WASHINGTON STATE — Starting January 1, several new laws will take effect across the state, impacting the lives of many residents.
One of the significant changes includes the implementation of the John Waldo Act, or House Bill 54-86. This law mandates theaters in Washington to equip themselves with closed captioning technology for the general public and to schedule open caption screenings. Theaters with five or more locations must provide at least five screenings with open captions. For theaters with fewer locations, open captioning must be available upon request.
Senate Bill 5689 introduces a new feature for Washington state driver’s licenses. For a $2 fee, individuals can have their blood type added to their license, provided they have documentation from a healthcare provider.
In the coming year, nicotine products will be subject to the state’s tobacco products tax, set at 95% of the selling price. This includes products like vapes and nicotine pouches such as Zyn. However, cigarettes are exempt from this tax due to a different state law.
Grocery shoppers will notice an increase in the cost of plastic bags, with fees rising from 8 cents to 12 cents. Under the Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Litter Control Act, stores are prohibited from reimbursing customers for this carry-out plastic bag fee.
Senate Bill 5041 brings new benefits to striking and locked-out workers. Eligible workers can now receive six weeks of unemployment benefits through the state. To qualify, they must have worked 680 hours in the base year, be unable to return to work through no fault of their own, be available to work, and have been unemployed for a week before receiving benefits. These benefits are provided through the Employment Security Department and will remain available until 2035.
