SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2539
As of February 16, 2026
Title: An act relating to inmate funds.
Brief Description: Concerning inmate funds.
Sponsors: House Committee on Community Safety (originally sponsored by Representatives Street, Simmons, Santos and Leavitt).
Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/26, 57-36.
Committee Activity: Human Services: 2/18/26.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Increases the monetary amount for the definition of indigent inmate, indigent, and indigency, to a person that has less than $100 balance of disposable income in the individual's institutional account.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Staff: Will Trondsen (786-7552)
Background:

Under state law, an individual in the custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC) is considered indigent when their institutional account has a total of $25 or less of disposable income on the day a request is made to utilize funds and during the 30 days previous to the request. Individuals are required to contribute to legal financial obligations, savings, crime victims compensation, child support, costs of incarceration, and civil judgements.

 

The trust accounting system tracks an individual's savings account, and if the account is at $25 or less, the account will be flagged as indigent. A person that is indigent may purchase items at the commissary, such as hygiene, over the counter medications, pre-franked envelopes, and trust accounting systems will create debt for the entire amount of the purchase, without withdrawing funds from the account that is below $25.00. The same applies to other withdrawals such as legal copies, legal mail, health services copays, non-legal postage and television fees. Debt owed to DOC will be collected and calculated after deductions required by statute occur. Remaining balances of accounts will be used towards any debt owed to DOC upon release, and the excess being sent to the individual upon release.
Summary of Bill:

The monetary amount for the term indigent inmate, indigent, and indigency, is increased to mean a person with less than $100 in their institutional account. An inmate is considered indigent when they have less than a $100 balance of disposable income in their institutional account on the day a request is made to utilize funds and during the 30 days prior to the request. 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.