The bill (H-0278.1 / House Bill 1087) amends RCW 9A.42.100 to expand the existing offense of "endangerment with a controlled substance." Under the amended text, a person is guilty if they knowingly or intentionally permit a dependent child or dependent adult to be exposed to, ingest, inhale, or have contact with specified controlled substances, now including fentanyl (expressly including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers) and other high-potency synthetic opioids as defined in RCW 13.34.030, in addition to the existing methamphetamine-related provisions. The statute continues to exclude exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or contact with a controlled substance that is administered pursuant to a prescription as governed by chapter 69.50 RCW. The offense is designated a class B felony. The amendment specifically references RCW 9A.42.100, RCW 13.34.030, and chapter 69.50 RCW. The bill was prefiled 12/17/24, read for the first time 01/13/25, and referred to the Committee on Community Safety; sponsors are listed in the bill text. The extracted text does not include definitions for "dependent child" or "dependent adult," the quoted definition from RCW 13.34.030, an effective date or applicability provisions, or any sentencing details beyond the class B felony designation. The amendment language also includes the literal parenthetical markup "((methamphetamine))" as shown in the text.

If enacted, more people who knowingly allow dependent children or dependent adults to be exposed to fentanyl or other high-potency synthetic opioids would face the risk of being charged with a class B felony, while exposures that occur through a lawful prescription would be excluded. In practical terms this raises the criminal risk for parents, caregivers, household members, or anyone who manufactures, stores, or uses these substances around dependents, and it makes prosecutors and law enforcement more able to pursue serious felony charges in those situations. Key details that affect how broadly this will be applied are missing from the text provided: the exact statutory definitions of “dependent child,” “dependent adult,” and “other high-potency synthetic opioid” are not included here, nor is any effective date or sentencing detail beyond the class B felony label, so the timing and full scope of who will be charged or how cases will be prosecuted remain uncertain.