SGA 9272
In CommitteeSenate
KRISTIN FERRERA
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 Kristin Ferrera to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, a state body that helps develop sentencing policies for Washington courts. Her term will last just over two and a half years, ending in August 2028.
- Appoints Kristin Ferrera as a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission.
- Her appointment is effective December 10, 2025.
- Her term is set to expire on August 2, 2028.
Who is affected
- Members of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission — The Sentencing Guidelines Commission is a state body that helps set sentencing policies and guidelines for Washington courts to ensure consistency and fairness in criminal sentencing.
Who Is Most Affected
As a newly appointed member, Ferrera gains formal authority to participate in shaping sentencing policies, but this is a non-compensated, volunteer-level position with limited direct personal gain.
The Sentencing Guidelines Commission plays a technical, advisory role in criminal sentencing; changes it recommends can influence fairness, racial disparities, and prison populations over time — but this specific appointment alone is unlikely to shift policy direction without broader consensus.
Local governments (counties, cities) implement sentencing outcomes; if the Commission adjusts guidelines toward alternatives to incarceration, local courts and jails may see reduced caseloads and costs — but this appointment alone does not guarantee such changes.
Law enforcement agencies may be affected if sentencing guidelines shift toward reduced incarceration for certain offenses, potentially altering plea bargaining dynamics or resource allocation — but this appointment alone is insufficient to cause such shifts.
Advocacy groups focused on criminal justice reform or racial equity may see this as a step toward diversifying the Commission’s perspectives, but without policy changes tied to this appointment, impact is symbolic.