2026 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Washington’s 2026 legislative session concluded on March 12, and lawmakers faced a difficult task: balancing pressing needs across the state while managing a significant budget shortfall. Even in a challenging year like this, Audubon Washington showed up with determination, partnership, and the strong voice of our members behind us to advocate for birds, people, and healthy habitats. 

This year, we advanced several important bills focused on habitat, climate action, and clean energy infrastructure, in addition to supporting priority legislation from the statewide Environmental Priorities Coalition.  

In some welcome, late-breaking good news, SB 6355, the bill to establish a state transmission authority, passed through the House on Wednesday night with bipartisan support and is officially on the Governor’s desk for signature!  

As noted by Representative Ramel (D-40) in his remarks, transmission authorities are widely recognized as one of the most effective and critical steps that states can take to help achieve energy affordability, reliability, and decarbonization. This is a significant step forward in meeting our state’s clean energy mandate. Audubon advocates in Washington sent 1,129  messages to target legislators at key moments in the bill’s journey to help support its passage.  

Protecting Shrubsteppe

We also secured an important win by helping stop a bill that would have removed protections for shrubsteppe habitat in Urban Growth Areas defined under the Growth Management Act. Just 20% of Washington’s original shrubsteppe remains, and much of it lies on private land. Small patches of habitat can support pollinators and other wildlife and provide landscape connectivity between habitats fragmented by development and conversion.  

What Didn't Pass this Year

Regrettably, several of our priority bills did not advance this year, largely due to compressed timelines. Among our top priorities was the Lights Out and Bird-Friendly Buildings bill, which sought to reduce bird collisions and preserve dark skies through designation of migratory bird months in the spring and fall and requirements to reduce light pollution at state-owned facilities. We also supported legislation to close a loophole that allows harmful, toxic discharges from ocean-going vessels – an issue that is harming our coastal and marine ecosystems. Another important bill that would have ensured safe wildlife passage in key crossing areas fragmented by major roads also ran out of time.  

Partnership with the Environmental Priorities Coalition

Throughout the session, we continued our strong partnership within the Environmental Priorities Coalition, a group of 27 statewide organizations working together to protect people and nature. This year, the Coalition focused on wildfire‑resilience funding, reducing plastic pollution, and defending environmental programs from budget cuts - efforts that intersect directly with the health of birds and ecosystems. Unfortunately, it appears that our state natural resource agency budget took a considerable hit in areas we care about, with cuts to wildlife, biodiversity, climate resilience programs and more. 

Audubon Advocates in Washington Made a Difference

We know that passing policies and sustaining funding for conservation requires persistence and partnership. This session, Audubon Washington sent eight action alerts to 30,809 recipients, resulting in 5,103 messages to legislators. Our local chapters stepped up in powerful ways - sending letters, providing testimony, amplifying communications, and hosting community Lights Out events. With continued engagement, we’re confident we can build the momentum needed to protect birds and their habitats for generations to come.