Criminal Justice (Probation & Parole)

HB 2654 sets new conditions for courts approving conditional release (to less restrictive settings like community supervision) for individuals previously committed to secure facilities. It requires courts to mandate electronic monitoring with real-time tracking and a minimum half-mile residential distance from schools, child care, and recreational facilities. The bill also establishes "fair share principles" to prevent disproportionate concentration of released individuals in specific counties, requiring the Department of Corrections to document placement decisions and justify releases outside a person's county of commitment. These changes apply to individuals under conditional release under Washington’s mental health and sex offender commitment laws.

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.