To Our Valiant Team of Defenders:
Welcome to our annual Session-ending review. As is our custom each year, we provide you with a final report by covering “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” from the recent Legislative Session in Olympia. This year is widely considered one of the most important and grueling Sessions in history. It also has been groundbreaking for us here at FPIW Action, and we are excited to share with you the increase of our Defender Team influence.
I. Increase In Bills
There were 1,904 bills filed this 2025 Session, plus 19 Joint Memorials, and FPIW Action tracked 444 bills impacting the family — a new record by far in the history of FPIW Action. Our previous record was 92 bills from 2024. For any of those 444 bills, you can find more information in our Bill Library by typing in the bill number. For each bill, we created a summary for you.
What’s your top topic? You also can search by topic in our Bill Library. With a single click, you can see all the bills on that topic.
II. Increase In Issues
This year we expanded our issues from 4 to 18. You can read about each issue in our Issues Booklet, and a sample of our issues is below:
III. The New App and Redesigned Website
We also used our new Washington Defender App to influence legislation. We want to thank all who faithfully participated in influencing bills either by way of the app . . .
or on the website, which received a major overhaul in order to make registering PRO or CON much easier for you:
IV. The Good
The Good News is that these bills passed the Legislature and are on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature:
• HB 1096 allows existing residential lots to be split into new residential lots through a streamlined administrative process. It supports homeowners facing life-changing circumstances and provides prospective homebuyers, particularly first-time buyers, with more affordable housing opportunities.
• HB 1457 requires technologically advanced ankle monitors for sexual predators. These monitors are virtually tamper-proof and provide real-time GPS data for those conditionally released.
• HB 1912 establishes a remittance program for fuels used for agricultural purposes and a Climate Commitment Act exception for other agricultural business.
• SB 5004 supports public school emergency preparedness. These systems must include features such as panic buttons, live audio and video feeds to law enforcement, and remote door access.
• SB 5014 supports election security by expanding the Secretary of State’s authority to approve not only voting machines and tallying systems, but also any digital platform used to assist voters—such as those used for ballot issuance or identity verification.
• SB 5393 allows Rainier School, a residential habilitation center for individuals with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities, to remain open.
There is more Good News in terms of bad bills that died in the Legislature and did not become law:
• HB 1125 would have given liberal, soft-on-crime judges more authority to modify lengthy sentences for dangerous inmates. (Died in House.) To see more, click here or on our FPIW article below:
• HB 1180 was another soft-on-crime bill regarding sex offenders. It would have been lenient toward those sex offenders who failed to register and encouraged diversionary approaches for first-time offenders. (Died in House.)
• HB 1317 would have reduced juvenile sentences. It was a dangerous rollback of sentencing laws that prioritized leniency for violent offenders — such as murders and rapists — over justice for victims and public safety. It also would have allowed serious criminals under the age of 21 to petition for early release. (Died in House.)
• HB 1380 would have allowed homelessness on all civic property and permitted a homeless person to sue a municipality that restricts the use of public land for a homeless camp. (Died in House.)
• HB 1677 would have mandated that public higher education institutions provide access to abortion pills for students by the 2026–27 academic year. (Died in House. Its companion bill SB 5321 died in the Senate.)
• HB 1876 would have exempted a qualified patient from the seven-day waiting period between the first and second request for life-ending medication. To see our FPIW article on this topic, click here or the image below:
• SB 5068 would have allowed non-citizens to arrest citizens. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, prosecutors, and civil service agents would have no longer been required to be a U.S. citizen nor lawful permanent resident. (Died in Senate.) To learn more, click here or on our FPIW article below:
• SB 5123 would have forced Washingtonians to affirm and accommodate beliefs regarding gender identity and neutral language in schools. (Died in Senate.)
• SB 5382 was known as “The Initiative Killer”. It would have made signature gatherers liable for petition signatures. It required them to sign a declaration, under penalty of false swearing, that information provided by signers was accurate. The bill was a direct counter to the amazing success of initiatives led by Let’s Go Washington. (Died in Senate.)
• SB 5726, and its companion in the House, HB 1921, were the Mileage Tax bills. Democrats wanted to tax you 2.6 cents for every mile you drove. Then, they intended to tax you 10% on your annual mileage tax total. It would have created “a tax on top of a tax.” (SB 5726 died in Senate, and HB 1921 died in the House.)
• SB 5798 would have increased your property tax from 1% to 3% (or more). By removing the longstanding 1% annual cap on property tax, the bill would have increased that rate and replaced it with a formula tied to both inflation and population growth. The public outcry against this bill set a new record for those registering CON. (Died in Senate.)
• Senate Joint Resolution 8204 was not merely a law, but a Washington State Constitutional Amendment that would have enshrined broad and unrestricted access to abortion, contraception, assisted reproductive technology, and gender-affirming care, i.e., permanent transgender mutilations — all without age limits, and all without parental notification. (Died in Senate.) This Amendment was a direct attack against what we consider to be central and sacred. To read our FPIW Action Bulletin on this topic, click here or the image below:
V. The Bad
Let’s start the Bad News with good bills that sadly did not make it out of committee this year:
• HB 1022 would have created “Homes for Heroes” in order to financially support firefighters, nurses, and police officers, rather than giving money for race-based reparations (see below for HB 1696).
• HB 1038 would have blocked transgender hormones and surgeries on youth. Such a law is desperately needed, especially in our state. To see our FPIW article on this topic, click here or on the image below:
• HB 1087 would have criminalized knowingly exposing a child or dependent adult to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Currently, under state law, endangerment with a controlled substance applies primarily to methamphetamine exposure.
• HB 1252 would have made pretrial release for alleged criminals much more difficult for soft-on-crime judges.
• HB 1285 would have required financial education instruction in order for students to graduate.
• HB 1323 would have established that those who intentionally block state highways should face gross misdemeanor charges.
• HB 1426 would have reduced the blood alcohol level for DUI’s in order to uphold safety on our roads.
• HB 1668 would have tracked offenders using modern technology for those serving community custody sentences.
• HB 1923 would have created a “mosquito fleet” of small ferries for walk-on only service. This bill would have helped accommodate the second largest ferry system in the world, responsible for carrying nearly 20 million riders per year.
• SB 5002 would have ended Washington State’s status as an illegal immigration “sanctuary state”.
• SB 5012 would have kept boys out of girl sports. To read FPIW’s article on this issue, click here: “BOYcott: The Battle to Protect Female Sports in Washington State”.
• SB 5050 would have concealed party preferences until the ballot is opened, thereby protecting the secrecy of the vote.
• SB 5420 would have enhanced employment preferences for veterans and military spouses in both public and private sectors.
• SB 5434 would have restricted the Governor’s emergency powers to a maximum of 30 days, unless extended by the Legislature through a concurrent resolution. During Covid, we all recall the saying, “14 days to flatten the curve” — but in Washington State those “14 days” turned into a staggering 975 days — that is 2+ years — of “emergency” invoked by Gov. Jay Inslee. He then imposed a lockdown upon those he deemed “non-essential,” micromanaged religious worship, and implemented mask-and-vax mandates. To learn more about this topic, click here for a video, or click on our FPIW article below:
• SB 5436 would have established new criminal offenses for interfering with access to or disrupting activities at places of worship.
• SB 5552 would have helped those who buy kit homes bypass requirements that can add considerably to the building cost.
The truly Bad News is that these bills did in fact become laws:
• HB 1119 weakens accountability standards for sex offenders under Department of Corrections supervision by loosening the criteria for earning supervision compliance credit.
• HB 1244 eases penalties for repeat traffic offenders and criminals in general. For example, it requires training instead of driver license suspension for repeat traffic offenders.
• HB 1131 is another soft-on-crime bill that mandates the inclusion of individuals for the Clemency and Pardons Board based upon subjective criteria such as “lived experience” or affiliation with specific groups. This will likely compromise the objectivity of such a critical board. The Attorney General’s office and law enforcement groups have rightly raised constitutional and procedural red flags.
• HB 1321 is Gov. Bob Ferguson’s “emergency” legislative act designed to prevent the arrest of illegal immigrants. This Washington state legislative act restricts the entry of out-of-state militias into the state unless the governor provides written authorization or there’s a federal call to service. To learn more on this topic of immigration, click here or on our FPIW article below:
• HB 2051 removes the requirement that hospitals be reimbursed for Medicaid patients who no longer meet inpatient care criteria but have nowhere else to go—through no fault of the hospital or patient.
• HB 2081 is a B&O business tax increase. It increases surcharges on large and high-income businesses, and adjusts caps and deductions to generate more state revenue. The increase in B&O tax rates applies to a wide range of sectors including R&D, insurance agents, broadcasting, cold storage, printing, financial institutions and airplane manufacturings. Such taxes found here, as well as found in other bills, caused major corporations across the state—including Amazon, Costco, Microsoft, the Mariners, and many others who employ tens of thousands of people—to band together and write a stern letter against such excessive, heavy taxation.
• SB 5030 fails to uphold American citizenship and support illegal immigration. It requires public schools to accept a wide array of alternative documents—such as a note from a physician, a family Bible entry, or even a parent affidavit—as valid proof of a child’s age or identity.
• SB 5219 is another soft-on-crime bill. This bill redefines “partial confinement” to allow for up to 18 months of confinement, expanding the definition to include work release, home detention, and electronic monitoring. Additionally, the bill revises definitions and classifications related to criminal offenses, particularly violent and sexual offenses. To learn more about this topic of safety, click here or on our FPIW article below:
• SB 5583 proposes a 38% increase in recreational hunting and fishing license fees. This is an additional financial burden on residents and the increased fees make hunting and fishing less accessible to the public, particularly to low-income or middle-class individuals.
• SB 5632 restricts Washington’s own law enforcement agencies from complying with out-of-state subpoenas and arrest warrants. It also undermines legal accountability and interstate cooperation on legal matters. It may lead to conflicts with federal laws that supersede state policies.
• SB 5794 increases taxes on a wide-range of people including businesses, investors, consumers, and working families without public debate. Some key examples are that it eliminates deductions for interest on real estate loans and precious metals. It also eliminates tax exemptions for credit unions and raises storage rental fees. The bill takes a blunt instrument approach—eliminating incentives that support housing, healthcare, financial inclusion, investment, and global commerce.
• SB 5801 is a gas tax of 6 cents more per gallon. The Washington gas tax is currently 49.4 cents, which is the third-highest in the nation. SB 5801 places another tax burden upon the shoulders of everyday Washingtonians with automatic annual inflation adjustments, making driving even more expensive year after year. This tax especially harms rural residents and working-class commuters who depend on their vehicles. In short, SB 5801 nickel-and-dimes Washington residents and increases the cost of living.
This gas tax was just one of many “small” taxes inside of SB 5801. The Washington State Standard reports: “There’s a bump in the added sales tax for vehicles from 0.3% to 0.5%. There are $3 increases in the fees for titles and registrations. There’s a new 8% tax on the portion of the selling price of vehicles above $100,000. There’s a 10% tax on non-commercial aircraft sales above $500,000. There’s a temporary increase in the rental car tax from 5.9% to 11.9% before moving down to 9.9% in 2027. There’s an increase in the tire replacement fee from $1 to $5. There’s a $1 increase every three years in fees for new IDs and driver’s licenses. And there’s an added charge for ferry riders paying with credit cards, as well as a 50-cent increase to the capital vessel surcharge on each fare.”
As illustrated below, the tax mania extended to other bills, too:
• SB 5813 increases the capital gains and estate taxes. The bill would impose an additional 2.9% tax on long-term capital gains exceeding $1 million, on top of the existing 7% capital gains tax, creating a punitive 9.9% total rate. Moreover, the bill dramatically increases the top marginal estate tax rate to 35%.
• Senate Joint Memorial 8004 is a Universal Health Care (UHC) directive annually promoted by the Democrats. Concerns related to UHC include long wait time to be seen by a specialist, sub-standard quality of care, loss of choice of medical providers, government oversight, unnecessary regulations, spending cuts, and lack of innovation.
VI. The Ugly
“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in session,” the old saying goes. The Ugly News this year includes these bills, which became laws:
• HB 1052 is a hate crimes bill. As it stands now, a person is guilty of a hate crime if they commit an act “because of” their belief about another person’s race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics. The proposed change would modify the phrase “because of” to “in whole or in part because of,” ensuring that jurors can convict if bias is a partial, but not sole, motivation. Sadly, these “perceived offenses” can include a church member speaking about the evils of homosexuality or a teacher refusing to address a student by their preferred pronoun.
• HB 1215 allows women to maintain their previously stated healthcare wishes, even if they become pregnant. Despite completely different DNA, this bill provides no legal rights for a baby inside the womb, regardless of its development stage.
• HB 1217 is a rent control bill. During any 12-month period, the bill limits rent increases to 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower. Furthermore, the bill prohibits rent increases during the first year of rental, regardless of the length or type of lease. Historically, whenever rent control laws have been put into place, housing and rental costs have increased substantially. To learn why rent control hurts renters, click here or on the video below:
• HB 1296 fails to honor parental rights. It puts a wedge between parents and their child by revoking parental access to their own child’s mental and health records. Democratic Senate Majority Leader, who spearheaded this agenda, said: “Kids over 13 have the complete right to make their own decisions about their mental health care. Parents don’t have a right to have notice. They don’t have a right to have consent about that.” This debate made national news. To see the FOX News Special Report on such outrageous comments, click here. Even President Donald Trump issued a social media post about this topic.
To read about the parental rights rally on the steps of the Capitol that FPIW helped sponsor, click here or the image below:
• HB 1434 is the result of dovetailing mass immigration with religious pluralism. It requires Washington state law to officially recognize the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays. This esteemed recognition is a first in the nation. To compare, Easter—arguably the most prominent Christian observance—does not have federal or state holiday status. Furthermore, Christmas, historically celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ, is increasingly referred to as a “Winter Holiday” by schools and federal organizations to avoid offending non-Christians.
• HB 1531 refers to “communicable disease management” and lays the groundwork for more mandates during a “Covid 2.0”. It mandates state power over local authority, and it restricts free speech by requiring public health responses to be guided by what it calls “the best available science.” It will direct your medical care and dictate what vaccines you and your children must take. For good reasons, Washingtonians don’t trust our public health officials at the state or federal level. For a reminder of the Covid mandates we lived through, click here or on the image below:
• HB 1696 is a reparations bill that uses your tax money for “forgivable loans” of up to $120,000 for home purchases. Such loans are for non-whites and non-Asians, or what the bill refers to as “black, indigenous, and people of color”. The bill is a misguided expansion of the Covenant Homeownership Program that raises serious concerns about fairness, fiscal responsibility, and the long-term impact on housing markets.
The story about reparations also made national FOX News. To see a video, click here or on the image below:
• HB 2040 refers to assistance for the aged, blind, and disabled. Originally, the Legislature passed a law in 2023 to end the state’s practice of recouping benefits from low-income individuals who later qualify for federal Supplemental Security Income. This bill would push that relief back by three years, prolonging the hardship on some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
• SB 5041 provides unemployment insurance for striking workers. In fact, it incentivizes going on strike because it would allow workers who become unemployed due to participating in a strike to receive unemployment insurance benefits. For more, click here or on the image below:
• SB 5077 expands voter registration by automatically registering voters via multiple government interactions. The Governor and the Secretary of State collaborate on which agencies will implement “automatic voter registration”. Individuals applying for health benefits will be automatically registered. Colleges may automatically register voters during course registration. The Department of Corrections will facilitate voter registration. Additionally, online voter registration will be expanded to include electronic signatures. This legislation will likely lead to a higher incidence of registering ineligible voters and voter fraud.
• SB 5093 restricts the investigation of suspected infanticide. “Sometimes a baby is born and neglected and dies; I mean it’s horrible stuff,” State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) explained to The Center Square. “The reason the law should stay on the books is it gives prosecutors and cops a tool for investigating these situations where a baby is born and dies and make sure there is no criminality involved.” For more, click here or on the image below:
• SB 5314 expands the reach of the state’s capital gains tax and tightens state control over taxpayers, businesses, and investors. It adds new reporting burdens for brokers, redefines taxable events, and makes it harder for taxpayers to claim valid deductions and credits, ultimately increasing compliance complexity and risk.
• SB 5375 mandates that clergy report child abuse or neglect when it is disclosed to them during confession. It breaks the Seal of Confession and violates the protections given to the Church under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. To read more about this important church-state issue, read our article by clicking here or on the image below:
• SB 5498 mandates that health insurance companies must allow enrollees to obtain a full 12-month supply of contraceptive drugs at once. Sadly, chemical contraception is a toxic, man-made drug that can poison women in many ways: e.g., blood clots, blurred vision, nausea, cramping, irregular menstrual bleeding, weight gain, headaches, breast cancer, strokes, and heart attacks. Hundreds of women have died due to such birth control products. Birth control products also can cause abortions. (To read our FPIW article on this topic, click here.)
VII. Valiant Opposition
Do be encouraged that the House and Senate GOP made valiant efforts to stop the Left-wing onslaught of harmful legislation. On multiple occasions, conservative lawmakers debated into the wee hours of the morning to stand for family values. The debates were lively and on point, and done with professional decorum, despite watching juvenile Democrats curl-up in blankets and sleep, or play with their “support dogs” during Republican floor speeches.
As illustrated below, we need to keep in mind the balance of power in each chamber — the Republicans were certainly a minority.
VIII. Fifteen Previous Brad’s Bulletins
For additional insights along our legislative adventure together, you have access to fifteen previous Brad’s Bulletins here. The Bulletins provided weekly updates and more in-depth details as we witnessed the unfolding drama first-hand in Olympia. Click here or the image below:
IX. Four Major Themes: Life, Crime, Parents, and Taxes
In sum, two bills made national news: HB 1296 on Parental Rights and HB 1696 on Race-Based Reparations. In addition, there were four major, overarching themes that emerged from this Session:
(1) Democrats do not believe that life is sacred. For the third consecutive Session, Democrats pushed legislation to expand assisted suicide. They introduced a bill to place abortion pills on every college campus in Washington State. They determined that the death of babies in the womb or babies that died during delivery are not worth investigating. Democrats do not feel it is necessary to remove young children from the homes of chronic drug abusers and seem to have no issue with children’s exposure to fentanyl and other drugs despite multiple deaths across the state.
(2) Democrats believe that criminals’ rights are more important than victims’ rights. They have gone to great lengths to protect illegal immigrants here in Washington. They have passed laws to make it illegal to cooperate with the federal government and members of ICE attempting to arrest and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. They also have made it easier for them to register to vote and even tried to pass a law that would allow non-citizens to take law enforcement actions against legal citizens. FPIW Action has repeatedly highlighted bills this Session that reduced sentencing for criminals. They could not pass a bill out of committee that would have made it illegal to obstruct highways when protesting. Unbelievably, they did pass a bill that expands “hate crimes”. The bill charges citizens motivated by bias, even if bias was only part of the motive behind them committing the crime.
(3) Democrats believe they are better parents. By purposefully stripping away our parental rights in both the House and Senate, Democrats have once again made it clear that they have the final say over your children’s school curriculum, their medical decisions, their mental health, and their sexual identity, all of which drives a wedge between parents and their children. Liberal lawmakers also have taken a strong stand for boys who want to participate in girl’s sports – even defying presidential executive orders. Thanks to the Democrats efforts this Session, boys can still invade girls bathrooms and locker rooms, even where alternative showers and bathroom facilities are available.
(4) Lastly, Democrats better understand how to spend your hard-earned dollars. As we noted in our recent Brad’s Bulletin, Democrats have introduced a record-setting number of new taxes while increasing the state’s budget to more than $77 billion dollars. Obviously, easing the financial burden on families is not a priority for the tax-and-spend party. The largest tax increases in Washington State history will provide the following: unemployment insurance for striking workers; reparations to “black, indigenous, and people of color” totaling up to $120,000 on a house – even if they cannot provide any proof of previous discrimination; “gender care” and gender mutilation surgeries for prisoners; and fund prosecution of clergy members who don’t report confessions.
The economic attack against families is best summarized by this image from the WA GOP Senate, which illustrates that a family of four will have a $2,000 annual tax increase:
X. Thank You, Defenders
We shall never forget this Legislative Session. With the release of our new app, as well as our redesigned website, our influence has increased substantially. We have been delighted to welcome many thousands of new people onto the Defender Team. This growth has us excited, and we are well-prepared for the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session. Finally, a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who shared this four-month journey with us. We hope it was both informative and positive. We aim to be found faithful to our calling from the Lord to “be on the alert, standing firm in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13a).
Defending the family,
Brad Payne, President
FPIW Action
