Committee hears pilot to expand 'Your Washington' customer-experience work to three agencies
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Summary
House Bill 26-31 would require three agencies (Secretary of State, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of the Insurance Commissioner) to partner with the governor's Your Washington office on customer-experience metrics, reporting and improvement plans; supporters said most of the initial work uses existing resources, while the Secretary of State's office flagged potential fiscal impacts.
Representative Madison Richards, the prime sponsor of House Bill 26-31, told the committee the measure seeks to codify lessons from the governor's executive order on customer experience and to ensure agencies work together to improve service delivery. "Time is of the essence," he said, adding that the bill is about ensuring state agencies "are working in tandem" to deliver for constituents.
Connor Schiff, counsel to the committee, summarized the bill's requirements: the pilot covers three agencies, must designate Your Washington liaisons by 07/10/2026, deliver timelines and customer-experience metrics, and provide quarterly progress reports beginning 03/07/2027; the pilot sunsets on 04/01/2029. Schiff said agencies must partner with WATEC to move toward a "one front door" vision for state digital services and may contract with neutral third parties to evaluate person-centered designs.
Jesse Jones, director of Your Washington, said the office has set deadlines, been collecting frontline staff survey data, and that much of the initial work has been achieved within existing resources. "Most of this work is being done within existing resources," Jones said, describing agency pilots to improve eligibility processes and digital access.
Brian Hatfield, legislative director for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, expressed conditional support but warned of fiscal and accountability concerns for independently elected officials. Hatfield estimated impacts in the "$1,500,000 to $2,500,000 range" and suggested making participation permissive for statewide elected offices to preserve autonomy.
Jordan Cee of Qualtrics and other private-sector supporters testified in favor of the pilot, saying standardized measurement and improved digital access could increase public trust. The bill attracted both practical examples and questions about timelines and fiscal impacts; the hearing closed with no committee vote taken.