This bill amends the existing harassment statute, RCW 9A.46.020, by clarifying the elements of harassment, expanding the definition of "words or conduct" to explicitly include sending an electronic communication, and changing how certain harassment acts are classified and punished. Harassment remains generally a gross misdemeanor, but the bill creates felony-level enhancements by classifying harassment as a class C felony in specified circumstances. The class C felony applies if the actor has a prior harassment conviction involving the same victim, family or household member, or a person named in a no-contact/no-harassment order; if the actor threatens to kill the threatened person or any other person; or if the actor targets a criminal justice participant or an election official either while they are performing official duties or because of an action or decision taken during those duties. For threats against criminal justice participants or election officials, the required fear is that of a reasonable person in the targeted role, and threatening words do not constitute harassment if it is apparent the speaker lacks present and future ability to carry out the threat. The bill also defines who counts as a "criminal justice participant" (including law enforcement, prosecutors, corrections staff, community corrections/probation/parole officers, indeterminate sentence review board members, victim/witness advocates, and defense attorneys) and who counts as an "election official" for these provisions (including relevant secretary of state or county auditor staff and persons collecting initiative or referendum signatures). Criminal justice participants or election officials who are targets under the felony provisions, and persons residing with them, become eligible for the address confidentiality program under RCW 40.24.030. The statute expressly preserves victims' rights to pursue other legal remedies. The bill was prefiled 12/08/25, read for the first time 01/12/26, and referred to the Committee on Law & Justice. The extracted text does not include an effective date, sentencing ranges or fines beyond the gross misdemeanor/class C felony classifications, or whether other statutory changes are included elsewhere in the bill.

If enacted, the bill makes it clearer that electronic messages can count as harassment and raises the stakes in specific situations: repeat harassment of the same victim, threats to kill, and harassment aimed at or tied to the official actions of criminal justice workers or certain election workers can be charged as felonies rather than lesser offenses. People who work in law enforcement, prosecuting offices, corrections, probation, victim-witness advocacy, defense law, county auditors, the secretary of state’s voter offices, and petition signature gatherers are most directly affected because they face a higher likelihood that threatening conduct directed at them will be prosecuted more seriously, and they and household members become eligible to use the state’s address confidentiality program. Practically, prosecutors and courts are likely to see more felony filings in the listed circumstances and employers of those workers may need to update safety guidance, inform staff about confidentiality options, and coordinate with legal offices; the address confidentiality program may see higher demand and need more resources. The bill does not show an effective date or give detailed penalty ranges here, so the timing and exact impact on caseloads, budgets, and administrative responsibilities remain uncertain.