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HB1802 • 2026

Obstructing first responder

Prohibiting obstructing a law enforcement officer or other first responder.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Representative Graham, Representative Burnett, Representative Marshall, Representative Walsh, Representative Keaton, Representative Griffey, Representative Stuebe, Representative Schmidt, Representative Eslick
Last action
2026-01-12
Official status
H Community Safet
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Obstructing first responder

Obstructing first responder

What This Bill Does

  • Obstructing first responder

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-12 House

    By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

Official Summary Text

Obstructing first responder

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to prohibiting obstructing a law enforcement 1
officer or other first responder; and amending RCW 9A.76.020.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 9A.76.020 and 2001 c 308 s 3 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) A person is guilty of obstructing a law enforcement officer 6
or other first responder if the person ((willfully)):7
(a) Willfully hinders, delays, or obstructs any law enforcement 8
officer or other first responder in the discharge of his or her 9
official powers or duties; or10
(b) After receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a 11
person he or she knows or reasonably should know is a law enforcement 12
officer or other first responder, who is engaged in the lawful 13
performance of his or her official powers or duties, knowingly and 14
willfully violates such warning and approaches or remains within 25 15
feet of the law enforcement officer or other first responder with the 16
intent to:17
(i) Impede or interfere with the law enforcement officer's or 18
other first responder's ability to perform such duty;19
(ii) Threaten the law enforcement officer or other first 20
responder with physical harm; or21
H-0851.1
HOUSE BILL 1802
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Graham, Burnett, Marshall, Walsh, Keaton, Griffey,
Stuebe, Schmidt, and Eslick
Read first time 02/03/25. Referred to Committee on Community Safety.
p. 1 HB 1802
(iii) Harass the law enforcement officer or other first 1
responder. 2
(2) For purposes of this section:3
(a) "First responder" means any firefighter, emergency services 4
dispatcher or recordkeeper, emergency medical personnel as licensed 5
or certified by this state, member or former member of the Washington 6
national guard acting in an emergency response capacity pursuant to 7
chapter 38.52 RCW, coroner or medical examiner, or coroner's or 8
medical examiner's agent or employee.9
(b) "Law enforcement officer" means any general authority, 10
limited authority, or specially commissioned Washington peace officer 11
or federal peace officer as those terms are defined in RCW 10.93.020, 12
and other public officers who are responsible for enforcement of 13
fire, building, zoning, and life and safety codes.14
(3) No person who intervenes in the defense of, or comes to the 15
aid of, a law enforcement officer or other first responder who is in 16
imminent danger is guilty of obstructing a law enforcement officer or 17
other first responder.18
(4) Obstructing a law enforcement officer or other first 19
responder is a gross misdemeanor. 20
--- END ---
p. 2 HB 1802