SGA 9256
In CommitteeSenate
KATE BENWARD
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 bill formally appoints Kate Benward to serve on the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, a state body that helps develop sentencing policies for Washington courts. Her appointment is effective immediately and will last for approximately 19 months.
- Appoints Kate Benward as a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission.
- Her term begins on December 22, 2025, and ends on August 2, 2027.
Who is affected
- Sentencing Guidelines Commission — The Sentencing Guidelines Commission is a state body that helps set sentencing policies and guidelines for Washington courts.
Who Is Most Affected
As the appointee, Benward gains formal authority to participate in shaping sentencing policies, but this is a procedural appointment with no direct personal financial or legal consequence beyond her role. The commission itself gains a new member, potentially influencing its deliberations, but no structural change to its powers or funding occurs.
The Sentencing Guidelines Commission gains a new voting member, which may shift internal dynamics or expertise balance, but the bill does not alter the commission’s statutory authority, budget, or decision-making procedures. No operational impact is guaranteed.
Washington residents are not directly affected—this is a procedural appointment to an advisory body that does not set binding sentencing rules, only guidelines. No changes to public safety, justice outcomes, or individual rights result from this specific appointment alone.
The state judiciary and prosecutors are not directly impacted, as the commission’s guidelines are non-binding and subject to judicial discretion. No change to caseloads, legal standards, or resource demands arises from this appointment.
This is a routine gubernatorial appointment to fill a vacancy; no policy shift is indicated, and no special interest group is granted new influence or access beyond standard commission participation rules.