This bill creates a new statutory prohibition in chapter 69.50 RCW by adding a new section that makes it a gross misdemeanor to sell, furnish, administer, distribute, give away, or offer to do any of those acts with a device, canister, tank, or receptacle that: exclusively contains nitrous oxide; contains flavored nitrous oxide; or exclusively contains a chemical compound mixed with nitrous oxide. The bill therefore establishes a new criminal prohibition and classifies the prohibited conduct as a gross misdemeanor. The bill defines "nitrous oxide" to include N2O, dinitrogen monoxide, dinitrogen oxide, nitrogen oxide, or laughing gas. It lists exceptions for licensed medical or dental practitioners, manufacturers engaged in manufacturing or industrial operations involving nitrous oxide, entities selling nitrous oxide contained in food products used as a propellant, and automotive users or sellers. The bill was read for the first time on 01/15/26 and was referred to the Senate Committee on Law & Justice. The text provided does not specify the new section number, further definitions for terms like "device" or "flavored nitrous oxide," sentencing details beyond the gross misdemeanor classification, an effective date, or enforcement and implementation procedures.

If enacted, the bill would make it a crime to sell, give away, or offer devices, canisters, tanks, or receptacles that exclusively contain nitrous oxide, contain flavored nitrous oxide, or contain a chemical compound mixed with nitrous oxide, with violations classified as a gross misdemeanor. That means retailers, distributors, and others who market or offer those products would likely need to stop selling them, remove inventory, and could face criminal charges, creating possible lost revenue and legal risk; medical and dental practitioners, manufacturers using nitrous oxide in industrial processes, sellers of food products using nitrous oxide as a propellant, and automotive users/sellers are carved out and would not be affected. The bill adds a new section to chapter 69.50 RCW and was first read on 01/15/26, but it does not set an effective date, spell out fines or jail ranges beyond the gross misdemeanor label, or define key terms like “flavored nitrous oxide” or what counts as a covered device, so exactly how enforcement and compliance would work is unclear.