affirm that foreign nationals did not finance or participate in decision-making. This proposed bill doesn’t tighten protections – it strips out state-level safeguards and relies entirely on federal law, which is already stretched thin and not tailored to Washington’s specific elections. Removing these attestations means less information in the public record and fewer opportunities to catch inconsistencies or misrepresentations. Even if federal law still applies, Washington would be giving up its own explicit guardrails and enforcement tools, making the state more dependent on federal enforcement capacity and priorities.
The current certification language is an important accountability tool. Out-of-state committees and complex entities (LLCs, 501(c)(4)s, etc.) currently must certify that their spending in Washington is not financed or influenced by foreign nationals. Removing this requirement could make it easier to route foreign funds through intermediaries without the same level of explicit attestation to the state. Even if illegal, it becomes less obvious and less easily checked by watchdogs and the public. When committees, independent spenders, and electioneering sponsors must affirm that foreign nationals did not finance or participate in their decisions, certifications create a clear, enforceable record. If foreign money or influence is later uncovered, regulators can act not just on the underlying violation but on the false certification itself. HB 2123 removes that lever and makes it harder to detect and deter illegal foreign activity
In review, FPIW believes this bill sends the wrong message to the public. Voters want stronger assurances that foreign money is not shaping Washington elections, not weaker ones. Removing these protections will erode public trust and make our campaign finance system less transparent and less enforceable.
Bill Summary
House Bill 2126 creates a clear and straightforward tax exemption for fuel used in school buses, ensuring that school districts no longer pay state fuel taxes on the diesel or other special fuels required to transport students. The bill amends Washington’s existing fuel-tax statutes to add school districts alongside other exempt public-purpose users, such as firefighting equipment and public transit systems. It also authorizes refunds when tax-paid fuel is used in school buses, ensuring districts can recover costs even when fuel is purchased through existing procurement systems. By eliminating a significant operational expense, the bill frees up transportation dollars that can instead support classroom instruction, safety improvements, or expanded bus routes for students.
HB 2126 strengthens equity by helping rural and low-income school districts that rely heavily on long bus routes and face higher transportation costs. It also ensures that resources intended for student transportation are actually used for transportation—not lost to administrative overhead or tax obligations. Because many districts face rising fuel and maintenance costs, this exemption offers immediate and predictable budget relief without raising taxes on families or businesses. The bill aligns school transportation with other essential public services already receiving fuel-tax exemptions, correcting a long-standing inconsistency in state law.
Bill Summary
HB 2129 strengthens rural economies and keeps working farms economically viable through continued production while still protecting public health and safety. Furthermore, the bill recognizes agritourism as a legitimate, core part of Washington’s agricultural economy. It explicitly states that agritourism “stabilizes and helps protect the economic well-being of the agricultural industry” and directs the Department of Agriculture to support these activities in its rules and programs. That means farms can diversify with u-pick operations, farm festivals, tours, farm-to-table dinners, camping, horseback riding, and similar activities that give them additional income streams in a volatile commodity market.
This legislation also removes unnecessary local barriers by making agritourism an allowed use—not a conditional use requiring special permits and fees—on agricultural lands, farms, and ranches. At the same time, counties and cities cannot “prohibit or unreasonably restrict” agritourism, but all public health, safety, and building codes still apply. That strikes a practical balance: farmers aren’t buried in discretionary land-use processes just to host a pumpkin patch or farm event, but neighbors and visitors remain protected through existing safety standards. In addition, HB 2129 directs the Department of Commerce to promptly update any rules or guidance that currently restrict agritourism, reducing confusion and regulatory conflict for local governments and farm operators.
Finally, the bill aligns agritourism with the Growth Management Act’s goals. It clarifies that agritourism activities are consistent with conserving agricultural lands and updates the definition of “rural character” to explicitly include fortifying agritourism. This helps counties defend pro-agritourism policies before the Growth Management Hearings Board, supports innovative zoning that encourages farm-based businesses, and keeps land in agriculture instead of pushing farmers toward subdivision and sprawl.
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Taxes & Financial
Repealing new taxes imposed by Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5814 during the 2025 regular legislative session.
Bill Summary
HB 2130 restores predictability, affordability, and stability to Washington’s tax system by repealing the new taxes created under ESSB 5814 in 2025. These recently enacted taxes added significant financial burdens on employers, consumers, and families at a time when Washington’s cost of living is already among the highest in the nation. By repealing those provisions, HB 2130 prevents additional strain on household budgets and helps maintain a competitive business environment—especially important for small and mid-sized employers who operate on narrow margins.
Repealing these taxes also supports economic stability. Sudden shifts in tax policy create uncertainty that discourages investment and job creation. HB 2130 reverses that instability and signals a commitment to predictable, responsible tax policy that promotes long-term economic growth rather than short-term revenue expansions. The bill includes an emergency clause to ensure these repeals take effect promptly, preventing further administrative cost and compliance burdens for both taxpayers and state agencies. In doing so, HB 2130 protects the public interest and promotes fiscal responsibility.