This bill creates the "charitable organizations privacy protection act" as a new chapter in Title 11 RCW. Its stated purpose is to protect the privacy of individuals affiliated with charitable organizations, promote efficient transfers of property to charitable beneficiaries, and help ensure a decedent's intent for charitable beneficiary designations is fulfilled. It is a new law that establishes procedures, privacy limits, a liability shield for good faith actions, and a private right of action with civil penalties. Key provisions require holders of property (including financial institutions, transfer agents, insurers, and others) who are notified of an owner's death to provide written notice within 10 business days to each listed charitable beneficiary that may have a right to the property, including holder contact information and claim instructions. Charitable organizations may present a specified affidavit with supporting documentation (for example, an IRS determination letter, secretary of state certificate of existence, death verification, evidence of authority to act, and a completed IRS Form W-9) to obtain property or information; holders that receive a compliant affidavit must pay, deliver, or transfer the property to the charitable organization within 30 days. The bill bars holders from requiring certain personal identifying information (examples listed include Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, financial information, and similar items) from individuals employed by or serving on a charitable organization's governing board as a condition of transferring property or releasing information, and it forbids requiring a charity to open an account, forcing co-beneficiaries to submit claims simultaneously, or delaying payment to one co-beneficiary because others have not submitted documentation. The act defines key terms (for example, "beneficiary designation," "charitable organization" as a 501(c)(3) registered under chapter 19.09 RCW, and "holder of property"), names affected actors (charitable organizations, holders, the Washington secretary of state, the IRS, and Washington superior courts), provides a private cause of action in superior court with remedies including actual damages, court costs, reasonable attorneys' fees, and a civil penalty of $500–$10,000, and sets a one-year deadline to commence suit. The chapter must be liberally construed to protect privacy and promote prompt transfers. The extracted text does not specify an effective date for the act, does not give the new chapter number in Title 11 RCW, and does not describe any enforcement mechanism beyond the civil remedies shown.

If enacted, charities recognized as 501(c)(3) and registered with the secretary of state would be able to get nonprobate assets more quickly and with less exposure of staff and board members’ personal information: holders (banks, insurers, transfer agents, and others) must notify listed charitable beneficiaries within 10 business days after learning of an owner’s death and, when presented with a compliant affidavit plus specified documents (IRS letter, secretary of state certificate, death verification, proof of authority, and W‑9), must pay or transfer the property within 30 days. Holders would also be barred from demanding many categories of personal identifying information from charity employees or board members or forcing charities to open accounts or coordinate claims, and holders acting in good faith on a compliant affidavit would be shielded from liability. The groups most affected are charitable organizations, which will likely receive money faster but will need to assemble required paperwork, and holders of property, which will face new notification and transfer deadlines, limits on what they can ask for, and the potential for civil suits with actual damages, attorneys’ fees, and civil penalties of $500–$10,000 if they fail to comply. Important details are unclear from the provided text—there is no effective date or new chapter number specified, and no administrative enforcement mechanism beyond the civil remedies described—so timing and some enforcement consequences remain uncertain.