This bill creates a new, temporary state law establishing an "office of the crime victims ombuds" as a new chapter in Title 43 RCW (sections 1–4). The Department of Commerce (DOC) must contract, by competitive bidding and with stakeholder input on the request for proposals and bid evaluation, with a private, independent nonprofit to operate the ombuds. The contracted organization and any subcontractors must be private, independent entities (not state agencies), have experience communicating about crime victims’ issues, and provide all program and staff support needed; the governor or state may revoke the designation only for neglect of duty, misconduct, or inability to perform, and DOC must then contract with another private nonprofit. The bill sets out administrative powers and duties for the ombuds office, including providing victims information about rights and procedures, referring victims to justice system elements and victim assistance programs, investigating matters on its own initiative or in response to complaints (and providing a written reason if it declines to investigate), monitoring procedures established or practiced by "the department" for delivering services to crime victims, recommending procedural changes, establishing confidentiality procedures, and otherwise carrying out activities within the chapter’s scope. "Crime" and "victim" are defined by reference to chapter 7.69 RCW. The chapter states it does not limit other legal remedies or appeal rights and may be exercised notwithstanding laws declaring certain administrative actions final. The DOC’s existing office of crime victims advocacy must conduct a survey and analysis on placing the ombuds outside state government and how contracting outside state government would affect complaint resolution and accountability, survey existing victim advocacy and service providers about coordination and awareness, and examine whether established victims’ rights have produced consistent advocacy within state government. A draft of the survey findings is due to the governor and legislature by November 30, 2026, and a final report with findings, conclusions, and recommendations is due by December 30, 2026. The chapter expires July 1, 2027. Several implementation details are not provided in the extracted text and remain unclear: the specific identity of "the department" referenced in the monitoring duty; the relationship between the newly created ombuds office and DOC’s office of crime victims advocacy; the new chapter’s exact number within Title 43 RCW; and any funding, staffing levels, enforcement powers (such as subpoena authority), or detailed operational procedures.

If enacted, the bill would set up a short-term, independent ombuds office for crime victims that is run by a privately contracted nonprofit chosen through a competitive process overseen by the Department of Commerce. That office would be expected to give victims information and referrals, take or decline complaints with a written reason, investigate some matters, and monitor how victim services are delivered, while the Department of Commerce would ensure staff training and run a survey about whether the ombuds should be outside state government. The office is temporary under this act and must report draft findings by November 30, 2026 and a final report by December 30, 2026, with the whole chapter expiring July 1, 2027. The practical effects fall mainly on the Department of Commerce, which gains new contracting and oversight responsibilities and must run the required survey, and on private nonprofit organizations that will incur the costs and duties of operating the ombuds if they win the contract and may hire subcontractors to help. Crime victims and victim service agencies would likely have an additional, more independent channel for advocacy and referrals, but the bill does not specify funding levels, enforcement powers (for example subpoena or binding authority), or the exact relationship between the new ombuds and existing Commerce victim advocacy staff, so those operational and cost details remain unclear.