This bill establishes the "imagination library of Washington" program by amending and recodifying existing statute (RCW 43.216.200, recodified into chapter 28A.300 RCW) and adds new sections to that chapter. Subject to amounts appropriated, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must select a Washington state–based qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Washington to create and operate the program. The selected nonprofit must run daily operations, develop and strengthen affiliate programs statewide, run a public awareness campaign to recruit donors and register eligible children (birth through age five), and contract with a national nonprofit foundation to mail monthly, age-appropriate books at no cost to families. The nonprofit operator must pay 50 percent of the cost to the national foundation for enrolled children and each affiliate program must pay the remaining cost for children enrolled in that affiliate. OSPI may seek and accept gifts, grants, endowments, and public or private income for the program and spend them according to their terms, and OSPI, subject to appropriations, shall contract with a nonprofit experienced in promoting early literacy through pediatric office visits. The law creates a new statewide administrative program and reporting requirements rather than a criminal or penalty change. The selected nonprofit must file a report by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter to the relevant legislative committees and the governor, showing the number of affiliate programs, number of children enrolled in each affiliate, and number of children statewide, submitted in compliance with RCW 43.01.036. Missing or unclear details in the provided text include the specific appropriation amounts, the exact placement or section numbers within chapter 28A.300 after recodification, detailed selection criteria or processes for the state nonprofit beyond basic responsibilities, the contract terms for the pediatric-office-visit literacy promotion nonprofit, and any transition details related to transfer from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

If enacted, the state will have OSPI pick a Washington-based nonprofit to run and expand the Imagination Library program so children from birth to age five can be enrolled to receive monthly, age-appropriate books at no cost to families. In practice this makes that nonprofit and the local affiliate programs responsible for day-to-day operations, outreach, affiliate recruitment, and paying for the books—specifically the statewide operator must cover half the per-child book cost and each affiliate must cover the other half—so those organizations will need to secure funding from state appropriations, grants, donations, or other sources and will face ongoing fundraising and administrative costs. OSPI will have oversight, can accept and spend gifts or grants for the program, and may contract for pediatric-office literacy promotion, which shifts program administration and contracting responsibilities toward OSPI and the chosen nonprofit (the bill title also indicates a transfer from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families). The groups most affected are the selected 501(c)(3) operator and the local affiliates (new operating, funding, and reporting duties), OSPI (new oversight and contracting tasks), the national foundation contracted to mail books (paid to provide books), and eligible children and their families (likely increased access to free books). The nonprofit operator must report annually by November 1, 2026 and every year after on affiliate numbers and enrollment, increasing legislative oversight. Important details are missing or unclear here—how much state money will be appropriated, how the operator will be selected, exact contract terms for the national foundation and pediatric outreach, and any transition specifics from DCYF—so timing, scale, and who ultimately bears funding risk remain uncertain.