---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning postconviction access to counsel."
description: "Concerning postconviction access to counsel."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 5046"
citation: "Washington SB 5046 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Saldaña"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 39
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2022-12-14"
last_action: "2023-05-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e3658c40-546e-4d89-a542-90197bdbb819"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5046&year=2023"
source_hash: "2d62012e19990d80b9235ee4be0405085617300f2169c914ea7f8c7c3c9611de"
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 5046 (2023-2024) — Concerning postconviction access to counsel.

## 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/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5046.htm)
2. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5046-S2.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5046-S2.PL.htm)
4. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5046-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#3) — **30–19** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#17) — **58–40** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Saldaña — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Frame — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Nguyen — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Pedersen — cosponsor (person)
- Trudeau — cosponsor (person)
- Valdez — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-12-14** Prefiled for introduction. `filing`
- **2023-01-09** First reading, referred to Law & Justice. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-12** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-01-19** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-01-19** LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-01-19** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-19** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-01-20** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-31** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-02-14** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-02-14** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-14** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-14** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-16** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-03-01** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-03** 2nd substitute bill substituted (WM 23). `substitution`
- **2023-03-03** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-03** Third reading, passed; yeas, 30; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-06** First reading, referred to Civil Rights & Judiciary. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-15** Public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-03-17** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-03-17** CRJ - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-17** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-03-17** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-03-21** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-30** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
- **2023-04-01** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-04-01** APP - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-01** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-04-04** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-10** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2023-04-10** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-10** Third reading, passed; yeas, 58; nays, 40; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-12** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-14** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-18** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-04** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-04** Chapter 261, 2023 Laws. `became-law`
- **2023-05-04** Effective date 1/1/2024. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e3658c40-546e-4d89-a542-90197bdbb819`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).