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WashingtonHB 12322025-2026 Regular SessionHouse

Concerning private detention facilities.

Sponsored By: Lillian Ortiz-Self (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.

Free meals and nutrition standards in detention

Beginning May 12, 2025, covered facilities must serve at least three free meals daily at regular times. No more than 15 hours can pass between dinner and breakfast unless a nutritious snack is provided. Meals must meet nutrition standards adjusted for age, sex, and activity unless medically inappropriate; medical diets require written orders. Facilities must provide fresh fruits, vegetables, nourishing snacks, and adequate eating time, with dietary staff present during meals. A designated manager must oversee food services 24 hours a day, with safe handling, advance menus, and nutritionally equivalent substitutions.

Nonprofit detention operators must follow standards

Beginning May 12, 2025, Washington’s private detention rules cover qualifying nonprofit operators, not just for-profit operators. Covered facilities hold people under contracts or agreements with federal, state, or local governments. The Department of Health must adopt minimum standards. The act includes a funding condition: the omnibus appropriations act must provide funding naming this act by June 30, 2025. Without that funding, the act is null and void; Section 8 takes effect immediately.

Penalties help enforce detention safety standards

Beginning May 12, 2025, the Department of Health can require corrections, training, or department-approved consultants at covered facilities. Enforcement applies after prior action or a deficiency notice for the same or similar violation, or a missed correction deadline. Fines can reach $10,000 per violation, with a $1 million total cap; rules must tie amounts to severity. Facilities can appeal, and fine money can fund only facility training or technical assistance. The Attorney General can enforce violations independently or in response to complaints.

Private calls and visits in detention

Beginning May 12, 2025, covered facilities must make phones readily available for confidential incoming and outgoing calls. Each floor holding detained people must have an accessible, free emergency phone or similar device. Facilities must also provide visiting areas that protect privacy for detained people and their visitors.

Safer conditions for people in detention

Beginning May 12, 2025, covered facilities must provide disability access, adequate lighting, and hot and cold running water. Water systems must prevent backflow and automatically limit hot water to 120°F. Facilities must follow written cleaning and maintenance procedures, provide floor-level housekeeping facilities, and safely dispose of waste. They must run infection-control programs and visibly post policies protecting rights and explaining how to report abuse or neglect. Enough qualified staff, documented training, and monthly fire and disaster drills are required; the law also bans solitary confinement.

Unannounced detention inspections and public reports

Beginning May 12, 2025, the Department of Health can inspect covered facilities anytime and must investigate complaints. It must conduct routine unannounced health inspections, review food lists, and test water and air inside and outside every six months. Inspection results must appear online and where detained people and visitors can see them, with translations when practicable. Deficiency reports, correction plans, enforcement actions, and resolutions must be public as resources allow; local health agencies can handle food-safety inspections. Labor and Industries must conduct routine unannounced workplace inspections, including work done by detained people.

Detained people lose several service guarantees

Beginning May 12, 2025, the law removes the guarantee of 60 minutes of free telecommunications daily and daily in-person visits. It removes requirements for new clothing and footwear, reasonably priced commissary food, and free televisions, radios, computers, and internet. Requirements for a law library, primary-language communications, and specified responses to sexual-violence complaints are also removed. The repeal also covers periodic mental-health evaluations, free therapy, requested medical care, specified sleeping-room features, and emergency-preparedness measures. This removes the listed legal guarantees, without establishing that facilities stop providing every service.

Some detention facilities remain outside protections

Beginning May 12, 2025, exemptions cover facilities providing specified counseling, treatment, mental-health, education, or medical services to juveniles. These include qualifying services under Washington’s juvenile-care law and similar federal law. Government contractors owned and operated by federally recognized tribes are also exempt. Other exemptions cover specified civil detention and forensic services, public-health isolation or quarantine, work release, extraordinary medical placements, and residential substance-use treatment. These facilities are outside the listed private detention requirements.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Lillian Ortiz-Self

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Alex Ramel

    Democratic • House

  • Darya Farivar

    Democratic • House

  • Jake Fey

    Democratic • House

  • Julia Reed

    Democratic • House

  • Lisa Callan

    Democratic • House

  • Mari Leavitt

    Democratic • House

  • Mary Fosse

    Democratic • House

  • Mia Gregerson

    Democratic • House

  • Natasha Hill

    Democratic • House

  • Nicole Macri

    Democratic • House

  • Sharlett Mena

    Democratic • House

  • Sharon Wylie

    Democratic • House

  • Strom Peterson

    Democratic • House

  • Tarra Simmons

    Democratic • House

  • Timm Ormsby

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 115 • No: 76

Senate vote • 4/23/2025

Final Passage without Senate Amendments

Yes: 29 • No: 19

Senate vote • 4/14/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 30 • No: 19

House vote • 3/7/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 56 • No: 38 • Other: 4

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 5/12/2025.

    5/12/2025House

  2. Chapter 235, 2025 Laws.

    5/12/2025House

  3. Governor signed.

    5/12/2025legislature

  4. Delivered to Governor.

    4/25/2025legislature

  5. President signed.

    4/24/2025legislature

  6. Speaker signed.

    4/23/2025legislature

  7. Passed final passage; yeas, 29; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    4/23/2025House

  8. Senate receded from amendments.

    4/23/2025Senate

  9. House refuses to concur in Senate amendments. Asks Senate to recede from amendments.

    4/21/2025House

  10. Third reading, passed; yeas, 30; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    4/14/2025House

  11. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/14/2025House

  12. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    4/14/2025House

  13. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

    4/9/2025House

  14. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

    4/8/2025House

  15. Minority; do not pass.

    4/7/2025House

  16. WM - Majority; do pass.

    4/7/2025House

  17. Referred to Ways & Means.

    4/1/2025House

  18. And refer to Ways & Means.

    3/31/2025House

  19. Minority; do not pass.

    3/31/2025House

  20. HS - Majority; do pass.

    3/31/2025House

  21. First reading, referred to Human Services.

    3/11/2025House

  22. Third reading, passed; yeas, 56; nays, 38; absent, 0; excused, 4.

    3/7/2025House

  23. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/7/2025House

  24. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    3/7/2025House

  25. 2nd substitute bill substituted.

    3/7/2025House

Bill Text

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