OLYMPIA, Wash. — Several new laws and taxes are hitting Washington state in 2026. Many of these will cost consumers and residents more money.
Below is a list of a few changes where you will see the impacts on Thursday:
Senate Bill 5814
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Washington state law applies the current tobacco products tax to all nicotine-containing products, including synthetic nicotine, vapes, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches.
The tax rate for all nicotine and tobacco products will be 95% of the selling price.
A nicotine product priced at $7 in 2025 costs $7.72 in Seattle after sales tax is applied. After Jan. 1, that $7 product will cost $15.06 after the excise and sales taxes are added.
Retailers and distributors are required to report inventory of affected nicotine products on their first tax return after the effective date.
Washington will not ban flavored nicotine products after a separate proposal failed. The state’s age-21 requirement is already in place.
Senate Bill 5486
This bill requires movie theaters open to the public to offer closed and open captioning services.
Open captioning is always in view on the main screen and cannot be turned off, whereas closed captioning may be delivered through an accessible device or glasses that show the captions.
All theaters must provide closed captioning devices.
For movies that offer open captioning, companies that operate five or more theaters must offer a certain number of screenings during specific periods, such as the first two weeks after a movie’s release, and during peak business hours, which display open captioning. Theaters must advertise the times for open captioned screenings the same way they do for other screenings.
Companies that operate four or fewer theaters must provide an open-captioned screening within eight days of receiving a request.
Senate Bill 5689
This bill adds an option for blood type information to be added to driver’s licenses and ID cards, making the information more accessible to first responders.
The Department of Licensing will have the rulemaking authority and direction to develop processes and documentation requirements for individuals to submit their blood type information, and then coordinate with health care providers, emergency responders, and blood banks to educate the public about why it may be beneficial to include this information on an ID or driver’s license.
Senate Bill 1652
This bill requires the state to pass along all child support due to families on the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash benefit program.
Previously, law required that the state withhold child support funds and disperse half of that payment to the federal government as reimbursement for TANF funds. Up to $100 a month for families with one child, or $200 a month for families with two or more children, would then be distributed back to the families.
House Bill 1652 requires the state to distribute all child support collected on behalf of a family each month, as opposed to retaining any of it.
Child support payments may not be considered income when determining a family’s TANF cash benefit.
Second Substitute House Bill 1524
Second-Substitute House Bill 1524 supports and expands upon previous legislation enacted to protect isolated workers who are especially vulnerable to sexual violence in the workplace. Isolated employees are defined as workers who spend at least 50% of their time alone, for example, hotel, motel, or retail employees, security guards, janitors, or housekeeping staff.
The state found 17% of workplaces with isolated workers are following the state’s requirements on protecting their employees. This bill adds to who is considered an isolated employee, and empowers the state Labor and Industries department (L&I) to enforce the requirements enacted in the 2019 legislation. Employers must document they have completed training related to the protection of isolated employees. Required by the bill, employers need to make panic buttons available and provide those records to the L&I upon request.
Minimum Wage Increase
Washington’s state minimum wage will rise to $17.13 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. This increase reflects the annual adjustment tied to inflation and state law requirements.
The change also affects the salary thresholds used to determine exemptions from overtime pay, with new minimums set based on the updated wage rate.
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