House Bill H-1426.1 (House Bill 1992) amends and reenacts multiple Washington statutes to implement a “safe system” approach for active transportation. It modifies existing law rather than creating new criminal offenses or changing criminal penalties, enacts procedural and programmatic changes, adds and revises statutory definitions (including “active transportation” and “roundabout”), and authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) and local jurisdictions to use funds identified in RCW 46.68.090 for planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of active transportation facilities. Key statutory changes in the extracted text require accommodation for recreational trails and shared‑use paths when highways are constructed or reconstructed: limited access highways may not sever existing trails unless a satisfactory alternative exists or is reestablished at the time of construction, and if no alternative exists the constructing agency must acquire right‑of‑way and later construct the trail segment within the highway right‑of‑way. For nonlimited access highways that cross trails, the bill requires signing/traffic control and replacement of land/space or reconstruction when usefulness would be destroyed. The bill also authorizes incorporation of pedestrian, equestrian, and bicyclist facilities into highway design where joint use and safety enhancements are appropriate, updates crosswalk and intersection area definitions with roundabout‑specific language, amends lane‑use rules (including roundabout navigation and an exception for commercial motor vehicles), and repeals RCW 46.04.118 (circular intersection). The bill imposes program and procedural requirements: DOT must incorporate complete streets principles into state highway projects starting design on or after July 1, 2022 costing $500,000 or more, consult local jurisdictions, consider speed management, and may accept equivalent local or tribal facilities under specified conditions and participate financially without supplanting previously programmed funds. It establishes or amends programs including a safe routes to school provision, a Sandy Williams connecting communities program, and a bicyclist and pedestrian grant program, and requires annual reporting to the legislature (reports due December 1 annually and other annual project status reports). Several referenced RCW amendments and definitions are not fully included in the provided text, and other listed statutory changes and complete program details are missing or truncated in the extracted facts.

If enacted, state transportation policy would shift more money and planning attention toward walking, rolling, biking, and other nonmotorized travel. The Department of Transportation and local road authorities would be expected to identify gaps in sidewalks, shared-use paths, bike lanes, and crossings on projects that start design after July 1, 2022 and cost $500,000 or more, and to use available funds under RCW 46.68.090 for planning, construction, and maintenance of those active transportation facilities. The bill also creates and funds programs and grants (Safe Routes to School, Sandy Williams connecting communities, and a bicyclist and pedestrian grant program), requires annual reporting to the legislature on selected projects, and lets the department financially participate in acceptable local or tribal alternatives so long as state funds do not replace previously programmed funding; recipients of program funds may be required to meet the department’s complete-streets standards and local or tribal facilities accepted as alternatives must meet design, safety, and property conditions. The people and agencies most affected are the Washington State Department of Transportation, counties and cities that manage roads, federally recognized tribes, school districts or local groups that apply for grants, and users of trails and sidewalks. Agencies will likely face new planning and design duties, potential costs for right-of-way acquisition or to construct trail connections later if a highway bisects a planned route, and ongoing maintenance obligations for facilities they accept; when a limited-access highway would cut an existing or planned trail, the constructing agency must provide an acceptable alternative or reserve and later build the trail segment within the highway right-of-way. Key details about some amended sections, exact deadlines, and how certain duties are triggered are missing from the provided text, so the full timing and scope of compliance and funding requirements are uncertain.