This bill creates a new state law section in chapter 43.34 RCW and amends RCW 43.34.100 to establish a Global War on Terror memorial on the Washington State capitol campus recognizing service members who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. The memorial must include a component designed to reflect the number of active duty service members and veterans who died by suicide after serving in these wars. The bill also creates a Global War on Terror Memorial Work Group to study and make recommendations on the memorial and requires the capitol committee (or a subcommittee) to consult with the Department of Enterprise Services and the work group in planning, construction, and placement. The work group’s membership is specified and includes legislative leaders’ appointees, agency representatives (Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Washington State Military Department, State Archives, Capitol Campus Design Advisory Committee), two veterans’ organization representatives appointed by the secretary of state, and others. The work group may solicit and receive gifts, grants, or endowments and must deposit receipts into the Washington state global war on terror memorial account established in RCW 43.34.105. Staff support is provided by the office of the secretary of state, members receive no compensation, and certain travel reimbursements are allowed by cited RCWs. The work group must convene by July 15, 2026, meet at least quarterly, select two cochairs at the initial meeting, produce a detailed report with recommended names, locations, sculptors, draft designs, funding sources, and a proposed budget, and arrange an unveiling ceremony. The capitol committee must begin selecting and contracting with a recommended sculptor within 30 days of receiving sufficient funds to fully cover the listed costs and is encouraged to complete the memorial within five years of meeting that funding condition. The work group expires after the unveiling, and the secretary of state must notify specified officials when the unveiling occurs. The extract does not include the prior text of the amended RCWs, the detailed provisions of the Washington state global war on terror memorial account (RCW 43.34.105), or specifics about the source and timing of the “sufficient funds” required to trigger sculptor selection and other actions.

If enacted, the state will set up a new memorial on the capitol campus honoring people who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn and will include a feature about veterans and active duty members who died by suicide after serving. A temporary multiagency work group, staffed by the secretary of state, must meet by mid-2026, produce a detailed plan and budget, and the capitol committee will only move forward with design and contracting once enough gifts or grants are deposited into a designated state account to fully cover the project and related costs; the work group ends after the unveiling. The groups most affected are the capitol committee (which will manage contracting and timing), the secretary of state (who provides staff and appoints members), participating state agencies and two veterans’ organization representatives (who must serve on the work group), and whoever provides funding (private donors or grantors), since the memorial won’t proceed until sufficient funds are raised and ongoing maintenance costs are budgeted. Key uncertainties are the source and timing of those sufficient funds, the specific rules for the memorial account, and how quickly fundraising will allow the project to begin, so the schedule and final cost exposure to the state remain unclear.