Bill to create emergency notification system for public officials receives support, operational questions from Secretary of State

Senate Bill 5,853, introduced by Senator Jeff Wilson, would require the Secretary of State, with the Military Department’s assistance, to establish a statewide emergency public-official notification system. The system would allow enrolled public officials to be notified promptly when a confirmed targeted threat to an official is reported to 911; notifications would omit personal information of the 911 caller and system records would be exempt from public inspection.

Senator Wilson described the bill as a non-privilege heads-up communication tool and framed the measure as a public-safety response to threats faced by public officials. "We shouldn't have to hear a bill like this," he said, urging that the measure is not a privilege for electeds but a practical safety measure for those who serve.

Representatives of the Secretary of State—Brian Hatfield (legislative director) and Sean Merchant (policy director)—testified that while the office is not opposed to the overall concept, it has operational concerns. Merchant said the Secretary of State’s office would prefer working with the Military Department, which already has systems that perform similar functions, and cautioned about adding notification data into VoteWA or other voter-registration systems. The Secretary of State’s staff offered to collaborate on amendments to address technical and data-location concerns.

Committee members asked a range of procedural questions; the vice chair reported 192 pro sign-ins and no cons on the bill. The hearing closed and the committee adjourned for the day.