Officials sign 51 bills into law, including election-security and voter-registration expansions

At a bill-signing event at the Governor's Office - Boards & Commissions, officials signed 51 previously passed bills into law, highlighting measures on election security, voter registration, social-service overpayments and several regulatory and funding matters.

Officials described Senate Bill 5014 as strengthening election security by expanding the secretary of state's oversight of certain voter-assistance hardware and software and requiring contracted service providers that handle voter databases to disclose security breaches immediately to the secretary of state and the attorney general. Speaker 1 said the bill "will reinforce and strengthen Washington's commitment to fair and secure elections." The signing credited State Senator Matt Behnke as the prime sponsor.

The event also included the signing of Senate Bill 5077, which officials said expands automatic voter registration beyond the Department of Licensing by allowing additional state agencies and participating tribes to enroll eligible residents when those agencies collect name, residential address, date of birth, affirmation of citizenship and signature information. State Senator Javier Valdez was named as the bill's prime sponsor.

Other bills signed at the event included Senate Bill 5079, authorizing the Department of Social and Health Services to waive collection of unintentional overpayments for aging and disabled clients living in poverty; Senate Bill 5127, updating collector vehicle rules to require new applicants to show a separate daily-use vehicle and to maintain liability or collector insurance while driving on public roads; and Senate Bill 5361, which delays implementation of American Society of Addiction Medicine Criteria 4 until Jan. 1, 2028, citing current budget constraints. Several education, pension, and public-benefits bills were also signed.

Speakers repeatedly thanked prime sponsors and agency staff for work on the bills and paused multiple times for photographs with attendees. No legislative votes occurred at the event; the signings formalized measures that had already passed the state legislature.

Officials said the cumulative total at the event reached 51 bills signed into law. The event ended with brief closing remarks and staff direction to move on to the next scheduled business.