Concerning statutory establishment of the governor's office of Indian affairs.
SB 6034 creates a new cabinet-level office within the governor's administration called the Office of Indian Affairs. This office directly affects federally recognized tribes in Washington, state agencies, and tribal organizations by establishing formal processes for government-to-government collaboration. Key provisions require the office to advise state agencies on tribal relations, mandate training for state leaders on tribal engagement, coordinate annual meetings with tribal nations, and develop accessible training for all state employees. The office must submit annual reports detailing its activities, funding, and progress toward strengthening state-tribal partnerships. It operates independently from state funds, allowing it to accept private gifts for tribal engagement events.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 8, 2026
Signed Mar 30, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Substitute Bill
→
Substitute Passed Legislature
·
1 edit
MINOR
The bill was formally certified as passed by both the Senate and House for the 2026 legislative session. A key substantive change requires Senate consent for the appointment of the executive director of the Office of Indian Affairs, adding a check-and-balance to the governor's hiring power.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding the appointment process for the Office of Indian Affairs was expanded to include Senate confirmation.
REQUIREMENT
The appointment of the executive director of the Office of Indian Affairs by the governor now requires the consent of the Senate.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026 · House Mar 4, 2026
How they voted
51–0
Passed
Total votes 51
Mar 10, 2026
D
Democratic31
100% Yea
R
Republican20
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
33
Key actions
16
Committee
12
Mar 30, 2026
Signed into law
Governor signed.
executive
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Speaker signed.
lower
Mar 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
President signed.
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed final passage; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House amendments.
upper
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
lower
Mar 4, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (97-0-3)
house
Mar 2, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by State Government & Tribal Relations.
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Committee
Referred to Appropriations.
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
SGOV - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 1:30 PM.
lower
Feb 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 8:00 AM.
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections at 10:30 AM.
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections at 1:30 PM.
upper
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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