This bill creates a new Washington State law establishing a Washington division of civil air patrol as a state entity composed of volunteer civilian members of the Washington wing of the federally chartered Civil Air Patrol. It designates the commanding officer of the Washington wing as the head of the state division, allows the Civil Air Patrol to appoint an acting head with full authority if the commanding officer’s office is vacant or the commander cannot serve, and states the division will be available to serve when ordered to active state service by the governor. Sections 1 through 5 are declared a new chapter in Title 38 RCW. The statute defines the division to include commissioned and warrant officers, enlisted persons, and cadets, and authorizes the division, at request, to cooperate with state agencies, political subdivisions, and federally recognized tribes in cadet training, communications, disaster relief, cyber security missions, search and rescue, and related functions. The head may enter into agreements and accept reimbursement for expenses, and the director of the Washington division of civil air patrol may employ personnel and make expenditures within appropriations or other available agency funds. The act also specifies it does not alter the operation, rights, powers, duties, or functions of the Washington wing of the federally chartered Civil Air Patrol or limit its cooperation with the U.S. government. Relevant dates: prefiled 01/09/26, read first time 01/12/26, and referred to the Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans. The text does not specify the new chapter number in Title 38 RCW, does not define how the term “director” relates to the defined “head,” does not explicitly identify “this title,” and does not describe any additional organization, oversight, or funding procedures beyond the limited employment and expenditure authority. The relationship between the new state division and the Washington Military Department is referenced in the title but not explained in the provided text.

If enacted, the bill creates a state-recognized Washington division of the Civil Air Patrol made up of volunteer members of the existing Washington wing, names the wing’s commanding officer as the division head, and makes that division available to be ordered into active state service by the governor. The head can sign cooperation agreements with state agencies, local governments, and tribes for cadet training, communications, disaster relief, cyber security, and search and rescue, and may accept reimbursement; a director can hire staff and spend money but only within appropriations or other funds made available. The people and entities most affected are the volunteers of the Washington wing (who could be mobilized for state missions), the commanding officer (who gains an official state leadership role and authority to make agreements), and state and local agencies and tribes (which gain a formal option to request CAP support but may need to reimburse or provide funding). The bill does not create a clear new funding stream or fully explain how the division will be overseen or relate to the Washington military department, so those implementation and budget details remain uncertain.