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Senate adopts bill replacing 'alien' with 'noncitizen' in many state statutes; opponents warn of legal ambiguity

Washington State Senate · March 3, 2026

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Summary

House Bill 2,632 would update statutory language to use 'noncitizen' instead of 'alien' in many places; supporters framed the change as reducing stigma, while opponents and several senators warned that partial substitutions could create inconsistency with federal law; the bill passed 31-18.

House Bill 2,632 would modernize statutory terminology by replacing references to "alien" with "noncitizen" in many state statutes, with a sunset mechanism tied to federal law change, according to floor remarks.

Senator Fortunato offered an amendment (not adopted on final passage) that inserted a sunset to avoid inconsistency if federal law uses the term "alien." Senator Valdez opposed the sunset argument, saying placing a sunset defeats the purpose and that the term "alien" is disrespectful; she urged a yes vote. Senator Lias described personal family experience with historical usage and supported changing language to reflect improved societal norms.

Opponents, including Senator Fortunato and Senator Jeff Wilson, said the bill could add ambiguity where federal references require the statutory term "alien," and asked whether the change might create interpretive challenges. After debate, the Senate recorded 31 ayes and 18 nays and the bill was declared passed.