The bill creates a new Washington state religious liberty commission as a state agency administered by an executive director appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the governor. The five public commission members are appointed by the governor and legislative leaders for staggered three‑year terms (with limits on consecutive terms), select a chair, and are reimbursed for expenses. The commission’s duties include advising the governor and legislature, educating the public and specified groups about state law on religious belief and conscience, receiving and evaluating petitions alleging discrimination on the basis of religious belief, initiating complaints discovered during outreach, offering voluntary mediation under chapter 7.07 RCW, and referring matters to the Washington State Human Rights Commission. The commission may solicit and spend private gifts and grants subject to reporting to the Office of Financial Management and may not use private funds to replace legislative appropriations. It may form relationships with public and private entities, hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and records, administer oaths, and apply to a superior court for advance approval of subpoenas; it may also adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW. The bill amends RCW 49.60.120 to require the Washington State Human Rights Commission to receive and act on complaints referred by the religious liberty commission and adds a new procedure requiring the human rights commission, within 30 days of a referral, either to adopt the religious liberty commission’s findings (in whole or in part) and take appropriate action or to initiate its own investigation and take action. For petitions or complaints handled by the religious liberty commission, the commission must, within 90 days, dismiss the matter with reasoning, offer mediation, or refer it to the human rights commission. Sections 1–6, 9, and 10 of the act create a new chapter in Title 43 RCW. The extracted text does not specify any new crimes or changes to criminal penalties; the changes are administrative and procedural (creation of a state commission, investigatory and referral procedures, rulemaking authority, and subpoena/ court‑approval procedures). Important parts of the bill text are missing from the extracted facts: the subpoena and related authority text is incomplete in section 9(c), the full new chapter added to Title 43 RCW is not included, and the complete amended text of RCW 49.60.120 may be incomplete.

If enacted, the state will create a Washington state religious liberty commission led by a governor‑appointed executive director with staff and five public members appointed by legislative and executive leaders. The commission will actively advise elected officials, run public education for employers, realtors, financial institutions and the public, accept petitions alleging discrimination for religious belief or conscience, and must act on any petition or complaint it starts within 90 days by dismissing it, offering mediation, or referring it to the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Referred matters must be addressed by the Human Rights Commission within 30 days either by adopting the commission’s findings or by opening its own investigation and providing written reasons for any findings it does not adopt; the new commission can hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and documents, seek court approval for subpoenas (including without prior notice), adopt rules, and solicit private gifts and grants that must be reported to the Office of Financial Management and not used to replace legislative appropriations. Those most affected will be the Governor’s office and legislative leaders (who make appointments), the Human Rights Commission (which will gain a new stream of time‑sensitive referrals and must explain decisions it declines to adopt), and the Office of Financial Management (which will receive reports on private funding). Employers, realtors, financial institutions and members of the public may face more outreach, mediations, investigations or subpoenas tied to religious‑liberty complaints, and the state will incur staffing, rulemaking, and potential court‑related costs. Important implementation details and costs are unclear from the provided text—portions of the subpoena process and the full new chapter and appropriations are missing, so the exact scope of authority, budget impacts, and how courts will apply the subpoena approval standard remain uncertain.