Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
HB 2419
Brief Description: Concerning participation in the address confidentiality program by administrative law judges and staff employed by the office of administrative hearings.
Sponsors: Representatives Taylor, Hill, Parshley, Berry, Scott, Reed and Donaghy; by request of Office of Administrative Hearings.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Expands the list of individuals who qualify to apply for the Address Confidentiality Program on the basis of being a target of threat or harassment prohibited under the criminal code to administrative law judges and appointed staff of the Office of Administrative Hearings.
Hearing Date: 1/23/26
Staff: Desiree Omli (786-7105).
Background:

Address Confidentiality Program.

The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) allows a person meeting certain criteria to apply to the Secretary of State for a separate address to serve as the person's public address in order to keep his or her actual address confidential. The ACP is available for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or stalking, who fear for their safety.  A person may apply on their own behalf or on behalf of a minor or incapacitated person who meets the criteria.  A criminal justice participant, election official, health care services provider who provides specified protected health services, and their family members are eligible for the ACP if they are a target for threats or harassment prohibited under both the harassment and cyber harassment criminal statutes.

 

Harassment.

A person commits the crime of harassment by threatening another person with the intent to harm that person. For the communication to constitute harassment it must threaten bodily injury, property damage, physical confinement or restraint, or a malicious act, and the threatened person must reasonably fear that the threat will be carried out. Actions that constitute harassment include any form of communication, including electronic.

 

Cyber Harassment.
A person commits the crime of cyber harassment if the person makes an electronic communication to another person or a third party with the intent to harass or intimidate another person, except where such acts would constitute telephone harassment.  To qualify as cyber harassment, the following criteria must be met:

  1. the communication must:
    1. use lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene words, images, or language, or suggest the commission of any lewd or lascivious acts;
    2. be made anonymously or repeatedly; or
    3. threaten to inflict bodily injury upon, or injury to the property of, the person being harassed or any member of his or her family or household; and
  2. the communication:
    1. would cause a reasonable person with the knowledge of the sender's history, to suffer emotional distress or to fear for the safety of the person threatened; or
    2. reasonably caused the threatened person to suffer emotional distress or fear for the threatened person's safety.
Summary of Bill:

The list of eligible individuals who qualify for the ACP on the basis of being a target for threats or harassment prohibited under both the harassment and cyber harassment criminal statutes is expanded to include appointed administrative law judges and appointed staff of the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 19, 2026.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.