Veterans

signed · Washington · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 2420: Increasing small works roster contract limits.

HB 2420 increases the dollar limit for state and local government contracts using simplified "small works roster" procedures, which allow direct contracting without full competitive bidding for minor construction projects. It phases in higher limits starting at $350,000 (through 2026) and rising to $650,000 by 2030. The bill also requires state agencies and local governments to prioritize contracting with small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses when the project cost is under $150,000, while documenting annual efforts to meet this goal. These changes apply to construction, renovation, or repair work on real property valued under the new thresholds.

Topics ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly requires prioritizing veteran-owned businesses in state contracts, supporting veteran employment opportunities as per legislative language.95% confidence

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 6316: Creating a homestead exemption for seniors, persons retired due to disability, and veterans with disabilities.

SB 6316 creates a property tax exemption for seniors (61+), disabled retirees, and veterans with a 40%+ VA disability rating. It exempts $150,000 of a home's assessed value from property taxes for households with combined income under $65,000, applying to taxes levied starting in 2027. To qualify, applicants must live in the home as their primary residence, meet income limits, and file annual renewal forms by June 30. The exemption is in addition to existing homestead exemptions and requires renewal every six years. This directly affects eligible homeowners by reducing their annual property tax burden.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax relief for low-to-moderate income seniors/disabled veterans ($65k income cap), reducing tax burden on targeted groups per fiscal relief indicators.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax relief for low-income seniors/disabled veterans, reducing housing costs and increasing affordability for vulnerable homeowners within income limits.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExempts veterans with 40%+ VA disability from property taxes on $150k home value, directly expanding benefits for veterans with disabilities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Taxes Tags Seniors

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 2324: Concerning tuition waivers for children of eligible veterans.

HB 2324 creates a mandatory tuition and fee waiver for children of veterans who died or became totally disabled in active federal military service, as well as for their surviving spouses or domestic partners. To qualify, recipients must be Washington domiciliaries aged 17-26 (for children) or Washington residents (for survivors), with survivors having up to 10 years to use benefits. The waiver covers all tuition and fees (including a $500 annual stipend for textbooks), but is limited to 250 quarter credits per recipient and requires satisfactory academic progress. This policy directly affects dependents of veterans meeting specific service criteria, such as combat deployment or service-connected disability, as defined by federal standards.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandatory tuition waiver requires state funding for veterans' families, increasing public education spending under state budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waiver and textbook stipend for veterans' families, expanding higher education access and funding for eligible students.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransCreates mandatory tuition waiver + textbook stipend for veterans' dependents (children/survivors), directly expanding educational benefits for families of eligible veterans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Military Families Veteran Education Veteran Healthcare

Track

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 6035: Ensuring access to voting services for military, overseas, Native American, and disabled voters.

Washington State's SB 6035 requires counties to hold regular meetings with tribal nations to plan voting centers and ballot drop boxes on reservations, ensuring military, overseas, disabled, and tribal voters on reservations have accessible voting options. It mandates annual meetings between the secretary of state and tribal nations to address voting barriers like registration tools and ballot delivery. The bill also establishes a secure electronic ballot return system for those specific voter groups, requiring strict cybersecurity testing and an auditable paper trail, with implementation targeted for 2031. These provisions aim to improve voting access for four distinct groups facing unique logistical challenges.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyEstablishes secure electronic ballot return system for voting access, directly enhancing cybersecurity measures for voter services.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill ensures voting access for military voters, directly supporting veterans' service participation and accessibility as part of its core provisions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Cybersecurity Tags Elections

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 6162: Concerning property tax reform.

SB 6162 expands Washington’s senior property tax relief program to help older residents and veterans with lower incomes. It directly affects seniors aged 61+ (or disabled retirees), veterans with 40%+ VA disability ratings, and surviving spouses aged 57+ who meet income thresholds. The bill provides tiered tax relief: full exemption from all property taxes for those below income threshold 3, and partial exemptions (covering up to 80% of home value) for those between thresholds 1 and 2. Key changes include simplifying eligibility rules, allowing income adjustments for events like spouse death or Social Security COLAs, and locking in lower property valuations for qualifying homeowners.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands property tax relief for seniors/veterans with lower incomes, reducing their tax burden via tiered exemptions per bill's summary.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExpands property tax relief for seniors/veterans with lower incomes, reducing housing costs and advancing affordability for vulnerable groups.92% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly includes veterans with 40%+ VA disability ratings in expanded property tax relief program, providing tiered tax exemptions as a direct benefit.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes Tags Seniors

in committee · Washington · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 2376: Concerning property tax reform.

HB 2376 expands property tax relief for eligible seniors, disabled retirees, and veterans by creating tiered exemptions based on income. It directly affects Washington residents aged 61+ (or disabled retirees/veterans with 80%+ service-connected disability), who qualify for full or partial exemptions on property taxes if their combined income falls below specific thresholds. Key provisions include: full exemption from excess taxes and state/local taxes for those below income threshold 3; exemptions covering 45% of home value (up to $200,000) for threshold 2; and 80% coverage (up to $500,000) for threshold 1. The bill also establishes rules for valuing homes using 1995 values or requalification assessments, and allows exemptions to transfer to new residences under specific conditions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands property tax relief for seniors/disabled/veterans with low income via tiered exemptions, directly reducing tax burden on lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax relief for seniors/veterans, reducing housing costs for eligible homeowners and increasing affordability without restricting housing policies.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly provides property tax relief exemptions for veterans with 80%+ service-connected disability, expanding their financial benefits under tiered income-based exemptions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes Veteran Healthcare

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5986: Providing a property tax exemption for qualifying housing used as a residency by tenants meeting certain disability criteria.

SB 5986 would create a $50,000 property tax exemption per qualifying tenant for owners of single-family homes or multi-family residential properties. To qualify, tenants must receive Social Security disability payments or be veterans with a 40%+ VA disability rating, and have lived in the housing for at least nine months that year. Property owners must apply with the county assessor and pass at least 80% of the tax savings to tenants through reduced rent payments in the same year. The exemption applies only to properties where the tax savings directly lower tenant costs, not to the property owner’s overall tax burden.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption (reducing tax burden) for qualifying tenants with disabilities, requiring 80% tax savings passed to tenants via rent reduction, aligning with tax relief for lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates tax incentive for landlords to provide affordable housing to disabled/veteran tenants via mandatory rent reductions, directly advancing affordable housing access for vulnerable populations.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly includes veterans with 40%+ VA disability rating as qualifying tenants for property tax exemption, reducing housing costs for this group.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Taxes Renters Tenant Rights Tags People with Disabilities

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 13, 2026

HB 2450: Maintaining food assistance for certain individuals affected by federal eligibility requirements.

HB 2450 creates a Washington state food assistance program to replace federal SNAP benefits for specific vulnerable groups disqualified due to federal work requirements. It directly affects seniors (55+), foster youth (age 24 or younger who were in foster care at 18), veterans, homeless individuals, and families with children under 18. The bill allows the state to mirror federal SNAP rules but exempts these groups from work requirements, limits state benefits to the remaining federal work requirement period, and permits using the federal coupon system or state vouchers. This policy change ensures continued food assistance for those losing federal eligibility due to federal policy changes.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExempts vulnerable groups from federal work requirements for SNAP benefits, ensuring continued access to food assistance without employment barriers, aligning with expanded worker benefits.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly lists veterans as a beneficiary group exempt from work requirements for state food assistance, expanding their access to benefits.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HJM 4012: Supporting combat-injured veterans.

HJM 4012 is a Washington State House Joint Memorial urging Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102), which would amend federal law to extend "full concurrent receipt" benefits to combat-injured veterans regardless of their years of service. Currently, veterans with less than 20 years of service who are medically retired due to combat injuries receive less federal disability compensation than those with 20+ years, creating inequity. The memorial requests Congress schedule a vote on H.R. 2102 to resolve this disparity and fulfill the nation's obligation to all combat-injured veterans. This is a procedural request to the federal government, not a state law.

Topics ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill seeks to extend full disability benefits to combat-injured veterans with <20 years service, correcting an inequity in federal compensation per the Major Richard Star Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Memorials & Recognition Veteran Benefits Veteran Healthcare

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 2135: Modifying and extending the adaptive housing retail sales and use tax preference for disabled veterans.

HB 2135 extends and modifies a tax exemption for disabled veterans who use federal grants to adapt their homes. It raises the maximum tax refund per project from $2,500 to $5,000 and increases the annual state funding cap from $125,000 to $250,000, with future adjustments tied to Seattle-area inflation starting in 2028. The bill applies exclusively to veterans who received U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grants for specially adapted housing or special housing adaptations. It expires on January 1, 2039, and requires the state to track usage to ensure funds stay within annual limits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax refund cap for disabled veterans, expanding tax relief and raising state funding for the program, aligning with tax relief and funding indicators.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill doubles tax refund cap for disabled veterans' home adaptations and increases annual funding, directly expanding financial benefits tied to VA grants.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Tax Incentives Veteran Housing

Track