---
type: "Bill"
title: "Changing the vessel length requirement in obtaining nonresident vessel permits."
description: "Changing the vessel length requirement in obtaining nonresident vessel permits."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "SB 5281"
citation: "Washington SB 5281 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Chapman"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-01-15"
last_action: "2025-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8f687a6f-ec13-4ce4-bebe-9c69fe905a30"
source_url: "https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=5281&Year=2025&Initiative=false"
source_hash: "f64d38bacab5a7597291c07386ffbb461a9456f224476931c4dba6ee0f438098"
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 5281 (2025-2026) — Changing the vessel length requirement in obtaining nonresident vessel permits.

## 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/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5281.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5281-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5281-S.htm)
4. **Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5281-S.PL.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#13) — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#3) — **94–3** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Chapman — primary (person)
- Harris — cosponsor (person)
- King — cosponsor (person)
- Liias — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Shewmake — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-15** First reading, referred to Transportation. `reading-1`
- **2025-01-27** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
- **2025-02-06** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
- **2025-02-06** TRAN - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2025-02-07** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2025-02-12** Placed on second reading consent calendar. `reading-2`
- **2025-02-17** Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-02-19** 1st substitute bill substituted (TRAN 25). `substitution`
- **2025-02-19** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2025-02-19** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2025-02-19** Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2025-02-24** First reading, referred to Transportation. `reading-1`
- **2025-03-13** Public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
- **2025-04-04** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 1:30 PM.
- **2025-04-04** TR - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-08** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-14** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2025-04-15** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2025-04-15** Third reading, passed; yeas, 94; nays, 3; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2025-04-18** President signed. `passage`
- **2025-04-18** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2025-04-22** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-12** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-12** Chapter 244, 2025 Laws. `became-law`
- **2025-05-12** Effective date 9/1/2025. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8f687a6f-ec13-4ce4-bebe-9c69fe905a30`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).