2025-2026 Legistlative Scorecard

Washington Conservation Action’s Legislative Scorecard is a non-partisan tool that shows whether your state legislators voted for clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment for all. Since 1992, Washington Conservation Action has provided a biannual Legislative Scorecard, a trusted guide for voters of how state legislators acted on environmental and public health issues. We hope the Legislative Scorecard will help inform the public and legislative leadership as to the importance of these issues to the State of Washington. The Scorecard is a trusted resource for information on where legislators stood on important environmental priorities.

The 2025-26 legislative cycle was a time of transition. Governor Bob Ferguson was sworn into office. A new Commissioner of Public Lands took the helm at the Department of Natural Resources. Significant turnover in the legislature meant that many elected officials were serving in the House or Senate for the first time. Each of these transitions presents new opportunities and challenges for environmental progress.

In 2025, the legislature passed bold legislation to reform the recycling systems. This victory was the result of nearly a decade of work. Other bills passed by the legislature during the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions were modest steps forward. Some priorities passed unanimously (Sewage Spill Right-to-Know Act, protecting the public from lead in cookware). The legislature took steps to improve basic government processes around clean energy (respecting confidentiality for consultation discussions with Tribes when considering a clean energy project, creating a transmission upgrades authority). The following scorecard is a snapshot of the progress made – big and small.

The ‘25-’26 scorecard also shows some major environmental threats on the horizon. The impacts of data centers on energy costs, shared natural resources, and climate change are top of mind as legislation fell short of passing this cycle. Improving access to recycling through a deposit on bottles and cans remains unfinished. Beyond the scorecard, the state budget included the diversion of $540 million, which must be paid back to keep climate progress on track. It’s clear that there is much work to be done on challenges like climate change, environmental justice, reducing toxic pollution, salmon recovery, responsible forest management, and so much more.

Every person deserves access to a safe and healthy place to live, work, learn, and play. We’re committed to continuing to push for progress and to demonstrate what’s possible so that other states can follow.

HB 1409 (Clean Fuels) – Transportation is the largest source of harmful climate pollution. The state clean fuels law sets standards to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels over time. This bill passed in 2025 to improve the state program and to increase market stability. The bill was sponsored by Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D, 34^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1462 (Refrigerants) – Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) refrigerants are a potent source of climate pollution. About 80% of refrigerant gases are vented to the atmosphere at end of life. This bill passed in 2025 and reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with HFCs by promoting the transition to less-polluting alternatives and promoting the use of reclaimed HFCs. Sponsored by Representative Davina Duerr (D, 1^st District), the legislation was signed into law in 2025. WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1670 (Sewage Spill Right-To-Know Act) – Sewage spills jeopardize human and environmental health. This commonsense measure passed unanimously and required disclosure of sewage spills to share more information with the public. The bill was sponsored by Senator Victoria Hunt (D, 5^th District) and passed into law during the 2025 legislative session. WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1710 (Voting Rights Act) – Voting rights are under attack in many parts of the country. Washington has a Voting Rights Act to protect the rights of individuals to vote for leaders of their choice. This bill strengthens that law by requiring local governments to obtain “preclearance” for any changes to local voting rules or procedures. This measure bolsters protections against discrimination based on race or language. It was passed in 2025 and sponsored by Representative Sharlett Mena (D, 29^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 2367 (Eliminating Preferential Treatment for Coal) – The state’s last coal-fired power plant, owned by TransAlta, was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025. Because of this, the facility was exempted from state climate policies. Since the Trump Administration has ordered the facility to remain available to operate, this bill makes the facility subject to state climate laws and rules. The bill was passed in 2026 and was sponsored by Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D, 34^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 2496 (EFSEC and Consultation with Tribal Nations) – Under federal law, Tribal Nations are sovereign nations that can enter into treaties and have a government-to-government relationships. This bill upholds the sovereignty of Tribes by mandating the confidentiality of the Energy Facility Evaluation Council’s (EFSEC’s) consultation with Tribes when making project siting recommendations to the governor. It also requires EFSEC to enable Tribes to provide feedback directly to the Council and the Governor on the consultation process. As a result, the Governor) may make better and more informed permitting decisions for energy projects. The bill was sponsored by Representative Chris Stearns (D, 47^th District) and passed in 2026. WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 2515 (Regulations for Data Centers) - Across the country, many communities are grappling with the proliferation of data centers and their impacts on energy costs, water supplies, and the environment. This legislation ensured that data centers were subject to the state’s climate and clean energy laws; kept the lights on for ratepayers and guarded against higher energy costs; required disclosure of water use, air and water quality impacts, and energy use. The bill passed the House but failed to pass the Senate in 2026. It was sponsored by Representative Beth Doglio (D, 22^nd District). WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5284 (Recycling Reform Act) – More than 50% of Washington’s consumer packaging and paper products are landfilled or incinerated, wasting valuable materials for recycling. The Recycling Reform Act requires the producers of these materials to pay for recycling systems for all state residents. The bill passed in 2025 and was sponsored by Representative Liz Berry (D, 36^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5628 (Lead in Cookware, 2025) – Lead is found common household appliances and cookware, which risks the health of unsuspecting users. This bill adopted science-based standards to protect the public and set reasonable requirements on cookware sold in Washington. The bill reflected this bipartisan agreement led by Senator Paul Harris (R, 17^th District) and Senator Sharon Shewmake (D, 42^nd District) and passed unanimously. Unfortunately, the legislature undercut this progress during the 2026 session. WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 6355 (Electric Transmission Authority) – The aging electricity grid that Washingtonians rely on to deliver reliable, affordable power is in urgent need of upgrades. This includes the transmission lines needed to deliver electricity over long distances and power our clean energy transition. This bill creates an electricity transmission authority to improve transmission reliability, resilience, and affordability. It passed in 2026 and was sponsored by Senator Victoria Hunt (D, 5^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1409 (Clean Fuels) – Transportation is the largest source of harmful climate pollution. The state clean fuels law sets standards to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels over time. This bill passed in 2025 to improve the state program and increase market stability. The bill was sponsored by Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D, 34^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1462 (Refrigerants) – Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) refrigerates are a potent source of climate pollution. About 80% of refrigerant gases are vented to the atmosphere at end of life. This bill passed in 2025 and reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with HFCs by promoting the transition to less-polluting alternatives and promoting the use of reclaimed HFCs. Sponsored by Representative Davina Duerr (D, 1^st District), the legislation was signed into law in 2025. WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1670 (Sewage Spill Right-To-Know Act) – Sewage spills jeopardize human and environmental health. This commonsense measure required disclosure of sewage spills to share more information with the public. The bill was sponsored by Senator Victoria Hunt (D, 5^th District) and passed into law during the 2025 legislative session. WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 1710 (Voting Rights Act) – Voting rights are under attack in many parts of the country. Thankfully, Washington has a Voting Rights Act to protect the rights of individuals to vote for leaders of their choice. This bill strengthens that law by requiring local governments to obtain “preclearance” for any changes to local voting rules or procedures. This measure bolsters protections against discrimination based on race or language. It was passed in 2025 and sponsored by Representative Sharlett Mena (D, 29^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 2367 (Eliminating Preferential Treatment for a Coal Energy Facility) – The state’s last coal-fired power plant, owned by TransAlta, was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025. Because of this, the facility was exempted from state climate policies. Since the Trump Administration has ordered the facility to remain available to operate, this bill makes the facility subject to state climate laws and rules. The bill was passed in 2026 and was sponsored by Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D, 34^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

HB 2496 (EFSEC and Consultation with Tribal Nations) – Under federal law, Tribal Nations are sovereign nations that can enter into treaties and have a government-to-government relationships. This bill upholds the sovereignty of Tribes by mandating the confidentiality of consultation of the Energy Facility Evaluation Council’s (EFSEC’s) consultation with Tribes when making project siting recommendations to the Governor. It also requires EFSEC to enable Tribes to provide feedback directly to the Council and the Governor on the consultation process. As a result, the Governor may make better and more informed permitting decisions for energy projects. The bill was sponsored by Representative Chris Stearns (D, 47^th District) and passed in 2026. WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5203 (Wildlife Crossings) – Building safe passages for wildlife reduces vehicle collisions and helps wildlife access fragmented habitat. This win/win bill was sponsored by Senator Jesse Salomon (D, 32^nd District) and passed out of the Senate in 2026. Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass the House. WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5284 (Recycling Reform Act) – More than 50% of Washington’s consumer packaging and paper products are sent to landfills or incinerated, wasting valuable materials for recycling. The Recycling Reform Act required the producers of these materials to pay for recycling systems for all state residents. The bill passed in 2025 and was sponsored by Representative Liz Berry (D, 36^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5360 (Environmental Crimes) – The most egregious polluters are often undeterred by minor criminal penalties in various environmental laws impacting our air, land, and water. This bill increased penalties for the worst polluters who jeopardize health and safety or threaten public property. The bill was sponsored by Senator Yasmin Trudeau (D, 27^th District) and passed the Senate in 2025 and 2026 but did not pass the House. WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 5628 (Lead in Cookware, 2025) – Lead is found common household appliances and cookware, which risks the health of unsuspecting users. This bill adopted science-based standards to protect the public and set reasonable requirements on cookware sold in Washington. The bill reflected this bipartisan agreement led by Senator Paul Harris (R, 17^th District) and Senator Sharon Shewmake (D, 42^nd District) and passed unanimously. Unfortunately, the legislature undercut this progress during the 2026 session. WCA POSITION: PRO

SB 6355 (Electric Transmission Authority) – The aging electricity grid that Washingtonians rely on to deliver reliable, affordable power is in urgent need of upgrades. This includes the transmission lines needed to deliver electricity over long distances and power our clean energy transition. This bill creates an electricity transmission authority to help improve transmission reliability, resilience, and affordability. It passed in 2026 and was sponsored by Senator Victoria Hunt (D, 5^th District). WCA POSITION: PRO

How are legislators scored?

Each legislator receives a percentage based on a total of 100. On each bill, a legislator took either a pro-environment or an anti-environment vote. Each legislator receives one point for every pro-environment bill that they voted on, then that is divided by the total number of bills that were scored to get their percentage. Additionally, each current legislator has a Lifetime Score which accounts for their full time in office.

What can I do to show my legislators I’m proud or unhappy with their performance?

Next to your legislator’s name there is an email link contact them directly to share how you feel about their votes. Additionally, this election year all House seats and half of the Senate seats are up for election. Washingtonians have an opportunity to expand environmental leadership in the legislature, which will help strengthen the recovery of Puget Sound, ensure healthy forests, and accelerate the transition to clean and affordable energy.