The bill adds new sections to chapter 72.09 RCW that affirm the legislature’s recognition of incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights to believe, express, and exercise their religion and state an intent to codify opportunities for religious celebrations in state correctional facilities. It requires “the department” to make reasonable efforts to accommodate religious celebrations, and explicitly permits coordination with partnering nonprofit organizations to provide and deliver a religious celebration meal, including meal enhancements and donated foods. The department may set reasonable guidelines and deadlines for sponsorship and contribution of enhancements and donated foods, but no deadline may exceed 45 days before a religious celebration except for supply chain issues. A religious celebration meal must be provided at no cost to the incarcerated person, though that exclusion does not apply to meal enhancements. This is a new statutory, procedural/administrative requirement rather than a criminal or penalty change. The bill text appears as NEW SECTION Sec. 1 (findings/intent) and NEW SECTION Sec. 2 (requirements) added to chapter 72.09 RCW and was read for the first time on 01/23/25. Several key terms and implementation details are not specified in the extracted text: the exact RCW section number added, definitions of “the department,” “religious celebration,” “religious celebration meal,” “meal enhancement,” “donated foods,” and “partnering nonprofit organization,” and how “reasonable efforts” or “barring any supply chain issues” are to be measured or enforced. The text also does not state enforcement mechanisms, funding sources, or other procedural implementation details.

If enacted, the state corrections agency referenced in chapter 72.09 RCW would be required to make reasonable efforts to allow and coordinate religious celebration meals in state prisons, including working with nonprofit partners to provide and deliver those meals and any donated foods. Incarcerated people would be entitled to receive the core religious celebration meal at no charge (sponsorship or meal enhancements can be arranged separately and are not required to be free), and the agency may set rules and deadlines for sponsors no earlier than 45 days before a celebration except for supply chain issues. Practical impacts fall mainly on the department (more coordination, administrative oversight, and potential operational costs if nonprofits do not fully supply meals), partnering nonprofit organizations (new responsibilities and deadlines to provide or sponsor meals or enhancements), and incarcerated people and faith groups (greater access to celebration meals). Important details are missing—key terms aren’t defined, enforcement, funding sources, and what counts as “reasonable efforts” are unspecified—so how much new cost or burden this creates in practice is unclear.