This bill creates a new law that designates the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (also called the cow shark), as the official state shark of Washington by adding a new section to chapter 1.20 RCW. The change is a symbolic statutory designation rather than a criminal or regulatory provision. The bill text identifies the species by scientific and common names and mentions residents, researchers, and divers who observe sixgill sharks in Washington’s inland marine waters, and it names the city of Des Moines. The measure was filed by Senators Frame, C. Wilson, Nobles, Salomon, and Shewmake and was referred to the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections. The document provided does not give an exact new RCW section number within chapter 1.20, an effective date, implementation steps, appropriations, enforcement mechanisms, or administrative responsibilities. No other legislative history or related amendments are included in the extracted facts.

If enacted, the bill would give the bluntnose sixgill shark formal recognition as Washington’s state shark, a symbolic designation that in the text provided does not create programs, funding, enforcement duties, or new legal obligations. In practice this is most likely to increase public and local recognition—especially among residents, researchers, and divers who encounter sixgill sharks in Washington’s inland marine waters—and may raise interest or pride in places named in the bill such as the city of Des Moines. The bill does not include an effective date, appropriation, or any administrative or enforcement responsibilities, so state agencies and local governments should not expect new funding or formal tasks from this statute as written. Important implementation details are missing from the provided text, so any downstream actions (public education, signage, or promotional use) would depend on separate decisions not specified here.