Bar Association adopts FY2026 legislative priorities, pledges continued support for public defense funding

The Bar Association voted unanimously to adopt its FY2026 legislative priorities after a presentation by Sanjay, who urged the board to approve the slate, including a reaffirmed proclamation.

Sanjay said the priorities are drawn from the association's general rule 12.2 and are largely unchanged from prior years. He told members the document is intended to give legislators a concise list of issues the Bar will reliably support during the legislative session. "I do urge adoption of the slate of priorities, including the proclamation here today," Sanjay said.

The priorities explicitly include continued support for public defense funding. "We don't take any state money. We're funded entirely by license fees," Sanjay said, describing the Bar's own funding model while explaining that the association nonetheless advocates for other agencies' budget requests. He said the Bar regularly supports the Office of Public Defense and the Office of Civil Legal Aid through sign‑on letters or testimony and that the board's legislative committee typically votes to back those requests.

Sanjay also noted the priorities carry forward a study of a non‑unified court system, linking that item to a previously approved board proclamation. He referenced House Bill 1909 from last year — a bill that would create a commission to study inequities in Washington's court system related to disparate technologies and funding sources — and said the Bar expects to support the measure if it returns this session.

Board members asked how the Bar's priorities intersect with state budget work and whether recent court initiatives on disability access were tied to agency budgets. The Executive Director said the disability access item came from the Supreme Court's disability justice task force and that the ED did not know how that initiative was funded.

After brief discussion about educating legislators (including prior "law school for legislators" programs run by the court), Moderator (Speaker 1) moved to approve the legislative priorities. A roll call was held and the motion passed unanimously; the clerk read the names of governors called and each vote was recorded in favor.

The motion's outcome leaves the association positioned to support budget requests and legislation aligned with the adopted priorities during the upcoming session. Sanjay thanked the board after the vote.