Dear Friends and Neighbors,
In January, the Washington State Legislature convened for the 2026 short session: a 60-day sprint where we focus on adjusting our state budget and refining policies that impact every corner of our state.
This year’s session comes at a time of real fiscal constraints. With a tight budget outlook, we’re doubling down on protecting what matters most: education, services for people with disabilities, and investments that support families and communities across Washington.
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Here are some bills I’m proud to be sponsoring:
💻 Protecting Your Privacy
Tracking and data collection are everywhere, often without our knowledge or real control. Personal data isn’t just names and emails anymore: it includes health information, geolocation, and detailed behavioral profiles used by companies and advertisers.
I’ve introduced HB 1671, the People’s Privacy Act, to create stronger privacy rights for you by:
- Giving Washington residents the right to know what data companies hold about them;
- Allowing people to request correction or deletion of that personal data;
- Letting you opt out of targeted advertising or the sale of your data; and
- Requiring companies to be transparent about data uses and conduct assessments when data use could harm consumers.
This matters because unchecked data collection can be harmful: from democratic harms like targeted misinformation campaigns that can shift election outcomes, to threats to personal safety when sensitive data like addresses or location history is exposed, to sophisticated scams using demographic and biometric data to deceive people. My goal with this bill is to bring more fairness, control, and transparency to how your data is used.
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🌱 Compassion at the End of Life
One of the deeply personal bills I’m sponsoring this session is HB 2152, Ryan’s Law. This bill would allow qualifying patients with a terminal condition to use medical cannabis in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice facilities, consistent with their care plans.
Under this bill:
- Facilities would create policies to allow patients to use cannabis for comfort and dignity in end-of-life care;
- Use would be safe and controlled, included in medical records, and administered by the patient or a designated caregiver; and
- Traditional smoking or vaping would be prohibited for safety, with other use methods allowed per facility guidelines.
This is about compassion, comfort, and respecting patient choice during some of life’s most precious and difficult moments.
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🤖 Responsible Innovation
We’re also tackling the implications of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. AI holds enormous promise, from improving health care outcomes to enhancing state services, but it also amplifies the privacy risks, misinformation threats, and discrimination we’re already seeing.
In Olympia, we’re working to set reasonable guardrails so that Washington can benefit from AI’s potential while protecting people’s rights and safety.
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🎯 Bigger Themes This Session
Given the budget challenges we face, I’m focused on protecting core priorities:
📌 Preserving Critical Education Funding We must ensure that funds collected for education go where they were intended – closing gaps between funding commitments and real classroom needs.
📌 Protecting Services for People with Disabilities Washington’s commitment to supporting people with disabilities – from in-home care to community services – must be maintained even under fiscal pressure.
📌 Technology With Accountability Whether it’s data privacy or AI policy, we should lead with innovation that protects people.
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Stay Engaged!
Your voice matters! Whether it’s submitting testimony, attending town halls, or reaching out to my office, your engagement strengthens our democracy and shapes better policy.
Thank you for staying engaged. Your voice matters — especially in a short, fast-moving session like this one. Please reach out if you have questions or want to share your thoughts on these issues.
In partnership,
Rep. Shelley Kloba
