HB 2526 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning prostitution.

HB 2526 redefines "patronizing a person for prostitution" as a crime targeting individuals who pay for sexual activity, with penalties escalating based on prior offenses (gross misdemeanor for first offense, class C felony for two or more prior convictions after April 1, 2026). It imposes mandatory fees on convicted individuals or those entering reduced charges/diversion agreements: $3,000 for first offenses, $5,000 for one prior offense, and $10,000 for two or more prior offenses. Ninety-eight percent of these fees must fund community-based survivor-led services like mental health counseling, housing, and job training, while 2% goes to the Department of Commerce for reporting. The bill also requires courts to establish payment plans for those unable to pay in full and prohibits fee waivers without documented inability to pay.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2026 Last action Feb 4, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to revert the charge name from 'commercial sexual exploitation' back to 'patronizing a person for prostitution' and significantly increased the financial penalties for repeat offenders. The substitute bill also redefines 'sexual conduct' to strictly mean sexual intercourse or contact, removes the requirement for a public health system approach, and shifts the majority of fee revenue to survivor-led organizations instead of general county funds.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed by removing the broad definition of 'commercial sexual exploitation' and specific focus on vulnerable populations, while tightening the definition of prohibited conduct to only include sexual intercourse or contact.

DEFINITION

The definition of the crime was changed from 'commercial sexual exploitation' to 'patronizing a person for prostitution', and 'sexual conduct' was redefined to exclude non-contact acts.

FISCAL

Fee amounts were increased for repeat offenders (up to $10,000 for two or more prior convictions), and the allocation of revenue was changed to require 98% go to survivor-led organizations instead of being split between prevention and general county funds.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to establish a public health system and support services for victims was removed from the legislative intent.

ENFORCEMENT

The penalty structure was modified to allow a gross misdemeanor charge that automatically becomes a class C felony only after two or more convictions occurring after April 1, 2026.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Community Safety at 4:00 PM.

lower

Jan 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Community Safety at 8:00 AM.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Community Safety at 4:00 PM.

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors