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WashingtonSB 51432025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Concerning the ethics in public service act.

Sponsored By: Chris Gildon (Republican)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

11 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 5 costs, 3 mixed.

Officials get higher gift reporting thresholds

The law raises gift limits from $50 to $100 per source each calendar year and for one gift from multiple sources. Listed exceptions do not count; family or guest gifts count unless the donor has an independent business, family, or social relationship. Officials may accept infrequent meals tied to official duties and must report them when one occasion exceeds $100, up from $50. Lobbyists must list specified hospitality payments to officials when they exceed $100, rather than $50, in monthly reports. Beginning January 1, 2026, financial-affairs filers must list qualifying meals over $100, including the date, donor, and amount.

Older legislative ethics cases lose jurisdiction

The law removes the Legislative Ethics Board’s specified authority over certain alleged violations from before January 1, 1995. This applies only to allegations that fell within the jurisdiction of earlier boards established under chapter 44.60 RCW.

Legislative workers gain explicit harassment protections

The law treats harassment by legislators and legislative employees as covered by the ethics rule against securing special privileges. This includes conduct that interferes with work or creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive workplace. Sexual harassment is also covered.

Agency decision-makers face tighter gift limits

Officials handling agency regulatory or contracting matters may accept only listed items from regulated people or potential suppliers. Allowed categories include nominal-value items, information, hosted receptions, and qualifying evaluation samples. Payments for specified official-event or speech expenses, educational programs, and flowers or plants are no longer permitted from these sources. Recipients of evaluation items must have no interest in the agency’s later use or purchase of the item.

Ethics violators face added investigation costs

People found to violate the ethics law can owe reasonable investigation costs on top of civil penalties. Those costs do not count toward the penalty limit or reduce the penalty owed. The penalty remains up to $5,000 per violation or three times the value received or sought, whichever is greater. Ethics boards can order costs after a hearing and violation finding; the attorney general can seek them in court.

Officials cannot take gifts for influence

State officers and employees cannot accept or seek gifts reasonably expected to influence an official vote, action, or judgment. They also cannot take gifts that could be considered rewards for official action or inaction. The law repeals the separate section titled “Gifts” while retaining gift restrictions elsewhere in the act. It also repeals the separate ethics exemption for solicitations to promote tourism.

Research workers lose some ethics exceptions

Spokane intercollegiate research and technology institute officers and employees lose two higher-education ethics exceptions. They can no longer use those exceptions for service in specified outside groups or advisory bodies. They also lose the exception for specified government or nonprofit pay tied to performing or omitting official duties. University administrative processes cannot replace the state gift requirement for faculty and university research employees.

State workers face tighter outside-pay rules

State officers and employees must meet all six requirements to receive value from an outside contract or grant. The work must be real, actually performed, legal, and outside their official duties or supervision. It cannot involve a banned gift source, an arrangement they officially created or authorized, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Following the separate state-transaction rule is no longer an alternative. After a noncompetitive state award, the ethics board must advise that the arrangement does not conflict with official duties.

Lawmakers gain resource options, face website limits

Work reasonably linked to legislative duties counts as official work and qualifies for specified state-resource exceptions. Statewide elected officials and legislators may make minimal, incidental use of public facilities to prepare or deliver allowed communications. Candidate legislators’ official websites generally cannot change from the start of candidate filing through general-election certification, except during special sessions or for office contact updates. During that period, other official legislative websites cannot refer directly or indirectly to ballot measures or legislators running for office. Legislators who announce retirement and do not file by the deadline are not treated as candidates.

State officials face revised ownership limits

Beginning July 27, 2025, the law excludes ownership below 10% from its financial-interest rules. Pooled investments, such as mutual funds, are also excluded when owners have no management powers. Covered officials cannot hold prohibited contract interests or accept compensation from someone holding such an interest. For two years after leaving, former officials cannot hold covered interests in contracts or grants they helped authorize or fund. These rules no longer expressly refer to direct or indirect interests.

State workers get revised gift exceptions

A gift is anything of economic value given without anything in return; listed exclusions include qualifying official-event and education expenses. Family or friend gifts are excluded only when there is no reasonable doubt they were not meant to influence an agency. Items returned to the donor or donated to charity within 30 days are excluded, as are legislative employee gift cards worth $25 or less. Unsolicited gifts from legislators to legislative employees are presumed acceptable without the annual limit, but the facts can overturn that presumption. Gifts solicited to promote tourism are no longer a listed exception.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Chris Gildon

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Jamie Pedersen

    Democratic • Senate

  • T'wina Nobles

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 299 • No: 85

Senate vote • 4/24/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the House

Yes: 45 • No: 1 • Other: 2

House vote • 4/23/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the House

Yes: 58 • No: 39 • Other: 1

House vote • 4/15/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the House

Yes: 78 • No: 18 • Other: 2

House vote • 4/15/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the House on Reconsideration

Yes: 70 • No: 26 • Other: 2

Senate vote • 3/10/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 48 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 7/27/2025*.

    5/20/2025Senate

  2. Chapter 377, 2025 Laws.

    5/20/2025Senate

  3. Governor signed.

    5/20/2025legislature

  4. Delivered to Governor.

    4/27/2025legislature

  5. Speaker signed.

    4/26/2025legislature

  6. President signed.

    4/25/2025legislature

  7. Passed final passage; yeas, 45; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    4/24/2025Senate

  8. Senate concurred in House amendments.

    4/24/2025House

  9. Third reading, passed; yeas, 58; nays, 39; absent, 0; excused, 1.

    4/23/2025Senate

  10. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/23/2025Senate

  11. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    4/23/2025Senate

  12. Returned to second reading for amendment.

    4/23/2025Senate

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

    4/17/2025House

  14. Third reading, passed; yeas, 78; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    4/15/2025Senate

  15. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/15/2025Senate

  16. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    4/15/2025Senate

  17. Third reading, passed; yeas, 70; nays, 26; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    4/15/2025Senate

  18. Vote on third reading will be reconsidered.

    4/15/2025Senate

  19. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.

    4/10/2025Senate

  20. Referred to Rules 2 Review.

    3/31/2025Senate

  21. SGOV - Majority; do pass.

    3/28/2025Senate

  22. SGOV - Executive action taken by committee.

    3/28/2025Senate

  23. First reading, referred to State Government & Tribal Relations.

    3/12/2025Senate

  24. Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    3/10/2025Senate

  25. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/10/2025Senate

Bill Text

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