Criminal Justice

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 6084: Clarifying the prohibition on voting more than once in an election.

SB 6084 clarifies that intentionally voting more than once in the same election - whether in Washington state or across state lines on the same election date - is a felony offense. It directly affects voters who attempt to cast ballots in multiple jurisdictions on the same day, regardless of ballot content or office. The bill defines "same election" strictly by date, not by ballot issues, and specifies that voters may still cast ballots in both a general election and a special election held on the same day. This amendment corrects a court interpretation to prevent confusion ahead of the 2026 elections.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by defining multiple voting in one election as a felony, matching OPPOSE indicator of 'expands criminalization'.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5992: Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs.

SB 5992 creates a state-funded account to support youth development programs for Washington youth aged 5-24, prioritizing underserved communities. The fund, financed by public and private contributions, will provide grants to nonprofits, tribal organizations, parks departments, and community partners to offer after-school programs, mentorship, career navigation, and culturally relevant activities. It requires equitable geographic distribution of funds and prioritizes youth facing systemic barriers, including those in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or from low-income backgrounds. Grants must be reported annually on program impacts, with tribal consultation required for projects affecting Native communities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state-funded account for youth development programs, increasing public service funding through state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds youth development programs targeting underserved communities to prevent criminal justice involvement, aligning with recidivism reduction and reform goals.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state-funded account for youth development programs prioritizing underserved communities, expanding access to after-school/career programs and enhancing educational equity through grants to community partners.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5873: Concerning escorted leaves of absence for incarcerated individuals.

This bill expands eligibility for escorted leaves of absence for incarcerated individuals in Washington state. It allows incarcerated people to leave prison with supervision for specific reasons, including attending funerals or visiting seriously ill extended family (like grandchildren, aunts, uncles, or domestic partners), participating in athletic events, receiving medical care not available in prison, or joining nonviolent offender community service programs. The bill also requires reimbursement for leave costs from the incarcerated person or their family unless they are indigent, and prohibits leaving the state during these leaves. These changes apply to all state correctional facilities and modify existing state law to clarify permitted activities and financial responsibilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands supervised leave for incarcerated individuals for family, medical, and community service, promoting rehabilitation and reintegration within corrections system.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly permits incarcerated individuals to access medical care unavailable in prison, improving healthcare access for a vulnerable population.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5890: Addressing reckless driving in cases involving excessive speed.

Washington's SB 5890 amends reckless driving laws to define driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit as reckless driving. It requires drivers convicted of reckless driving (from speeding violations) with prior offenses to install ignition interlock devices on all vehicles they operate. The bill also mandates a 150-day probation period after license suspension, during which drivers must use a functioning intelligent speed assistance device, with violations treated as traffic infractions. The changes take effect September 1, 2026, and expire January 1, 2029.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates ignition interlocks and probation for repeat speeding offenses, increasing penalties and expanding criminalization of traffic violations.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAmends reckless driving laws to enhance road safety through stricter speed enforcement and mandatory safety devices for repeat offenders.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5268: Classifying unlawful possession of a firearm as a violent offense.

SB 5268 amends state law concerning community custody terms for offenders. This bill mandates that individuals convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm will be sentenced to a period of community custody in addition to other penalties. Initially, this community custody term is set at one year. Beginning January 1, 2026, offenders sentenced to over one year imprisonment for unlawful firearm possession will receive an eighteen-month community custody term. This change directly impacts individuals convicted of these firearm offenses by adding a mandatory post-release supervision component to their sentence.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases mandatory community custody for firearm possession, expanding criminalization and harsher sentencing per bill's explicit amendments.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5436: Interfering with access to a place of religious worship.

Senate Bill 5436 makes it unlawful to willfully or recklessly interfere with access to or from a place of religious worship, or to disrupt religious services in Washington state. Prohibited actions include physically obstructing passage, trespassing, repeatedly contacting the place of worship, or threatening harm to its attendees or property. A violation of this act is classified as a gross misdemeanor. The bill also allows individuals or religious organizations whose access or services are disrupted to seek civil damages and injunctive relief to prevent further interference.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offense (interfering with religious worship) classified as gross misdemeanor, expanding criminalization. No alignment with criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5109: Concerning the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account.

Senate Bill 5109 increases the fee collected when a deed of trust, a common real estate document, is recorded. The bill raises this fee from one dollar to five dollars, directly affecting those who record such documents. Funds collected, minus a small portion for county administration, are deposited into the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account. These funds are specifically designated to support criminal prosecution of fraudulent activities within the mortgage lending process. Additionally, the bill removes the previous expiration date, making both the fee and the prosecution account permanent.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill designates funds to criminal prosecution of mortgage fraud, directly funding enforcement within criminal justice system.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

signed · Washington · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 1604: Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law.

HB 1604 requires Washington state local jails to create policies for searching transgender and intersex individuals confined there, ensuring compliance with federal law. It prohibits searches solely to determine genital status, mandates staff training for respectful searches, and gives individuals options for who conducts searches (e.g., a medical professional, staff of their preferred gender, or staff matching their gender identity). Jails must implement these policies by September 1, 2025, and cross-gender searches are only allowed in true emergencies threatening facility security. The bill directly affects transgender and intersex people in local jails and modifies existing search procedures under state law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires respectful search policies for transgender/intersex jail inmates, protecting civil rights in corrections - directly aligns with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

passed · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 5238: Addressing reckless driving in cases involving excessive speed.

This bill expands the definition of reckless driving in Washington state to include intentionally driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. This change means that drivers found guilty of this specific act would face the existing penalties for reckless driving. These penalties include a gross misdemeanor charge, potential imprisonment for up to 364 days, fines up to $5,000, and a license suspension of at least 30 days. The new provisions are scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization of speeding by defining >30 mph over limit as reckless driving, imposing gross misdemeanor penalties (jail, fines, license suspension). This increases punitive measures, opposing reform trends.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationExpands reckless driving penalties to enhance road safety, directly strengthening transportation safety standards through stricter enforcement of speed limits.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 5490: Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law.

Senate Bill 5490 establishes specific guidelines for local jails in Washington State regarding the search of transgender and intersex individuals. It requires jail administrators to develop policies and procedures that comply with federal law and prohibits searches conducted solely for determining an individual's genital status. The bill mandates training for security staff on conducting respectful and least intrusive searches of these individuals. For strip searches, it offers options such as searches by a medical professional, female staff, or staff chosen by the individual, or in accordance with their stated gender identity. It also ensures privacy during daily activities and limits cross-gender searches to only exigent circumstances.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits searches solely for genital status in jails, mandates respectful procedures per federal law, and protects civil rights for transgender/intersex individuals in corrections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track