Adoptions

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The purpose of this rule is to update chapter 468-100 WAC based on recent updates to federal regulations and updates to chapter 8.26 RCW made in the 2025 legislative session here in Washington state. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a final (new) rule in the Federal Register, amending the government-wide Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policy Act (Uniform Act) regulations. The Uniform Ac

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule-making project combines regulatory changes required by passage of SSB 5076 during the 2025 legislative session and administrative rule changes proposed by the department of fish and wildlife (department). SSB 5076 authorizes the conversion of Puget Sound commercial shrimp trawl licenses to the newly created Puget Sound commercial nonspot shrimp pot license. The legislation also establishes provisions related to: Harvest all

Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2026. Purpose: The health care authority (agency) amended chapter 182-70 WAC to remove use of the term "proprietary financial information" and to add the provision that the agency may act as the lead organization to coordinate and manage the all payer health care claims database. These amendments are intended to comply with changes to the enabling legislation (chapter 43.371 RCW) made during the 2025 legislative session (chapter 305, Laws of 2025 (EHB 1382)). The

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The health care authority is making a few corrections to the scope of coverage table to align it with current program rules and policies. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 182-501-0060. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 41.05.021 and 41.05.160 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-08-037 on March 25, 2026. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Feder

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The Washington state liquor and cannabis board (board) is amending three rule sections of chapter 314-02 WAC for implementation of EHB 1602 (chapter 141, Laws of 2025). These amendments are regarding expanded contract food service options for domestic breweries and microbreweries that apply for beer and wine restaurant or spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses. EHB 1602 allows for domestic breweries or microbreweries to subcontr

Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing. Other Findings Required by Other Provisions of Law as Precondition to Adoption or Effectiveness of Rule: The repeal of these rules is required for consistency with a court order. RCW 34.05.380 (3)(a) allows for these rules to become effective immediately upon filing. Purpose: This rule making repeals three rules consistent with the decision in Wash. Rest. Ass'n. v. Wash. State Liquor & Cannabis Bd. (board), 448 P.3d 140 (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). The

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The office of superintendent of public instruction is adopting rule making, based on SSB 5072 passed by the Washington state legislature in 2023, concerning universal screening to identify students needing highly capable services, including focusing on equitable identification of low-income and underserved students. The adopted rule making clarifies identification of students who require service in a single content domain (math or re

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: To update the student conduct code in accordance with the 2020 final rule Title IX regulations and the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act. We are vacating the 2024 Title IX final rule regulations, removing sexual harassment procedures from the code, and implementing a new section outlined for supplemental procedures for non-Title IX sexual misconduct. This revision also updates outdated language and makes adjustments to other prohibited

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The department of social and health services (DSHS) is amending WAC 388-01-170 to incorporate a change in the law that occurred as a result of HB [SHB] 1308, which went into effect July 27, 2025. Specifically, this WAC change reflects the fact that DSHS must now treat requests from current employees for their personnel files as requests under the Public Records Act. The amendment is required and clarifies how DSHS must comply with th

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: To create a brief adjudicative proceeding for jurisdictions to appeal certain determinations made by the department of commerce concerning the Growth Management Act. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 365-199-100. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 36.70A.190 (4)(b), 36.70A.639 , 36.70A.638 (6), and 34.05.482 (1)(c). Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-05-065 on February 17, 2026. Number of Sections Adopted in Orde

Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2026. Purpose: The purpose of this rule making is to adopt 6.51 percent fee increases to the department of labor and industries' public safety program rules for contractor registration, electrical, elevator, factory assembled structures, and plumbers. This is the office of financial management's maximum allowable fiscal growth factor rate for fiscal year 2027. The fee increases are needed to support operating expenses for program services, as current fee levels ar

Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2026. Purpose: This adoption updates a conversion factor provided in WAC 296-20-135 and maximum daily fees provided in WAC 296-23-220 and 296-23-230 for certain professional health care services for injured workers. Rule changes are necessary to maintain current overall fees for health care services, which are published annually in the medical aid rules and fee schedules. These updates revise the resource based relative value scale (RBRVS) conversion factor, the a

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule making amends and clarifies existing provisions to improve consistency, accuracy, and administrative efficiency. Redundant definitions have been removed where they already existed in statute, and new definitions have been added to support claim eligibility and wildlife conflict procedures. Outdated or irrelevant language unrelated to claims has been eliminated, and the rules were streamlined and reformatted to make them eas

Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2026. Purpose: The department of social and health services (department) is adopting amendments to WAC 388-478-0015 Need standards for cash assistance. These amendments are necessary per RCW 74.04.770 , which requires the department to annually update standards of need using an existing, broadly used national standard. These amendments reflect this required update using the University of Washington Center for Women's Welfare Self-Sufficiency Standard. Citation of

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: The health care authority is amending the mobile rapid response crisis team endorsement standards chapter to include rules related to funding, application submission periods, training requirements, and new provider types. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 182-140-0010, 182-140-0020, 182-140-0030, 182-140-0050, 182-140-0060, 182-140-0070, 182-140-0080, 182-140-0090, 182-140-0100, 182-140-0110, 182-140-0120, and 182-140-0130. Stat

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Dental hygienist and dental assistant usage of silver diamine fluoride in school-based and school-linked programs and the requirement of participation in regional health coalition meetings. The department of health (department), in consultation with the dental quality assurance commission and dental hygiene examining committee, is adopting amendments to WAC 246-814-020 Practices authorized, by adding clarifying language around the us

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: Section 5.07: The registration program fees, like the other fee programs of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (agency) (operating permit, notice of construction, and asbestos), are designed to recover the costs of implementing and administering the program. The last significant changes to the registration program fee schedule in Regulation I, Section 5.07 were made in 2025, and before that in 2024 and 2023. The agency reviews the registration program

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: Section 7.07: The operating permit program fees, like the other fee programs of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (agency) (registration, notice of construction, and asbestos), are designed to recover the costs of implementing and administering the program. Changes to the operating permit fee schedule in Regulation I, Section 7.07 were made in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, recognizing the cumulative effects of inflation. Prior to these actions, the las

Effective Date of Rule: April 28, 2026. Other Findings Required by Other Provisions of Law as Precondition to Adoption or Effectiveness of Rule: This rule implements chapter 112, Laws of 2025, which went into effect on July 27, 2025. Because the law is already in effect, the department of retirement systems is putting this rule into effect one business day after filing. Purpose: Rule making to implement chapter 112, Laws of 2025, which allows members of law enforcement officers' and firefighters

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule-making order amends chapter 16-350 WAC, Registration and certification of fruit tree planting stock, by: • Updating the definitions to include terms like G1, G2, G3, and G4, which describe different levels of propagation material based on their viral cleanliness and origin (e.g., G1 being original virus-free material, G2 propagated from G1, etc.). • Implementing new requirements for virus testing and indexing. Registered G2

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule change clarifies that hunter education instructors can purchase a second deer tag when drawn for a hunter education incentive deer permit. This incentive deer combined license is discounted by $40 to match the discount provided to master hunter second tags. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-220-080. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.04.012 , 77.05.[0]55, 77.08.030 , 77.08.045 , 77.12.047 , 77

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The health care authority (agency) amended these rules because the payments for outlier enhancements have exceeded the budget-neutral amount calculated during the 2021 hospital rebasing period. An increase in the outlier threshold from $40,000 to $45,000 allows the state to bring payments more in line with the budget-neutral total calculated in 2021. Additionally, the agency removed subsection (4) of WAC 182-550-3700 because the exam

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The department of licensing is updating references to hearing examiners, after they were renamed to law judges in July 2025, and making corrections to language, including grammar and using more inclusive pronouns. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 308-101-020 Hearings examiners, 308-101-040 Eligibility for hearing, 308-101-080 Requests for hearing, 308-101-100 Place of hearing, 308-101-120 Continuances, 308-101-1

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Streamlining the process that the department of retirement systems (DRS) uses to manage requests for employer information used to obtain information from employers for DRS to calculate member benefits. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 415-117-060. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 41.50.050 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-06-061 on February 25, 2026. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Feder

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The financial business services division is creating and amending sections within chapter 110-50 WAC, Child welfare: Licensed caregivers third party liability program, WAC 110-50-0090 through 110-50-0095; and caregiver reimbursement program for property damage and emergency medical expenses, WAC 110-50-1000 through 110-50-1095. The changes are to correct the address for submitting reimbursement forms, allow for reimbursement to unlic

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The purpose of this rule making is to implement SSB 5408 and SSB 5501, passed by the legislature in 2025. SSB 5408 and SSB 5501 clarified and strengthened employee protections under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA, chapter 49.58 RCW). The laws became effective on July 27, 2025. SSB 5408 updates wage and salary disclosure requirements and SSB 5501 establishes restrictions on when an employer can require a valid driver's lice

Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2026. Purpose: The department of labor and industries (L&I) is adopting amendments to the contractor registration rules to implement a new homeowner recovery program. The program provides a safeguard and a path to financial recovery for consumers harmed by registered construction contractors. In 2023, the legislature passed 2SHB 1534 (chapter 213, Laws of 2023), concerning strengthening protections for consumers in the construction industry. The legislation direct

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: ESSB 5291 (chapter 380, Laws of 2025) was signed into law on May 20, 2025. The bill created a new chapter 48.212 RCW concerning supplemental long-term care insurance. Supplemental long-term care insurance is a new product designed to provide coverage once WA Cares benefits under chapter 50B.04 RCW have been exhausted. The office of the insurance commissioner (OIC) added new chapter 284-212 WAC (WSR 26-05-001) to implement the new law

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: The department of labor and industries (L&I) is adopting amendments to chapter 296-155 WAC, Safety standards for construction work, Part N, Excavation, trenching, and shoring, to require employers to complete a written work plan detailing appropriate risk analysis prior to beginning any work that requires a protective system. Despite the existing requirement for employers to "ensure prompt and safe removal of injured employees from elevated work loc

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: This rule-making order amends chapter 16-233 WAC, Worker protection standard, by updating WAC 16-233-016, 16-233-111, and 16-233-301 to meet the new minimum standards made to 40 C.F.R. 170 in 2024 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in rule-making docket no. EPA-HQ-OPP2022-0133 and harmonizing the emergency eye wash rules with already existing department of labor and industries eye wash rules found in WAC 296-307-03930. Citation of

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Reference for sources of radionuclide emissions, adopting national standards in WAC 246-247-035. The department of health adopted an update to the federal rule publication date to conform to United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-247-035. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 70A.388.040 and 70A.388.050 (5). Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-06-084 on

Effective Date of Rule: August 1, 2026. Purpose: Washington State University (university) is updating the rules regarding standards of conduct for students, chapter 504-26 WAC. The university administration's updates to this rule are as follows: (1) Broadens the list of acceptable academic and appeals hearing board members; (2) updates requirements, parties' rights, and processes for hearings; (3) clarifies processes for full adjudications and brief adjudications; (4) aligns harassment and hazin

Effective Date of Rule: June 1, 2026. Purpose: The purpose of this adoption is to update chapter 296-307 WAC, Safety standards for agriculture, Part I, Worker protection standard, due to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule that became effective on December 3, 2024. EPA made updates related to application exclusion zones (AEZ), and included changes related to spraying pesticides in enclosed spaces, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, and other housek

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The final rule preserves health insurance affordability for certain consumers who buy qualified health plans through the health benefit exchange, which is a part of Washington state's individual health insurance market. The final rule intends to mitigate decreases in the state's uninsured rate that appear to have begun, and are likely to continue, as the result of recent federal policy changes, including expiration of enhanced premiu

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The child welfare division and licensing division are updating the definition of "abuse or neglect" in WAC 110-30-0020 and other related rules to align with the revised definition of "abuse or neglect" in RCW 26.44.020 . RCW 26.44.020 now defines "abuse or neglect" to include "sex trafficking" and "severe forms of trafficking in persons," which went into effect on July 1, 2025, per SB [2SSB] 6006, and "female genital mutilation," per

Effective Date of Rule: June 5, 2026. Purpose: The child welfare division, child protective services program is revising the existing rule to clarify information and to align with current practice of how the department of children, youth, and families (department) employees respond to reports of abuse or neglect. Proposed changes include clarifying timelines for child protective services employees to make initial contact with children and youth and completing an investigation or alternate respon

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule establishes procedures for the transfer of right of way to local agencies for highway use. It formalizes the process that the Washington state department of transportation (WSDOT) uses with local agencies for the transfer of such property. RCW 47.12.080 provides that the secretary of transportation may transfer and convey WSDOT right of way to local agencies when the transfer and conveyance is consistent with public interes

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule making implements ESHB 1533, chapter 240, Laws of 2025, codified as RCW 49.04.305 . The new law allows single-employer general journey level (01) electrical apprenticeship programs to use apprentices to perform work under their valid specialty electrician certificate without changing the apprentice's status in the (01) electrical program, with some restrictions. To use the exemption, the employer must meet certain requireme

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Clarifying how the department of retirement systems (DRS) calculates retirement benefits for members who retire, go back to work for a DRS-covered employer, and then retire again later. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 415-104-111, 415-108-830, 415-110-830, and 415-112-544. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 41.50.050 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-05-079 on February 17, 2026. Changes Other than Editi

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Pursuant to RCW 67.70.040 (1)(b), the lottery commission (commission) must set "the price, or prices, of tickets or shares in the lottery." Since 2015, WAC 315-10-025 has set the price range for scratch tickets as not less than $1 and not more than $30. The commission has determined the maximum ticket price should be raised to $50. In addition, an unnecessary word should be deleted because the director has authority to offer promotio

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: This rule-making order amends chapter 16-390 WAC, Fruit and vegetable inspection fees and other charges, by modifying the regular business hours of the program and removing references to the previous fee schedule from the chapter for clarity. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 16-390-005, 16-390-025, and 16-390-030. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 15.17.030 , [15.17].140, and [15.17].150. Adopted under notic

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The amendments to WAC 434-235-020 clarify existing federal and state laws for procedure when a service or overseas voter does not supply a form of identification when registering to vote and requesting a ballot. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 434-235-020. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 29A.04.611 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-06-073 on February 27, 2026. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to C

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Deletion of chapter 132H-204 WAC, Motor vehicles, due to outdated content. No comments were received after filing the CR-105. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 132H-204-010, 132H-204-020, 132H-204-030, 132H-204-040, 132H-204-050, 132H-204-060, 132H-204-070, 132H-204-080, 132H-204-090, 132H-204-100, 132H-204-110, 132H-204-120, 132H-204-130, 132H-204-140, 132H-204-150, 132H-204-160, and 132H-204-170. Statutory Aut

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Adoption of changes to chapter 132H-126 WAC, Student conduct code, also known as Policy 2050, for Bellevue College due to federal administration updates. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 132H-126-010, 132H-126-030, 132H-126-040, 132H-126-100, 132H-126-110, 132H-126-115, 132H-126-120, 132H-126-130, 132H-126-160, 132H-126-200, 132H-126-210, 132H-126-300, 132H-126-310, 132H-126-320, 132H-126-330, 132H-126-340, 132H

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The purpose of these rule changes is to adjust, maintain, or establish recreational hunting seasons, including updates to special hunt rules for elk, deer, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and moose. This project also adjusts rules on elk general license costs, raffle and auction hunt procedures, possession of dead wildlife, game management unit boundaries, and multi-season deer and elk tags. The rule project supports the department of

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: The health care authority (HCA) is updating the definition of substance use disorder professional in WAC 182-546-0125 to match the definition recently codified in WAC 182-538D-0200. This will help ensure consistency across HCA rule chapters. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 182-546-0125. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 41.05.021 and 41.05.160 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-04-014 on January 22, 202

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: Clarifying how dual member benefits are calculated when one retirement system permits the use of out-of-state service or accrued sick leave to qualify for benefits, while the other does not. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 415-113-059. Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 41.50.050 . Adopted under notice filed as WSR 26-05-077 on February 17, 2026. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Sta