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SB 5631

Requiring state agencies to clearly identify programs and services which accept applicants with deferred action for childhood arrival status.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Andy Billig and 14 co-sponsors

WA agencies must display online which programs are open to DACA recipients, boosting transparency; no new funding; effective 90 days after adjournment.

By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
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Bill Summary · SB 5631

Summary of SB 5631 (Washington State)

Overview

SB 5631, introduced February 3, 2025, would require state agencies to clearly identify on their websites which programs and services are available to applicants who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. The measure aims to improve transparency about eligibility for DACA recipients without altering any existing program requirements or publications. The bill has been returned to the Senate Rules Committee for third reading following a resolution action.

What the bill would do

  • Each state agency must clearly identify on the agency’s website all programs and services for which applicants are not ineligible solely because of DACA status.
  • The requirement applies only to online disclosure; agencies are not obligated to update or revise existing documents or publications beyond what is on their website.
  • There is no new appropriation attached to the bill, and no fiscal note was requested.

Key provisions

  • Clarifies that DACA status should not automatically disqualify individuals from access to certain state programs and services.
  • Requires public-facing information on agency websites to reflect which programs/services are accessible to DACA recipients.
  • Effective date: 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is enacted.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: Individuals in Washington with DACA status seeking to understand which state programs and services they may be eligible for (e.g., in-state tuition, state financial aid, driver’s licenses or IDs, and state-funded health care coverage as examples cited in background materials).
  • State agencies and their public websites, which would implement the disclosure requirement.

Fiscal and timeline notes

  • Appropriation: None.
  • Fiscal Note: Not requested.
  • Effective date: 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill passes.
  • Status: By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading (as of the latest update).

Background context

The bill builds on Washington’s ongoing interest in clarifying access for individuals with DACA status. Background materials explain that DACA provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization for eligible individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children, with renewals every two years. DACA recipients in Washington may qualify for several state benefits and programs; the bill seeks to make these eligibility paths more transparent online.

Legislative history (highlights)

  • Prior iterations (including a 2023 version) proposed similar language adding a new section to RCW to require agency website disclosures.
  • The most recent action shows development in the 2025 session, with first reading and committee referrals, and status indicating a return to Senate Rules for third reading after a resolution action.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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