Public Safety Committee backs ordinances aligning Seattle code with recent state law changes

The Public Safety Committee on Tuesday recommended passage of three ordinances designed to align the Seattle Municipal Code with changes adopted by the Washington State Legislature, sending each bill to the full City Council after committee votes.

Council Central Staff briefed the committee that the measures are primarily technical updates and state‑law conforming changes that allow the Seattle Municipal Court and city prosecutors to implement newly defined offenses and updated penalties.

Tommaso Johnson of Council Central Staff summarized the bills as “part of a routine annual or semi annual process by which the city attorney's office sends down changes to Seattle municipal code that are a combination of technical corrections, technical fixes, as well as implementation of changes to Washington state law.” The three bills were described as follows:

- Council Bill 121079 (civil infractions): designates a minimum penalty for specified harbor code violations and aligns city littering penalties with a 2025 RCW change by making certain littering violations class 2 civil infractions with a $125 base penalty. - Council Bill 121080 (criminal code update): adopts new misdemeanor and gross‑misdemeanor offenses from the 2023–2025 legislative sessions, including a hazing offense, expanded weapon restrictions tied to 2023–24 state bills (including provisions addressing a category commonly described as “assault weapons”), vehicle prowling in the second degree, catalytic‑converter marking and related offenses, expanded impersonation provisions and other technical corrections. - Council Bill 121081 (traffic code): implements a 2024 state change that restricts license‑plate covers, increases response time for traffic citations from 15 to 30 days, and creates new negligent driving offenses when the victim is a “vulnerable user” (with a gross‑misdemeanor for negligent driving causing death of a vulnerable user and an infraction where serious bodily injury occurs).

James Kenny, deputy chief in the criminal division of the City Attorney’s Office, told the committee that the city has an obligation under state law “to be responsible for all gross misdemeanors and misdemeanors occurring in the city,” and the ordinances update the municipal code through the 2025 legislative session so local courts and prosecutors can fully implement state changes.

Committee members asked about fine amounts and local flexibility. Kenny explained that some infraction amounts are set by state statute (for example, the $125 littering penalty) and that the municipal code may set certain local penalties where state law leaves discretion. He also explained criminal penalties remain within the statutory maxima for misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors (misdemeanor: up to 90 days and $1,000; gross misdemeanor: up to 364 days and $5,000).

Chair Kettle moved that the committee recommend passage of council bills 121079, 121080 and 121081. Each motion was seconded and each bill passed the committee on roll call votes recorded in the transcript as 4 in favor, none opposed. The committee directed that the recommendations be transmitted to the full City Council; the committee record noted the full council meeting date for consideration as October 7.

The committee framed the measures as technical and procedural steps that allow city justice partners to implement and adjudicate offenses newly reflected in state law.