---
type: "Bill"
title: "Enacting the uniform public expression protection act."
description: "Enacting the uniform public expression protection act."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "SB 5009"
citation: "Washington SB 5009 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CIVIL ACTIONS AND PROCEDURE", "CONSTITUTION", "STATE", "CONSTITUTION", "U.S.", "LEGISLATURE", "NAMED ACTS", "OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Padden"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 33
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-12-09T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a0ea0cb3-76a7-429a-9e8c-17d7d03e5ade"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5009&year=2021"
source_hash: "03db1e1484453a952b7eaf81a4d317dd1c2637b865443a906fda0c2e0b696753"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5009 (2021-2022) — Enacting the uniform public expression protection act.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5009.htm)
2. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5009-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#14) — **97–1** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#3) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#8) — **46–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Padden — primary (person)
- Brown — cosponsor (person)
- McCune — cosponsor (person)
- Mullet — cosponsor (person)
- Pedersen — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-12-09T05:00:00+00:00** Prefiled for introduction. `filing`
- **2021-01-11T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Law & Justice. `reading-1`
- **2021-01-14T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- **2021-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2021-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2021-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** 1st substitute bill substituted (LAW 21). `substitution`
- **2021-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 46; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 3. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Civil Rights & Judiciary. `reading-1`
- **2021-03-17T04:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** CRJ - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-07T04:00:00+00:00** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2021-04-09T04:00:00+00:00** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2021-04-09T04:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-09T04:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 97; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-14T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2021-04-14T04:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `passage`
- **2021-04-20T04:00:00+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-23T04:00:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-26T04:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Chapter 259, 2021 Laws. `became-law`
- **2021-05-12T04:00:00+00:00** Effective date 7/25/2021. `became-law`
- **2021-01-14T15:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM
- **2021-02-04T15:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM
- **2021-03-17T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:00 AM
- **2021-03-24T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a0ea0cb3-76a7-429a-9e8c-17d7d03e5ade`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).