The bill amends multiple existing statutes and adds new sections to chapter 79A.25 RCW and other parts of chapter 79A to revise state park and recreation pass rules, fees, revenue handling, and related administrative procedures. It sets the standard discover pass price at $45, authorizes a family discover pass priced by agencies at no more than $50 (fully transferable among vehicles but usable by only one vehicle at a time), makes a discover pass valid for one year from its activation date, and requires the Office of Financial Management to review the discover pass cost every four years and may recommend legislative inflation adjustments. The bill creates a recreation access pass account in the state treasury for receipts from discover passes and day-use permits and prescribes that, each fiscal biennium, the first $85,000,000 in revenues be distributed 8% to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, 8% to the Department of Natural Resources, and 84% to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, with revenues above $85,000,000 split equally among those agencies to the same accounts. The measure modifies display and exemption rules (passes must be visibly displayed unless specific exemptions apply), makes failure to display or possess a pass a natural resource infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW with a $99 fine reduced to $59 if proof of purchase or proof of a lifetime disabled veteran pass is provided to the court within 15 days, and requires agencies to provide one complimentary discover pass to volunteers who perform 24 hours of agency-sanctioned service (vouchers may be combined by married spouses). It recognizes certain disability cards/plates as entitling holders (and their camping unit) to free admission and a 50% campsite rental reduction, provides a no-cost lifetime disabled veteran pass for residents with at least 30% service-connected disability that grants free campsites and admission and all discover pass benefits, creates a foster home pass process (with DSHS verification) that provides free campsite use and admission when accompanied by a child in out-of-home care, and authorizes the commission to deny or revoke passes for cause, adopt rules (including defining “camping unit” and residency minimums), and negotiate access with specified nonstate parks while seeking biennial general fund reimbursement. The act also establishes a new, time-limited work group (convened by an unspecified “office”) to review funding structures for recreation functions of the parks commission, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources, requires stakeholder consultation including tribes and the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, and directs a report by December 1, 2026, with the new section expiring June 30, 2027. Sections 1–5 take effect October 1, 2025. The text provided is incomplete in places: the full content of the new sections and some senior/disability pass subsections are not shown, the identity of “the office” convening the work group is not specified, and the contents of Sections 1–5 are not fully included in the extracted facts.

If enacted, people who drive to state recreation sites will usually need to buy a $45 discover pass (or a family pass capped at $50) valid for one year, or show an equivalent pass, or face a $99 infraction reduced to $59 if they quickly prove purchase. The change creates a new recreation access pass account that funnels most of the revenue to State Parks (84% of the first $85 million each biennium) with smaller shares to Fish and Wildlife and DNR, and splits excess revenue equally among the three agencies; this will materially increase and direct where user-fee money flows and give State Parks a larger steady funding stream while DNR and Fish and Wildlife get predictable, smaller shares. The Office of Financial Management must review the pass price every four years, which could lead to future price changes indexed to inflation, and State Parks will take on new rulemaking, enforcement, and negotiation duties (including negotiating access with certain nonstate parks and seeking biennial general fund reimbursement). Veterans with at least 30% service-connected disability, qualifying disabled residents, seniors meeting the listed criteria, and foster parents or caregivers will get significant fee relief or free access, lowering their costs for camping and park admission; volunteers who log 24 hours of agency-sanctioned service can get one complimentary pass, which may encourage more volunteer work. Agencies must enforce display rules and can revoke passes for cause, and courts will process reduced penalties when proof of purchase is provided. Key details are missing or unclear in the excerpts—such as the identity of “the office” convening the funding work group, the full text of the new sections, and some senior/disability pass details—so implementation choices and some operational impacts remain uncertain.