This bill amends RCW 59.12.040 to change procedural rules for how notices provided under that chapter must be served. It is a procedural change to service and proof of notice; it does not create a new crime or change criminal penalties in the extracted text. The amendment specifies three primary methods of service: personal delivery to the person entitled to notice; if that person is absent, leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion at the premises and mailing a copy to the person’s place of residence; and if the person’s residence is unknown or no suitable person is found, affixing a copy in a conspicuous place on the premises, delivering a copy to any person residing there if one can be found, and mailing a copy addressed to the tenant or unlawful occupant at the premises. Service on a subtenant may be done the same way. Persons renting rooms in hotels, inns, lodging houses, or boarding houses while the tenant retains control are not treated as subtenants; they may be served by affixing a copy in two conspicuous places and are not necessary parties defendant in a possession action. Service on a corporation may be made by delivering to any officer, agent, or person in charge at the premises or, if none is found, by affixing a copy conspicuously and mailing one to the corporation at the premises. Proof of service may be by affidavit similar to proof of service of a summons. A mailed copy is treated as served when deposited in the U.S. mail from within Washington with proper address and postage prepaid, and five additional days are allowed before starting an action based on mailed service. A termination notice served under this section must state the date by which the person must vacate or comply. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Housing, read in the House on 01/26/26, passed the House 02/10/26 (96-0), and passed the Senate 03/05/26 (48-0). The excerpt does not include other sections of the chapter or statutory definitions that may be relevant, and the document shows an approval/filing header without providing approval or filing dates.

If enacted, the bill gives landlords and their agents clearer, lower-cost ways to deliver eviction and other chapter notices: they can hand a copy to the person, leave a copy with a suitable person at the premises and mail one to the person's residence, or—if the resident’s address is unknown or no suitable person is present—post a copy on the property, try to hand one to any resident found, and mail a copy to the premises. Mailing from within Washington completes service when deposited with postage prepaid, but the landlord must wait an extra five days before filing an action; proof of service can be an affidavit like in civil cases, and termination notices must state the date to vacate or comply. People renting single rooms where the tenant keeps control can instead be served by posting in two conspicuous places and do not need to be named as defendants in possession actions. The groups most affected are landlords, property managers, process servers, tenants and other occupants (including subtenants, guests, boarders, and corporate occupants). Landlords gain more predictable, potentially cheaper service options and slightly more time before court action when mailing; tenants may face higher risk of losing formal notice disputes because posting plus mailed notice counts as service, but they also get a required vacate/compliance date. The text does not define key terms like “person of suitable age and discretion,” “place of residence,” or how some posting rules apply in specific situations, so courts or agencies will likely need to interpret those details. No changes to funding or agency budgets are indicated.