This bill amends RCW 18.79.030 to restrict the use of nursing titles and abbreviations and to make it unlawful to practice or offer to practice as a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), advanced registered nurse practitioner/advanced practice registered nurse, or nurse practitioner in Washington unless the person is licensed under the chapter. For RNs and LPNs the bill allows practice if the person holds a state license under the chapter or a valid multistate license under chapter 18.80 RCW; for advanced/advanced practice nurse practitioners and nurse practitioners it requires licensure under the chapter. The bill specifies which titles and abbreviations may be used by each licensed category (for example, "registered nurse" or "R.N." for licensed RNs; "licensed practical nurse" or "L.P.N." for licensed LPNs; and corresponding titles/abbreviations for advanced/advanced practice nurse practitioners and nurse practitioners) and prohibits any other person or any nonhuman entity from assuming those titles, abbreviations, or other signs indicating they hold those licenses. It includes a limited exception allowing a person listed as a Christian Science nurse in the Christian Science Journal to use the title "Christian Science nurse" provided they do not represent themselves as an RN, advanced registered/advanced practice nurse practitioner, nurse practitioner, or LPN unless otherwise authorized by law. The measure makes time‑staggered amendments to the same RCW provision: Section 1 expires June 30, 2027, and Section 2 takes effect June 30, 2027. The bill was prefiled December 16, 2025, read first time January 12, 2026, is identified as S-3625.1 / Senate Bill 5904 (69th Legislature, 2026), and cites chapter 18.80 RCW and prior session laws in its amendments. The extracted text shows two different terms for advanced nurse practitioners in the separate sections and does not explain why both are included; no penalties or enforcement details are provided in the extracted facts.

If enacted, the bill will make it unlawful for anyone other than a licensed human nurse to call themselves or hold out as a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse practitioner, or an advanced practice/advanced registered nurse under the stated titles and abbreviations, and it also bars any nonhuman entity from using those titles. Licensed RNs, LPNs, nurse practitioners, and advanced practice nurses keep the right to use their titles (and multistate license holders for RN/LPN are covered), Christian Science nurses listed in the Christian Science Journal may still use that specific title only if they do not claim licensed nurse titles, and organizations that currently use these terms without licensed staff will need to remove or change that language to avoid violations. The groups most affected are unlicensed people and any organizations or nonhuman entities currently using nursing titles, and health care employers, publishers, and advertisers who will likely need to update signage, marketing, and staffing descriptions—creating compliance costs and the need for credential checks. The measure shifts enforcement responsibility onto regulators and those entities but the bill text does not spell out new funding or enforcement resources; also, Section 1 expires June 30, 2027 and Section 2 takes effect that same date, which suggests a timed terminology change but the document here doesn’t explain why both versions are included.