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AN ACT Relating to restricting the possession of weapons on the 1
premises of state or local public buildings, parks or playground 2
facilities where children are likely to be present, and county fairs 3
and county fair facilities; and amending RCW 9.41.300.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 9.41.300 and 2024 c 285 s 1 are each amended to read 6
as follows: 7
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places 8
when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her 9
control a weapon: 10
(a) The restricted access areas of a jail, or of a law 11
enforcement facility, or any place used for the confinement of a 12
person (i) arrested for, charged with, or convicted of an offense, 13
(ii) held for extradition or as a material witness, or (iii) 14
otherwise confined pursuant to an order of a court, except an order 15
under chapter 13.32A or 13.34 RCW. Restricted access areas do not 16
include common areas of egress or ingress open to the general public;17
(b) Those areas in any building which are used in connection with 18
court proceedings, including courtrooms, jury rooms, judge's 19
chambers, offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting 20
areas, and corridors adjacent to areas used in connection with court 21
S-0049.3
SENATE BILL 5098
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Valdez, Saldaña, Dhingra, Frame, Nobles, Orwall,
Pedersen, Salomon, Stanford, Wellman, and C. Wilson
Prefiled 12/20/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Law & Justice.
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proceedings. The restricted areas do not include common areas of 1
ingress and egress to the building that is used in connection with 2
court proceedings, when it is possible to protect court areas without 3
restricting ingress and egress to the building. The restricted areas 4
shall be the minimum necessary to fulfill the objective of this 5
subsection (1)(b). 6
((For purposes of this subsection (1)(b), "weapon" means any 7
firearm, explosive as defined in RCW 70.74.010, or any weapon of the 8
kind usually known as slungshot, sand club, or metal knuckles, or any 9
knife, dagger, dirk, or other similar weapon that is capable of 10
causing death or bodily injury and is commonly used with the intent 11
to cause death or bodily injury.))12
In addition, the local legislative authority shall provide either 13
a stationary locked box sufficient in size for pistols and key to a 14
weapon owner for weapon storage, or shall designate an official to 15
receive weapons for safekeeping, during the owner's visit to 16
restricted areas of the building. The locked box or designated 17
official shall be located within the same building used in connection 18
with court proceedings. The local legislative authority shall be 19
liable for any negligence causing damage to or loss of a weapon 20
either placed in a locked box or left with an official during the 21
owner's visit to restricted areas of the building.22
The local judicial authority shall designate and clearly mark 23
those areas where weapons are prohibited, and shall post notices at 24
each entrance to the building of the prohibition against weapons in 25
the restricted areas; 26
(c) The restricted access areas of a public mental health 27
facility licensed or certified by the department of health for 28
inpatient hospital care and state institutions for the care of the 29
mentally ill, excluding those facilities solely for evaluation and 30
treatment. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of 31
egress and ingress open to the general public; 32
(d) That portion of an establishment classified by the state 33
liquor and cannabis board as off-limits to persons under 21 years of 34
age; 35
(e) The restricted access areas of a commercial service airport 36
designated in the airport security plan approved by the federal 37
transportation security administration, including passenger screening 38
checkpoints at or beyond the point at which a passenger initiates the 39
screening process. These areas do not include airport drives, general 40
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parking areas and walkways, and shops and areas of the terminal that 1
are outside the screening checkpoints and that are normally open to 2
unscreened passengers or visitors to the airport. Any restricted 3
access area shall be clearly indicated by prominent signs indicating 4
that firearms and other weapons are prohibited in the area;5
(f) The premises of a library established or maintained pursuant 6
to the authority of chapter 27.12 RCW; 7
(g) The premises of a zoo or aquarium accredited or certified by 8
the association of zoos and aquariums or the zoological association 9
of America or a facility with a current signed memorandum of 10
participation with an association of zoos and aquariums species 11
survival plan; ((or))12
(h) The premises of a transit station or transit facility. For 13
purposes of this subsection, "transit station" and "transit facility" 14
have the same meaning as defined in RCW 9.91.025. "Transit station" 15
and "transit facility" do not include any "transit vehicle" as that 16
term is defined in RCW 9.91.025;17
(i) The premises of a city's, town's, county's, or other 18
municipality's neighborhood, community, or regional park facilities 19
at which children are likely to be present. Cities, towns, counties, 20
and other municipalities shall designate the park facilities within 21
its boundaries where children are likely to be present and post 22
appropriate signage at common access points of the park facility's 23
premises to notify the public that weapons are prohibited within the 24
park facility. Park facilities where children and youth are likely to 25
be present include, but are not limited to, park facilities that 26
have: Playgrounds or children's play areas; sports fields; swim 27
beaches or water play areas; teen centers, community centers, or 28
performing arts centers; skate parks; and other recreational 29
facilities likely to be used by children or youth;30
(j) The premises of a state or local public building. A "state or 31
local public building" means a building or part of a building owned, 32
leased, held, or used by the governmental entity of a city, town, 33
county, or other municipality or by the state of Washington, if state 34
or local public employees are regularly present for the purposes of 35
performing their official duties and that is not regularly used, and 36
not intended to be used, by state or local public employees as a 37
place of residence. A state or local public building does not include 38
Washington state department of transportation properties and 39
facilities such as ferry terminals, ferry holding lanes, safety rest 40
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areas, and train depots which are used primarily by the general 1
traveling public; in such areas weapons must remain in locked cases 2
or remain in a locked portion of a vehicle; or 3
(k) The premises of county fairs and county fair facilities 4
during the hours of operation in which the fair is open to the 5
public. For the purpose of this subsection, "county fair" means fairs 6
organized to serve the interests of single counties and are under 7
county commissioner jurisdiction. This prohibition does not apply to 8
gun shows operating on county fairgrounds. 9
(2)(a) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, it is 10
unlawful for any person to knowingly open carry a firearm or other 11
weapon while knowingly at any permitted demonstration. This 12
subsection (2)(a) applies whether the person carries the firearm or 13
other weapon on his or her person or in a vehicle.14
(b) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly open carry a 15
firearm or other weapon while knowingly within 250 feet of the 16
perimeter of a permitted demonstration after a duly authorized state 17
or local law enforcement officer advises the person of the permitted 18
demonstration and directs the person to leave until he or she no 19
longer possesses or controls the firearm or other weapon. This 20
subsection (2)(b) does not apply to any person possessing or 21
controlling any firearm or other weapon on private property owned or 22
leased by that person. 23
(c) Duly authorized federal, state, and local law enforcement 24
officers and personnel are exempt from the provisions of this 25
subsection (2) when carrying a firearm or other weapon in conformance 26
with their employing agency's policy. Members of the armed forces of 27
the United States or the state of Washington are exempt from the 28
provisions of this subsection (2) when carrying a firearm or other 29
weapon in the discharge of official duty or traveling to or from 30
official duty. 31
(d) For purposes of this subsection, the following definitions 32
apply: 33
(i) "Permitted demonstration" means either: (A) A gathering for 34
which a permit has been issued by a federal agency, state agency, or 35
local government; or (B) a gathering of 15 or more people who are 36
assembled for a single event at a public place that has been declared 37
as permitted by the chief executive, sheriff, or chief of police of a 38
local government in which the gathering occurs. A "gathering" means a 39
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demonstration, march, rally, vigil, sit-in, protest, picketing, or 1
similar public assembly. 2
(ii) "Public place" means any site accessible to the general 3
public for business, entertainment, or another lawful purpose. A 4
"public place" includes, but is not limited to, the front, immediate 5
area, or parking lot of any store, shop, restaurant, tavern, shopping 6
center, or other place of business; any public building, its grounds, 7
or surrounding area; or any public parking lot, street, right-of-way, 8
sidewalk, public park, or other public grounds. 9
(((iii) "Weapon" has the same meaning given in subsection (1)(b) 10
of this section.))11
(e) Nothing in this subsection applies to the lawful concealed 12
carry of a firearm by a person who has a valid concealed pistol 13
license. 14
(3) Cities, towns, counties, and other municipalities may enact 15
laws and ordinances: 16
(a) Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their 17
respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that 18
humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws 19
and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual 20
guaranteed by Article I, section 24 of the state Constitution to bear 21
arms in defense of self or others; and 22
(b) Restricting the possession of firearms in any stadium or 23
convention center, operated by a city, town, county, or other 24
municipality, except that such restrictions shall not apply to:25
(i) Any pistol in the possession of a person licensed under RCW 26
9.41.070 or exempt from the licensing requirement by RCW 9.41.060; or27
(ii) Any showing, demonstration, or lecture involving the 28
exhibition of firearms. 29
(4)(a) Cities, towns, and counties may enact ordinances 30
restricting the areas in their respective jurisdictions in which 31
firearms may be sold, but, except as provided in (b) of this 32
subsection, a business selling firearms may not be treated more 33
restrictively than other businesses located within the same zone. An 34
ordinance requiring the cessation of business within a zone shall not 35
have a shorter grandfather period for businesses selling firearms 36
than for any other businesses within the zone. 37
(b) Cities, towns, and counties may restrict the location of a 38
business selling firearms to not less than 500 feet from primary or 39
secondary school grounds, if the business has a storefront, has hours 40
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during which it is open for business, and posts advertisements or 1
signs observable to passersby that firearms are available for sale. A 2
business selling firearms that exists as of the date a restriction is 3
enacted under this subsection (4)(b) shall be grandfathered according 4
to existing law. 5
(5) Violations of local ordinances adopted under subsection (3) 6
of this section must have the same penalty as provided for by state 7
law. 8
(6) ((The)) As soon as practicable, the perimeter of the premises 9
of any specific location covered by subsection (1) of this section 10
shall be posted at ((reasonable intervals )) common public access 11
points to alert the public as to the existence of any law restricting 12
the possession of firearms on the premises. 13
(7) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:14
(a) A person engaged in military activities sponsored by the 15
federal or state governments, while engaged in official duties;16
(b) Law enforcement personnel, except that subsection (1)(b) of 17
this section does apply to a law enforcement officer who is present 18
at a courthouse building as a party to an antiharassment protection 19
order action or a domestic violence protection order action under 20
chapter 7.105 or 10.99 RCW, or an action under Title 26 RCW where any 21
party has alleged the existence of domestic violence as defined in 22
RCW 7.105.010; ((or))23
(c) Security personnel while engaged in official duties((.24
(8) Subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), (e), (f), (g), and (h) of this 25
section does not apply to correctional)); or26
(d) Correctional personnel or community corrections officers, as 27
long as they are employed as such, who have completed government-28
sponsored law enforcement firearms training, except that subsection 29
(1)(b) of this section does apply to a correctional employee or 30
community corrections officer who is present at a courthouse building 31
as a party to an antiharassment protection order action or a domestic 32
violence protection order action under chapter 7.105 or 10.99 RCW, or 33
an action under Title 26 RCW where any party has alleged the 34
existence of domestic violence as defined in RCW 7.105.010.35
(((9))) (8) Subsection (1)(a) of this section does not apply to a 36
person licensed pursuant to RCW 9.41.070 who, upon entering the place 37
or facility, directly and promptly proceeds to the administrator of 38
the facility or the administrator's designee and obtains written 39
permission to possess the firearm while on the premises or checks his 40
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or her firearm. The person may reclaim the firearms upon leaving but 1
must immediately and directly depart from the place or facility.2
(((10))) (9) Subsection (1)(c) of this section does not apply to 3
any administrator or employee of the facility or to any person who, 4
upon entering the place or facility, directly and promptly proceeds 5
to the administrator of the facility or the administrator's designee 6
and obtains written permission to possess the firearm while on the 7
premises. 8
(((11))) (10) Subsection (1)(d) of this section does not apply to 9
the proprietor of the premises or his or her employees while engaged 10
in their employment. 11
(((12))) (11) Subsection (1)(g) of this section does not apply to 12
employees of a zoo, aquarium, or animal sanctuary, while engaged in 13
their employment if the weapon is owned by the zoo, aquarium, or 14
animal sanctuary and maintained for the purpose of protecting its 15
employees, animals, or the visiting public. 16
(((13))) (12) Subsection (1)(f), (g), ((and)) (h), (i), (j), and 17
(k) of this section does not apply to the activities of color guards 18
and honor guards affiliated with the United States military, 19
Washington state national guard, or Washington department of 20
veterans' affairs related to burial or interment ceremonies 21
including, but not limited to, any staging and logistical 22
requirements of the color guard or honor guard. 23
(((14))) (13) Subsection (1)(f), (g), and (h) of this section 24
does not apply to a person licensed to carry a concealed firearm 25
pursuant to RCW 9.41.070. 26
(((15))) (14) Government-sponsored law enforcement firearms 27
training must be training that correctional personnel and community 28
corrections officers receive as part of their job requirement and 29
reference to such training does not constitute a mandate that it be 30
provided by the correctional facility. 31
(((16))) (15) Any person violating subsection (1) or (2) of this 32
section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. 33
(((17))) (16) "Weapon" as used in this section means any firearm, 34
explosive as defined in RCW 70.74.010, or instrument or weapon listed 35
in RCW 9.41.250. 36
(17) For the purposes of this section, "park facilities where 37
children and youth are likely to be present" and "places of 38
amusement" include, but are not limited to: Playgrounds or children's 39
play areas; sports fields; swim beaches or water play areas; teen 40
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centers, community centers, or performing arts centers; skate parks; 1
and other recreational facilities likely to be used by children or 2
youth. 3
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