SB 6133 expands Washington State's Address Confidentiality Program to include administrative law judges and staff employed by the Office of Administrative Hearings. This bill amends state law to allow these workers to apply for the program if they face threats or harassment, joining existing categories like domestic violence survivors and election officials. Eligible applicants must provide sworn statements about safety concerns and designate the Secretary of State as their agent for mail and legal service. The program protects their actual address by using a confidential mailing address for official purposes, with the Secretary of State forwarding mail and updating vehicle registration records.
HB 2670 increases the maximum jail term for specific assault offenses from 364 days to 365 days. It directly affects individuals convicted of fourth-degree assault where domestic violence is proven or sexual motivation is found, as defined in RCW 9A.36.041. The bill amends sentencing provisions in RCW 9A.20.021 and 9A.36.041 to raise the maximum imprisonment period for these cases. This change applies only to the specified assault circumstances and does not alter the classification of the offense. The bill was referred to the Community Safety Committee after its first reading on January 26, 2026.
HB 2493 expands rights and support for survivors of sexual violence, including those affected by female genital mutilation (FGM), in Washington state. It amends statutes to require courts to appoint representatives for defendants representing themselves in sexual assault cases to question victims, and allows minors aged 13+ to consent to forensic exams for strangulation-related domestic violence. The bill also broadens definitions of sexual assault, mandates trauma-sensitive victim services, and guarantees survivors access to medical exams, advocates, and updates on case progress. These changes directly affect survivors, law enforcement, courts, and community sexual assault programs by embedding victim-centered approaches into legal procedures.
SB 6249 requires Washington's Department of Corrections to supervise individuals convicted of stalking (RCW 9A.46.110) who are sentenced to community custody. This expands existing supervision requirements to include stalking offenders, who were previously not automatically covered under these specific provisions. The bill explicitly adds stalking to the list of offenses mandating department supervision, alongside existing categories like sex offenses and certain domestic violence convictions. This change applies to all stalking convictions regardless of risk assessment, ensuring these individuals receive structured post-sentence supervision. The legislation does not alter supervision standards for other offense types but clarifies that stalking offenders must be supervised under the same framework as other high-risk cases.
HB 2510 requires Washington's Department of Corrections to supervise specific individuals placed on community custody, directly affecting people convicted of certain sex offenses, repeat domestic violence offenses, or high-risk violent crimes. The bill mandates supervision for those convicted of sexual misconduct with minors, communication with minors for immoral purposes, domestic violence felonies with prior offenses, and individuals classified as high-risk to reoffend. It also specifies that supervision applies regardless of risk level for certain cases, such as failure-to-register violations, vehicular homicide, or stalking convictions. The supervision period cannot exceed the legally defined community custody term, with possible reductions for compliance. This bill updates existing statutes to clarify who must be supervised under community custody.
HB 2576 amends Washington State's address confidentiality program to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, and harassment (including election officials, criminal justice workers, and healthcare providers facing threats) keep their real home addresses private. It allows eligible individuals to use a substitute address designated by the Secretary of State instead of their actual address for all official purposes. State agencies must then accept this substitute address for correspondence and public records, preventing disclosure of the participant’s actual location to potential assailants. The bill updates definitions and eligibility criteria to expand protections while ensuring participants can safely access services like property ownership without public address disclosure.
HB 2310 changes sentencing for certain fourth-degree assaults by elevating them to a class C felony when the assault is found to be sexually motivated and the perpetrator has two or more prior convictions for sex offenses within the past decade. It directly affects individuals who commit sexually motivated fourth-degree assaults and have prior adult convictions for offenses like rape, child molestation, or assault with sexual motivation. The bill adds a new provision requiring a "finding of sexual motivation" under existing law (RCW 9.94A.835) to trigger the felony classification, replacing prior domestic violence-based triggers for similar cases. This targets repeat offenders with a history of sex-related crimes, making the sentencing more severe for new sexually motivated assaults in these specific circumstances.
HB 2686 exempts certain divorce petitioners from filing fees and service costs if domestic violence occurred during the marriage. Specifically, it waives all fees for filing a dissolution petition and requires law enforcement to serve the petition at no cost to the petitioner if a domestic violence protection order was issued against the respondent or if the respondent was charged with domestic violence. This applies directly to individuals seeking divorce who have experienced domestic violence, as defined in state law. The bill ensures these petitioners avoid financial barriers to accessing the court system while prioritizing their safety. It does not change existing fee structures for other divorce cases.
SB 6017 creates a new procedure for sexual assault and domestic violence cases where the defendant is representing themselves (pro se). It allows courts or standby counsel to conduct direct questioning of victim witnesses during trial if the court finds the victim would suffer severe trauma from the defendant's presence, the prosecutor prepared the victim, and no less restrictive method exists. The defendant retains the right to submit written questions for the court to ask during this process. The bill requires courts to make specific findings on the record to balance victim protection with the defendant's constitutional rights. This policy change aims to reduce trauma for victims while maintaining fair trial procedures.
HB 1460 enhances the "protection order hope card" program for individuals protected by court orders, such as victims of domestic violence or stalking, and aids law enforcement. It mandates that these cards be in a scannable electronic format, where feasible, containing critical details like the names of protected and restrained individuals, the order's specifics, and crucially, information about any firearm prohibitions and compliance status. The bill allows protected individuals to request a card when the order is first issued or later, without a fee, and ensures the scannable codes can link to a digital record of the entire case history, including firearm relinquishment details. The hope card holds the same legal authority as the underlying protection order, and the program now explicitly includes extreme risk protection orders.
