2026 Legislative Priorities
For more bill information, visit the Washington State Legislature website.
Building a Budget that Reflects Washington's Values
Washington requires a budget that truly represents the values of its residents. A well-crafted budget should be stable and prioritize the investments that our communities depend on for their continued well-being.
Investing in Education and Essential Services
To maintain a thriving society, it is crucial to fully fund K-12 and higher education, as well as safeguard the essential services that families across Washington rely on. These investments are the foundation of strong communities and provide the support necessary for future generations.
The Importance of Stable Funding
Repeated cuts to core state functions are not a viable solution for the long term. Such reductions compromise the effectiveness and reliability of programs and services that are central to the quality of life in Washington.
Addressing Tax Structure Through Reform
Washington must pursue meaningful tax reform to address the regressive nature of its current tax structure. Creating a fair and equitable system will help ensure that the state has the resources needed to fund vital programs and services, while also promoting equity among its residents.
2026 Legislative Policy Priorities
- Ensure housing affordability
- Expand economic opportunity and small business support
- Support education and workforce development
- Advance public health equity and behavioral health services
- Protect immigrant and refugee communities
- Fund community safety and violence prevention & intervention programs
- Advance environmental justice and climate resilience
- Protect Voters & Voting Rights
- Support Apple Health expansion
BUSINESS, LABOR, and WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
SB 6068 Concerning workers’ wages and benefits in the construction industry. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 6067 Concerning workers’ compensation benefits. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 6053 Establishing labor protections for domestic workers (Senator Saldaña)
SB 6045 Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining. (Senator Saldaña)
SB 5852 Concerning immigrant worker protections. (Senator Saldanña)
SB 5847 Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation (Senator Saldaña)
SB 5023 Providing labor market protections for domestic workers. (Senator Saldaña)
HB 2479 Concerning the recovery of unpaid wages. (Representative Fosse)
HB 2411 Modifying shared leave provisions to authorize shared leave for victims of a hate crime and those whose absence is due to immigration enforcement actions against the employee or the employee’s relative. (Representative Salahuddin)
HB 2409 Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining. (Representative Mena)
HB 2218 Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 2191 Concerning workers wages and benefits in the construction industry. (Representative Cortes)
HB 2183 Requiring counties to develop & implement heat response plans. (Representative Parshley)
HB 1773 & SB 5626 Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. (Representative Cortes)
HB 1764 Concerning labor standards. (Representative Mena)
HB 1682 Concerning part-time workers in the unemployment insurance system. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
CHILDREN, YOUTH, and FAMILIES
SB 6078 Providing prelicensing supports to individuals interested in becoming a licensed child care provider. (Senator Slatter)
SB 5488 & HB 1711 Strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care of the Department of Children, Youth and Families. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 5296 & HB 1322 Improving outcomes for individuals adjudicated of juvenile offenses by increasing opportunities for community placement options and refining procedural requirements. (Senator Wilson)
SB 5062 & HB 1128 Establishing a childcare workforce standards board. (Senator Stafford)
HB 2660 Authorizing the court to order certain conditions during child welfare shelter care hearings. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 2497 Addressing the rise in maltreatment-related child fatalities or near fatalities by supporting families that have received a child welfare response.(Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 2484 Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs. (Representative Rule)
HB 2219 Enhancing the operational efficiency of child care providers. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 1660 Reporting information related to racial disproportionality in child welfare. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT and GOVERNMENT
SB 6089 Increasing coordination and alignment throughout the P20W system. (Senator Slatter)
SB 5973 & HB 2259 Protecting the integrity of the state initiative and referendum process by requiring a demonstration of support before issuance of a ballot measure title and authorizing citizen actions for certain signature gatherer compensation violations. (Senator Valdez)
SB 5892 Concerning protection of the voter registration database. (Senator Riccelli and Senator Valdez)
SB 5861 Encouraging community representation in education. (Senator Cortes)
HB 2475 Concerning language accessible public programs, activities, and services conducted, operated, or administered by state agencies. (Representative Ortiz-Self and Representative Mena)
HB 2190 & SB 5944 Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. (Representative Cortes)
HB 1710 Concerning compliance with the Washington Voting Rights Act of 2018. (Representative Mena)
HB 1503 Furthering digital equity and opportunity. (Representative Gregerson)
EDUCATION
SB 5992 & HB 2584 Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs. (Senator Krishnadasan)
SB 5861 Encouraging community representation in education. (Senator Cortes)
SB 5860 Concerning school board compensation.(Senator Cortes)
SB 5666 Establishing a public school-based mental health internship grant program. (Senator Slatter)
SB 5574 Providing instruction on Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history in public schools. (Senator Nobles)
SB 5007 Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating from high school. (Senator Braun)
HB 2341 & SB 6130 Celebrating national voter registration day. (Representative Simmons)
HB 1683 Adjusting school director districts (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 1547 Establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health. (Representative Santos)
HB 1208 & SB 5358 Concerning career and technical education in sixth grade(Representative Shavers)
HB 1143 Concerning Washington college grant award amounts. (Representative Mena)
HB 1036 Adding labor trustees to college boards. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 1035 Creating policies and resources to address secondary traumatic stress in the higher education workforce.(Representative Ortiz-Self)
ENVIRONMENT and NATURAL RESOURCES
SB 5652 Reducing environmental and health disparities and improving the health of Washington state residents in large port districts. (Senator Orwall)
HB 2373 Requiring electric utilities to provide monthly bill assistance as part of their obligation to offer energy assistance to law-income households. (Representative Mena)
HB 2215 Concerning climate commitment act compliance obligations for fuels supplied or otherwise sold into Washington. (Representative Fitzgibbon)
HB 1903 Establishing a statewide low-income energy assistance program. (Rep Mena) HB 1607 & SB 5502 Concerning recycling and waste reduction (Representative Stonier)
HB 1303 Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. (Representative Mena)
Healthcare
SB 5500 Defining the cost of quality child care for the biennial. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 5946 Expanding the income eligibility for the medical assistance program. (Senator Hasegawa)
SB 5273 Concerning the availability of community violence prevention and intervention services.(Senator Orwall)
SB 5242 Establishing an interactive screening program to improve access to behavioral health resources for health care providers. (Senator Orwall)
SB 5233 & HB 1445 Developing the Washington health trust.(Senator Hasegawa)
HB 5251 Protecting emergency responders and emergency response operations in Washington. (Representative Parshley)
HB 2283 Establishing a medical loss ratio of at least 90 percent for health plans. (Representative Rule)
HB 1482 Assuring equity in health coverage. (Representative Thai)
HB 1326 HB 1326 Concerning the diabetes prevention and obesity treatment act. (Representative Thai)
HB 1262 Updating the governor’s interagency coordinating council on health disparities. (Representative Santos)
HOUSING
SB 6028 Establishing a revolving loan fund for mixed-income affordable homeownership development. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 6026 Concerning residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones. (Senator Alvarado)
SB 5508 Concerning the child welfare housing assistance program. (Senator Krishnadasan)
SB 5082 /HB 1429 Creating a housing assistance program for youth enrolled in extended foster care. (Senator Wilson)
HB 2265 Protecting tenants from periods of extreme heat. (Representative Mena)
HB 1263 Updating eligible uses for the essential needs and housing support program. (Representative Cortes)
IMMIGRATION
SB 6286 Concerning the state’s ability to fine private detention facilities that deny entry to the Department of Health for an inspection. (Senator VOrwall)
SB 5906 Establishing data and personal safety protections within areas of public accommodation for all Washington residents. (Senator Hansen)
SB 5855 Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. (Senator Valdez)
HB 2648 Concerning state and local law enforcement interactions with federal immigration enforcement officials. (Representative Fosse)
HB 2597 Concerning remedies for violations of federal constitutional rights occurring during immigration enforcement. (Representative Thai)
HB 2464 Concerning reporting requirements and law enforcement responses for incidents at private detention facilities. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 2312 Authorizing shared leave for absences resulting from immigration enforcement actions. (Representative Salahuddin)
HB 2105 Concerning immigrant worker protections. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
PUBLIC SAFETY
SB 6314 Concerning the regulation of firearm manufacturing. (Senator Valdez)
SB 6080 Concerning contracts between the United States and county and municipal jails for committing or confining individuals in federal custody.(Senator Cleveland)
SB 6002 Concerning driver privacy protections. (Senator Trudeau)
SB 5925 Allows the attorney general to issue civil investigative demands to produce documents and answer questions when investigating possible violations of the United States Constitution. (Senator Hansen)
SB 5364 Modernizing, harmonizing, and clarifying laws concerning sheriffs, chiefs, marshals, and police matrons. (Senator Lovick)
SB 5098 Restricting the possession of weapons on the premises of state or local public buildings, parks or playground facilities where children are likely to be present, and county fairs and county fair facilities. (Senator Valdez)
SB 5066 Concerning law enforcement and local corrections agency misconduct through investigations and legal actions. (Senator Hansen)
HB 2464 Concerning reporting requirements and law enforcement responses for incidents at private detention facilities. (Representative Ortiz-Self)
HB 2165 Concerning false identification as a peace officer. (Representative Obras)
HB 1740 Expanding the office of independent investigations to include prosecutions of criminal conduct. (Representative Stonier)