HCR 4407
In CommitteeHouse
Bill status for 2026 session
Specifying the status of bills, resolutions, and memorials.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This resolution ensures that legislation from the 2025 legislative session automatically carries over into the 2026 session without needing to be re-introduced from scratch. It preserves each bill’s original status and number to streamline the legislative process.
- Requires all bills, joint resolutions, joint memorials, and concurrent resolutions introduced in the 2025 regular session to be automatically reintroduced in the 2026 regular session in the same chamber where they originated.
- Carried-over legislation retains its original bill number and legislative status (e.g., committee referral, committee report) as recorded in the official House and Senate dockets at the end of the 2025 session.
- Aims to improve legislative efficiency by avoiding the need to re-file and re-process legislation from the prior session, allowing lawmakers to focus on advancing pending work.
Who is affected
- State agencies and departments — Lawmakers in both the Washington House and Senate must carry over legislation from the 2025 session to the 2026 session without starting over, which affects how they prioritize and manage their legislative calendars.
- Lobbyists and advocacy groups — May need to resume work on pending legislation from 2025, including updating rulemaking timelines or responding to new legislative directives.
- Washington residents and voters — May continue engaging with lawmakers on bills they supported in 2025, knowing those bills remain active in 2026 without re-filing.
- Legislative staff and support agencies (e.g., Office of the Code Reviser, Legislative Council) — May see faster or more efficient consideration of prior-year proposals, potentially leading to quicker action on issues important to them.
- Elected officials and candidates — Must manage and track legislation carried over under this resolution, including updating dockets and ensuring procedural compliance.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (3)
This resolution streamlines the legislative process by automatically carrying over legislation from the 2025 to 2026 session, eliminating redundant re-filing and allowing lawmakers to focus on advancing pending work rather than administrative re-submission. This reduces procedural overhead and may accelerate enactment of substantive policies.
Local GovernmentRef: Section 1 (WHEREAS clauses and RESOLVED clause)By preserving bill numbers and legislative status, the resolution improves transparency and continuity for public tracking of legislation, making it easier for residents and advocates to follow the progress of bills they support across sessions.
Local GovernmentRef: Section 1 (RESOLVED clause: 'shall retain the same number and be given the highest legislative status')The resolution supports more efficient use of legislative staff time and resources, potentially reducing opportunity costs associated with re-introducing legislation and allowing more substantive policy work to be completed within the same legislative timeframe.
Local GovernmentRef: Section 1 (WHEREAS: 'public interest requires... efficient and expeditious consideration')
Who Is Most Affected
State agencies may benefit from more predictable legislative timelines and continuity in policy initiatives, reducing the need to re-engage with agencies for re-filed bills. However, agencies may also face delays if priority legislation stalls in committee despite being carried over.
Lobbyists and advocacy groups benefit from continuity in pending legislation, allowing them to maintain momentum on issues without restarting outreach and education efforts. However, they may face added pressure to re-engage quickly in 2026 before procedural deadlines pass.
Residents and voters benefit from greater legislative continuity and potentially faster action on issues they care about, since bills remain active without re-filing. However, the resolution does not guarantee passage—only continuity—so outcomes remain uncertain.
Legislative staff and support agencies benefit from reduced administrative burden (e.g., no need to re-enter bills into the system), allowing more time for policy analysis and support. This may improve service delivery for lawmakers and the public.
Elected officials benefit from reduced procedural workload, enabling focus on substantive policy. However, they must still manage the same volume of legislation, and the resolution does not increase chamber capacity—only streamlines process.