Focus areas for the 2026 Legislative session were decided by the Commission's Legislative Priorities Committee. The Commission is actively tracking and monitoring legislation that impacts 2SLGBTQIA+ Washingtonians. The following are focus areas identified by our commissioners:
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Data & Privacy
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Education
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Healthcare
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Housing
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Justice
Please Note: Legislation listed here does not reflect the WA State LGBTQ Commission's support or opposition to any legislation. This is for educational purposes only.
- Priority Legislation
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Legislation categorized as priority includes bills that the Commission has been informed about and engaged with prior to/during the legislative session or directly pertain to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Washington. These are presented in no particular order.
- SHB 1129: Concerning health plan coverage of fertility-related services.
- Current Status:
- HB 1262: Updating the governor's interagency coordinating council on health disparities.
- Current Status:
- Companion Bill: SB 5228
- HB 1072: Preserving access to protected health care services.
- Current Status:
- HB 1129/SB 5121: Concerning health plan coverage of fertility-related services.
- Current Status:
- HB 1604/SB 5490: Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law.
- Current Status:
- HB 2145: Protecting patient access to discounted medications and health care services through Washington's health care safety net by preventing manufacturer limitations on the 340B drug pricing program.
- Current Status:
- SB 5179: Establishing a complaint process to address willful noncompliance with certain state education laws.
- Current Status:
- SB 5497: Concerning compliance with siting, development permit processes and standards, and requirements for permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, or indoor emergency shelters.
- Current Status:
- SB 5497: Concerning compliance with siting, development permit processes and standards, and requirements for permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, or indoor emergency shelters.
- Current Status:
- SB 5177: Considering the experiences of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups when identifying professional development resources on certain topics.
- Current Status:
- HB 1316: Expanding the scope of programs for postsecondary students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth.
- Current Status:
- HB 1404/ SB 5352: Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools.
- Current Status:
- HB 1855/SB 5123: Expanding protections for certain students to promote inclusivity in public schools.
- Current Status:
- HB 1195/SB 5497: Concerning compliance with siting, development permit processes and standards, and requirements for permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, or indoor emergency shelters.
- Current Status:
- HB 1085/SB 5272: Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties.
- Current Status:
- SB 5940: Creating a housing assistance pilot program for youth enrolled in extended foster care.
- Current Status: January 14th - Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 8:00 AM in anticipation of other legislative action. (Committee materials)
- SB 5955: Concerning the medicaid deprivatization act.
- SB 6049: Protecting student and employee information from public disclosure.
- Current Status: January 12 - First reading, referred to State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections. (View original bill)
- SHB 1129: Concerning health plan coverage of fertility-related services.
- Anti-2SLGBTQIA+ Legislation
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The Commission remains vigilant in tracking and responding to anti-LGBTQ legislation that poses a threat to the rights, safety, and well-being of LGBTQ individuals and communities.
None of the following bills made it past the first policy committee cutoff.
HB 1027: Concerning housing of inmates in state correctional facilities.
- Current Status:
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Are you looking to get involved this legislative session? Wanting to learn how to testify on bills that matter to you, or how to keep track of everything happening?
Look no further! The Washington State LGBTQ Commission has created a Legislative Toolkit full of helpful resources to understand all sorts of different ways to engage, so you can find what works best for you. We hope you find this is a helpful document if you are new or returning to session!
Click this link to Download the 2026 LGBTQ Commission Legislative Toolkit!
In addition to reaching out to your state legislators (which you should absolutely do!), you are always welcome to reach out to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov to share your feedback on legislation. It is very helpful for us to hear your thoughts so that we can best advise the Governor and the Legislature on what is most important to our community. Please reference the bill number in the subject line of the email.
Interested in following along with the Commission's priorities this session? Make sure you are following our social media pages for timely updates on legislation progress and more information on legislative session! Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn
