Detention facility fines/DOH

AN ACT Relating to the state's ability to fine private detention 1
facilities that deny entry to the department of health for an 2
inspection; and adding new sections to chapter 70.395 RCW.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 70.395 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) In any case in which the department attempts to inspect a 7
private detention facility and is prevented by the private detention 8
facility from entry to conduct an inspection, the department, in 9
accordance with the authority under RCW 43.70.095, may assess a civil 10
fine of up to $1,000 per day for the first 30 days. If the private 11
detention facility continues to prevent access to the department for 12
inspection after 30 days, the department may fine the private 13
detention facility up to $10,000 per day for the next 30 days. If the 14
private detention facility continues to prevent access to the 15
department for inspection after 60 days, the department may fine the 16
private detention facility up to $15,000 per day until access is 17
granted to the department to allow for inspection as permitted in 18
this chapter. Moneys collected under this section must be deposited 19
into the federal enforcement accountability and community repair 20
account. 21
S-4176.1
SENATE BILL 6286
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Orwall, Trudeau, Alvarado, Chapman, Conway, Dhingra,
Frame, Hasegawa, Liias, Lovelett, Nobles, Salomon, Slatter, Stanford,
Valdez, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
p. 1 SB 6286
(2) For the purposes of this section, "department" means the 1
Washington state department of health. 2
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 70.395 3
RCW to read as follows: 4
(1) The federal enforcement accountability and community repair 5
account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from civil 6
fines charged by the department of health for lack of entry into 7
private detention facilities for the purposes of announced and 8
unannounced inspections under section 1 of this act must be deposited 9
into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after 10
appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used for 11
providing assistance to individuals or families with members that 12
have been wrongfully detained and released by the court, assaulted, 13
or killed by agents employed by the United States immigration and 14
customs enforcement, which may include: 15
(a) Housing assistance; 16
(b) Food assistance; 17
(c) Legal services; 18
(d) Wage replacement; 19
(e) Child care assistance; 20
(f) Transportation assistance; 21
(g) Grants to nonprofit organizations providing services included 22
in this section to immigrant communities; and 23
(h) Financial compensation. 24
(2) Services provided to individuals through this account are not 25
an admission of fault by the state. This section does not create an 26
entitlement to compensation or assistance for any individual.27
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p. 2 SB 6286