This bill creates a new chapter in Title 70A RCW establishing a statewide mattress stewardship program. It requires mattress producers to designate or form producer responsibility organizations (PROs), defines producers, PROs, mattresses and related terms, and sets deadlines for producer participation and PRO registration. Producers must appoint a PRO by January 1, 2027, be listed as members in good standing in a registration submitted to the Department of Ecology by July 1, 2027 (and annually thereafter), and beginning January 1, 2031 may not introduce covered mattresses into Washington unless they are members in good standing of a registered PRO with an approved plan. Beginning July 1, 2029, a producer, renovator, or retailer may not sell or offer a mattress in the state unless registered with a PRO that has a department‑approved plan (an exception is referenced in the bill but the extracted text does not include its details). The bill requires PROs to register with the Department of Ecology by March 1, 2027, submit a producer responsibility plan for department approval by July 1, 2029 (or within six months of certain rule adoptions), implement department‑approved plans, and file annual reports each June 1 beginning in 2031. Plans must include annual performance goals (including a minimum target recycling rate of at least 70 percent), program budgets and funding mechanisms, a financial reserve equal to two to six months of operating expenses, statewide collection standards and collection site requirements, education and outreach (with attention to overburdened communities), and contingency plans. PROs must collect fees from producers, reimburse service providers and government collection sites for demonstrable costs, maintain program websites, and coordinate with other programs. The bill references a one‑time payment and ongoing annual registration fees to be paid by PROs, with the fee amounts and some rulemaking authority specified in a section of the bill whose text was not provided in the extracted facts. The act also amends and reenacts existing statutes governing appeals and penalties. It authorizes the Department of Ecology to adopt rules, approve plans, post participating producers/brands on a public website, appoint an advisory council by January 1, 2027, and administratively impose civil penalties (generally up to $1,000 per violation per day and up to $10,000 per violation per day for repeated violations or failure to comply with a compliance order). For a first violation the department must issue a written warning with 30 days to comply; subsequent violations may result in penalties. Penalties collected are deposited into a responsible mattress management account created in the state treasury to fund administration and implementation. The bill grants limited antitrust immunity to participants for planning and operating the stewardship program and provides appeal rights to the pollution control hearings board; it also amends penalty notice and collection procedures in RCW 43.21B.300. The extracted materials leave some details unclear or incomplete, including portions of certain deadline provisions, the identity of the specific department in some references, the full text of the fee and rulemaking section, and several sections that end mid‑sentence in the available text.

If enacted, mattress makers will be required to join or form nonprofit producer responsibility organizations (PROs) that register with and submit approved stewardship plans to the Department of Ecology, pay one‑time and annual registration fees, and pay ongoing producer fees to fund statewide collection, recycling, renovation, education, and administration. PROs must run the programs, reimburse collection sites and government facilities for demonstrable costs, keep a financial reserve, meet performance goals (including a 70% recycling target), submit annual reports, and maintain outreach; retailers must buy only from registered producers with approved plans and give consumers information at point of sale. The Department of Ecology will collect fees into a dedicated “responsible mattress management” account, approve plans, adopt rules, appoint an advisory council, and can impose penalties for noncompliance; producers who are not members in good standing with a registered PRO and approved plan may be barred from introducing mattresses into Washington beginning in 2031. The groups most directly affected are mattress producers and PROs: producers will face new recurring fees, reporting and membership responsibilities, and potential costs to meet recycling and collection targets, while PROs will bear program operating costs, reimbursement obligations, reserve requirements, and liability for meeting performance goals. Retailers must verify supplier registration and cannot pass nonreimbursable producer costs to consumers. Local governments and service providers may gain reimbursements when they act as collection sites but will need to coordinate with PROs. Key implementation details that will determine exact fees, enforcement timing, and some plan requirements are not included here (for example section 12’s fee amounts and some mid‑sentence deadlines), so the ultimate cost and operational impacts depend on those unresolved rules.