OLYMPIA – Washington is taking a stand to protect its sovereignty and public safety with House Bill 1321. Introduced by Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-Tacoma), who also chairs the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee, the bill ensures that military forces from other states, territories, or districts cannot enter Washington for official duty without authorization from the Governor or the President.
Rep. Mena emphasized the need for the bill, stating, “the federal government has preemption over states in many respects and will continue to do so. This bill is about preventing other states from sending their own militias into Washington for the purposes of enforcing federal laws or taking matters into their own hands. Without this bill, there is nothing on the books to prevent this.”
States that have been identified as having identical or nearly identical law include Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Maine, and Indiana. States with prohibitions on military forces entering their state unless federalized under the control of the president include Texas, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Maryland.
HB 1321 does not impact military readiness or disaster response but prevents uncoordinated militia actions that could undermine state authority. With HB 1321, Washington reaffirms its control over military activities within its borders, ensuring its laws and policies remain free from outside interference.
Learn more by watching House consideration of HB 1321 below.
