State bill would prohibit local bans on encampments in Washington

Washington lawmakers are considering restrictions to keep cities and counties from criminalizing camping on public property.

Dozens of cities across the state have implemented such bans in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that laws like these don’t meet the threshold of “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Democrats on the House Housing Committee advanced House Bill 2489 on Monday with no Republican support. Rep. Adison Richards, D-Gig Harbor, was the sole Democratic vote against the legislation. Multiple Democrats said they supported it despite misgivings.

“Being homeless is not a crime,” said bill sponsor Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/05/state-bill-would-prohibit-local-bans-on-encampments-in-washington/