House Bill 1030 would narrow the roster of audit methods counties may choose after an election and add a statewide audit option for contests that file with the Secretary of State.

Desiree Omley, staff to the committee, told members that under current law counties must audit duplicated ballots and perform one of four authorized methods before certification. "House Bill 1030 reduces the list of audit methods a county may choose from to only 2 methods, limited hand counts of randomly selected precincts or batches, and the second is a risk limiting audit," Omley said in the staff briefing.

The bill would retain the duplicated‑ballot audit requirement and require that a limited hand count include at least one precinct or two batches per scanner and be limited to a single contest unless the audit uncovers an unresolved discrepancy. Omley said the bill lengthens the post‑election window for expanded audits: expanded audits must be completed no later than 72 hours after election day, whereas some existing audits must be completed within 48 hours.

Representative Lowe, the prime sponsor, said the measure aims to create "consistency, standardization, and help the public gain a greater trust in our election process." Lowe described practical limits on full hand recounts in large counties and said the bill also strengthens duplication procedures during ballot processing.

Steve Hobbs, Washington's Secretary of State, testified in support and described the bill as providing "more tools in the toolbox" and as a bipartisan approach to strengthen election integrity and public confidence. Director Stuart Holmes (Secretary of State staff) told the committee that "the auditor would still have the discretion of which audit method that they choose" with the exception of a mandatory state risk‑limiting audit for statewide contests when all counties are capable of conducting a batch‑comparison risk‑limiting audit.

Representative Jim Walsh questioned whether reducing authorized methods would limit transparency. Secretary Hobbs responded that the office had worked with county auditors and that adding a statewide risk‑limiting audit for statewide contests would provide an additional check.

No formal action or vote on the bill was recorded during the hearing.

The committee closed the public hearing after testimony from the sponsor and the Secretary of State's office and moved on to the next agenda item.