2025 mid-session report from the Washington Legislature
BY SANJAY WALVEKAR
The 105-day 2025 legislative session began on Jan. 13 and is scheduled to adjourn on April 27. While lawmakers in Olympia will consider a variety of issues, a primary focus will be passing a state budget for the next two years. Legislators are facing a budget deficit of up to $15 billion over the next four years, which will inform discussions on taxes, spending freezes, and policies with fiscal impact to the state.
The WSBA Legislative Affairs team monitors and takes appropriate action on legislative proposals significant to the practice of law and administration of justice. Some of the bills on the Legislative Affairs team’s watchlist during the first month of session include:
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5027
Establishing a loan repayment program for public defense attorneys and prosecutors. This bill authorizes the Washington Student Achievement Council to create a law school loan repayment program for public defenders and prosecutors, subject to qualifying employment obligations. The Bar is monitoring this legislation, which is not likely to advance this year but may be reconsidered next session.
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8006
Concerning the limited license legal technician program. This bill would send a non-binding request to the Washington Supreme Court asking to reinstate the Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT) program, sunsetted in 2020; asking the Supreme Court to expand the LLLT program to include providing assistance at administrative hearings as well as debt collection and eviction proceedings; and asking the Supreme Court to form a work group to study and recommend how LLLTs could help defendants in courts of limited jurisdiction. The Bar is monitoring this legislation, which passed the Senate unanimously and has been referred to the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee as of this writing.
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1171
Exempting attorney higher education employees from certain mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect. This bill clarifies that the mandated reporting requirement for child abuse and neglect should not override the obligation of attorneys to maintain confidentiality of information relating to the representation of a client. This legislation will ensure that faculty, staff, and students working in the law clinics in Washington’s three law schools are able to provide their services to clients in harmony with the ethical obligation in Rule 1.6 of the Rules of Professional Conduct to keep client information confidential. The Bar supports this legislation, which passed the House unanimously and has been referred to the Senate Human Services Committee as of this writing.
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1620/SENATE BILL 5575
Concerning limitations in parenting plans. This legislation amends provisions governing limitations a court may impose in a parenting plan on residential time with a child, decision-making authority, and dispute resolution by reorganizing language and making revisions and additions to substantive provisions. The Family Law Section is monitoring the House version of this bill, which has been referred to the House Rules Committee as of this writing.
SENATE BILL 5087
Establishing legal education programs at community and technical colleges. This bill creates a program to establish certified paralegal education programs east of the Cascade Mountains and requires certain community and technical colleges to offer a prelaw associates degree if funding is provided. The Bar is monitoring this legislation, which is not likely to advance this year but may be reconsidered next session.
SENATE BILL 5006
Making updates to Washington’s corporation acts. Originating from the Business Law Section’s Corporate Act Revision Committee, this bill modifies the composition, powers, and limitations of corporate and nonprofit board committees. The legislation also clarifies issuance of shares procedures, rights of former holders of shares exchanged in share exchanges, dissenters’ rights during a conversion of a corporation, and voting thresholds in corporate dissolutions. This bill is sponsored by the Bar for the 2025 legislative session. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and has been referred to the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee as of this writing.
SENATE BILL 5404/SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1592
Concerning public defense services. This legislation creates a 50/50 split between the state and counties for funding current public defense services levels, with the state required to pay for increased costs related to proposed caseload standards going forward. These bills also require counties to use funding to improve the public defense system or services proven to improve outcomes and prevent crime (such as behavioral health, diversion, reentry, and incarceration alternatives) and create a statewide system of coordination and data sharing between the Office of Public Defense and counties to ensure consistent and effective representation. The Bar supports these bills, which are not likely to advance this year but may be reconsidered next session.
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1207
Concerning superior court clerk fees. This bill creates an additional $80 surcharge for certain filing fees collected by clerks of superior courts and allocates the surcharge to accounts supporting public defense spending, court interpretive services, and the state archives. The Bar is monitoring this legislation, which is in the Appropriations Committee as of this writing.
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1909
Establishing the court unification task force. This bill creates a task force to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current Washington state court system, including the review of the structure, policies, practices, and procedures of the state courts, and identify areas where a more unified or centralized approach to court operations may improve consistency and efficiency in the delivery of court/judicial services. The Bar supports this legislation, which is not likely to advance this year but may be considered next session.
The next major legislative cutoff date is March 12, by which all bills advancing this session must pass their house of origin. We will continue to provide updates during the session on NWSidebar and other WSBA communication channels. As the session progresses, the WSBA will continue to monitor and take action on legislation significant to the practice of law and administration of justice.
About the author
Sanjay Walvekar is the WSBA legislative affairs manager. He joined the WSBA staff in 2017, after several years working in local and statewide politics. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Washington. He can be reached at: