2026 Session Wrap: Washington

H.B. 2089: Supporting Wildfire Mitigation – Enacted

Sponsors: Scott, Springer, Parshley, Ryu, Simmons, Berry, Street, Thomas, Ormsby, Obras, Reeves, Macri, Fosse, Hill, Pollet, Salahuddin

The Wildfire Alleviation Support Act aims to restore and secure funding for Washington State’s wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. The bill revises the business and occupation tax deduction for mortgage interest to exclude large, high-volume lenders, which would generate new revenue dedicated annually to Washington’s wildfire response and resilience efforts.

Key points include the restoration of dedicated funding for wildfire preparedness and resilience, the alignment of tax policy with legislative intent to support local lenders rather than large financial institutions, and the direct linkage of new tax revenue to wildfire mitigation efforts. The bill also addresses concerns about the environmental impact of large financial institutions, particularly those operating data centers on deforested land, which may exacerbate climate change and wildfire risks.

H.B. 2104: Concerning Aviation Assurance Funding in Response to Wildland Fires – Enacted

Sponsors: Dent, Springer, Ryu, Engell, Low, Simmons, Richards, Barnard, Keaton, Reed, Dye, Ree ves, Shavers, McClintock, Thai, Graham

Makes permanent a pilot program to provide funding and support for local and tribal fire departments in Washington State to access aviation resources for wildland fire suppression. This support includes continued funding for the use of aviation resources and ensures that local fire departments have the financial capacity to deploy aircraft as needed during the fire season, under the direction of trained air operations commanders.

S.B. 6054: Concerning Unreasonable Restrictions on Wildfire Home Hardening Practices in Common Interest Communities – Awaiting Executive Decision

Sponsors: Hunt, Orwall, Shewmake

The bill prohibits homeowners’ associations, condominiums, and other similar entities from banning the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials. The materials must comply with applicable health and safety standards and state or local permitting requirements. Associations may establish reasonable rules regarding the design, dimensions, placement, or exterior appearance of such materials, however rules cannot make their use infeasible, prohibit their use, or significantly increase their cost.

The bill applies retroactively, voiding any existing governing document provisions that conflict with these new requirements as of the effective date of the act. The definition of ‘fire-hardened building materials’ is standardized to include materials meeting the latest International Wildland Urban Interface Code, NFPA 1140 standards, or the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) requirements. The provisions expire January 1, 2028.

S.B. 6355: Concerning the Electric Transmission System – Awaiting Executive Decision

Sponsors: Hunt, Kauffman, Chapman, Conway, Dhingra, Pedersen, Saldaña, Shewmake, Stanford

Establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority (WETA), tasked with improving the reliability, capacity, and resilience of the state’s electric transmission system to support Washington’s clean energy and decarbonization goals. WETA will coordinate the development, siting, and permitting of new transmission projects, prioritize partnerships with utilities and developers, and support nonwire alternatives and advanced technologies to reduce wildfire risk and environmental impacts. The authority is governed by a 10- member board representing diverse expertise, including utilities, clean energy, land use, labor, finance, conservation, and tribal interests, with specific requirements for board composition and operations.