Governor Bob Ferguson signs roughly 17 bipartisan bills covering hiring, education, health and housing

Bob Ferguson signed roughly 17 bills into law during a Saturday bill-signing event, telling the assembled sponsors and community members, “I'm Bob Ferguson, and, we're signing, I think, about 17 or 18 bills this morning.”

The signings covered a mix of administrative fixes and policy changes across workforce, public safety, housing, education and health. Ferguson said House Bill 2309, requested by the Office of Financial Management, "eliminates the requirement for a postgraduate degree to apply for state jobs when that degree is not required by law," a change he said will expand the applicant pool and help the state attract qualified public servants. He thanked the prime sponsor, state representative Mari Levitt, and companion sponsor, state senator Tijuana Nobles.

Among other measures signed, Ferguson described House Bill 2441 as helping families of first responders killed in the line of duty by expanding reimbursements for health insurance premiums to include Medicare Parts A and B, COBRA and employer-provided plans, and by covering the period needed to determine whether a death occurred in the line of duty. He thanked Representative Sam Lowe and Senator Jeff Foley for sponsoring that bill.

He also signed bills aimed at reducing administrative burdens for local districts, streamlining property sales thresholds (Senate Bill 5467); creating statewide building-code standards for smaller, more affordable "kid homes" to speed attainable housing construction (Senate Bill 5552); and expanding the Washington Civil Air Patrol's role inside the state military department for emergency response and planning (Senate Bill 6046).

On higher education, Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5963 (requested by the Washington Student Achievement Council), which guarantees free tuition through the Washington College Grant or equivalent funding for foster youth and unaccompanied homeless youth in certain programs, and allows support for private college, career training or apprenticeships.

Ferguson highlighted an early-learning measure, Senate Bill 5872, which establishes a Pre-K Promise account in the custody of the state treasurer to accept private funds for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECAP). He noted the Ballmer Group has committed a large grant to expand preschool access, saying that the commitment "could total more than 1000000000 dollars" and that the new account will help bring high-quality preschool to an additional 10,000 children over the next decade. He thanked state senator Claire Wilson and companion sponsor representative Steve Berkowitz.

Health-related bills included Senate Bill 6025, which updates methods providers can use to determine gestational age for potential fetal-death reporting, and Senate Bill 6183, which requires state-regulated plans issued or renewed after Jan. 1, 2027, to provide coverage for all FDA-approved HIV medications, aligning commercial coverage with Medicaid.

On labor, Ferguson signed House Bill 2479, establishing a wage-recovery program and account to help qualifying employees receive funds before the state collects unpaid wages from employers; he said the bill prioritizes investigations and strengthens accountability for wage-law violations. He thanked state representative Mary Fosse for sponsoring that measure.

Throughout the event, Ferguson repeatedly thanked sponsors and supporters, invited group photos and selfies, and noted traffic-related delays that required short pauses between some signings. Each bill was presented briefly by Ferguson with an acknowledgment of prime and companion sponsors before he signed it and invited a photo.

Votes at a glance (signed measures mentioned at the ceremony): House Bill 2309 (expand state job applicant eligibility) — signed House Bill 2441 (survivor health insurance reimbursements) — signed Senate Bill 5467 (water/sewer district property-sale thresholds) — signed Senate Bill 5552 (attainable housing building code) — signed Senate Bill 5874 (employer unemployment-reporting penalties discretion) — signed Senate Bill 5963 (tuition guarantees for foster/unaccompanied homeless youth) — signed Senate Bill 6025 (gestational-age reporting methods) — signed Senate Bill 6046 (Washington Civil Air Patrol division) — signed Senate Bill 6087 (allow donated car seats/strollers with guidelines) — signed Senate Bill 6183 (align HIV medication coverage) — signed Senate Bill 6278 (educator preparation program standards) — signed Senate Bill 5825 (authorize Leadership Board to solicit private funds) — signed Senate Bill 5872 (Pre-K Promise account / ECAP funding) — signed House Bill 2479 (wage recovery program) — signed House Bill 2317 (ECAP/Head Start licensing exemption at schools/colleges) — signed

The ceremony concluded with remarks of thanks, group photographs and logistical notes; no formal roll-call votes or amendments were recorded on-site.