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Bills

Get the latest information about bills and learn how to interact with them through our website.

About bills

A bill is a proposed law presented to the Legislature for consideration.

Each bill number is associated with that bill for one legislative biennium. A legislative biennium is a two-year period that begins with the legislative session in odd-numbered years. Bills that affect state spending are applied to the state fiscal biennium, which runs from July 1 of odd-numbered years to June 30, two years later.

There are different types of bills, which can have different versions and abbreviations as they progress through the legislative process. See Help with bills on this page for more information.

Find a bill

The Legislature puts out many bill reports and types of bill lists. Use the quick search if you know the number of the bill or initiative. Otherwise, choose from the basic or advanced bill searches below.

Find a bill or initiative

Search by bill number or initiative number or see initiatives and referenda.

Common ways to search for bills

The easiest way to find a bill is by using one of the methods below.

Prefiled bills
Retrieve a report of the bills that have been prefiled in the House and Senate for the current biennium.
House introductions (latest)
The latest list of bills to be introduced in the House today or the next session day.
House introductions (all)
A list of all House introduction reports for the current biennium.
Senate introductions (latest)
The latest list of bills to be introduced in the Senate today or the next session day.
Senate introductions (all)
A list of all Senate introduction reports for the current biennium.
Bills by topic
Find bills by subject as organized in the Topical Index prepared by the Code Reviser's Office.
Bills by sponsor
Find bills by the primary or secondary sponsor.
Initiatives and referenda
A list of initiatives and referenda in the current biennium and links to the text of them.

Advanced ways to search for bills

Detailed reports are more advanced ways to look up bills. These reports are for people who are familiar with the lawmaking process.

Detailed legislative reports
View reports about bills in many different and specific ways.
Standing committee reports
Find bills that committees have reported to the House of Representatives and Senate.
Bill/RCW/Session Law cross reference
See how bills have changed the text of state laws.
Floor activity
See what's happening on the floor of the House and Senate during legislative sessions.
Document search
Look up a specific legislative document or types of legislative documents.

Track bills

There are several ways to track bills to suit your needs as bills progress through the legislative process.

Selected bill tracking
Selected Bill Tracking allows you to track bills as they move through the lawmaking process. Learn how to create an account and use its main features.
Email notifications
Subscribe to bills, committees, and schedules to receive updates as they happen.
RSS feeds
How to track a bill with RSS, a modern web technology.
Web services
Web Services allow agencies, interest groups, and the general public to obtain real-time legislative information for their in-house applications.
How to track a bill
Selected Bill Tracking allows you to track bills as they move through the lawmaking process. Learn how to create an account and use its main features.

Interact with bills

Learn how to take part in the lawmaking process by sharing your opinion on a bill.

How to comment on a bill
You’re welcome to share your opinion on bills we’re considering. Learn how to send comments about bills to your legislators.
How to testify at a committee meeting
At committee meetings, you can share your thoughts on bills and current issues in Washington. Anyone can testify; you don't need training. See how to testify remotely, in person, and in writing.