---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment."
description: "Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 5536"
citation: "Washington SB 5536 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Robinson"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 60
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2023-01-23"
last_action: "2023-05-16"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/469eca4e-086c-41a0-898f-bb66eecc95e4"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5536&year=2023"
source_hash: "00ca7a5c59f13d7c02546c53b90b523784678bb516559f79e6abf0d6c8e432cd"
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 5536 (2023-2024) — Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment.

## 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/5536.htm)
2. **Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5536-S2.E.htm)
3. **Second Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5536-S2.E2.htm)
4. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5536-S2.htm)
5. **Second Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5536-S2.PL.htm)
6. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5536-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as recommended by the Conference Committee (#2) — **43–55** (fail) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#23) — **28–21** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#2) — **43–6** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#1) — **83–13** (pass) · lower
- 709 Graham Pg 44 Ln 10 (#24) — **95–0** (pass) · lower
- 679 Maycumber Pg 15 Ln 19 (#22) — **45–50** (fail) · lower
- 717 Maycumber Pg 10 Ln 16 (#25) — **44–51** (fail) · lower
- 711 Griffey Pg 26 Ln 34 (#23) — **41–54** (fail) · lower
- 713 Mosbrucker Pg 2 Ln 37 (#21) — **44–51** (fail) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#26) — **54–41** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Robinson — primary (person)
- Billig — cosponsor (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Liias — cosponsor (person)
- Lovelett — cosponsor (person)
- Lovick — cosponsor (person)
- Mullet — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Randall — cosponsor (person)
- Rolfes — cosponsor (person)
- Stanford — cosponsor (person)
- Wellman — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-23** First reading, referred to Law & Justice. `reading-1`
- **2023-02-06** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-02-09** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-02-09** LAW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-09** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-09** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-09** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-10** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-18** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-23** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-23** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-23** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-23** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-24** 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** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2023-03-03** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-03** Third reading, passed; yeas, 28; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-07** First reading, referred to Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-20** Public hearing in the House Committee on Community Safety at 1:30 PM.
- **2023-03-28** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Community Safety at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-03-28** CSJR - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-28** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-03-29** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-01** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-04-04** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-04-04** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) but without amendment(s) by Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-04** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-04-04** Minority; without recommendation. `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`
- **2023-04-11** Committee amendment not adopted. `amendment-failure`
- **2023-04-11** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2023-04-11** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-11** Third reading, passed; yeas, 54; nays, 41; absent, 0; excused, 3. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-21** Senate refuses to concur in House amendments. Asks House for conference thereon.
- **2023-04-21** Conference committee appointed. Senators Robinson, Dhingra, Padden.
- **2023-04-22** Conference committee request granted.
- **2023-04-22** Conference committee appointed. Representatives Goodman, Taylor, Mosbrucker.
- **2023-04-22** Conference committee report; received 6:31 PM 4/22/2023.
- **2023-04-22** Conference committee report; received 7:00 PM 4/22/2023.
- **2023-04-23** Conference committee report adopted.
- **2023-04-23** Failed final passage as recommended by conference committee; yeas, 43; nays, 55; absent, 0; excused, 0.
- **2023-04-23** By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
- **2023-05-16** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2023-05-16** Rules suspended.
- **2023-05-16** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Rules suspended. Returned to second reading for amendment.
- **2023-05-16** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2023-05-16** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-05-16** Third reading, passed; yeas, 43; nays, 6; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-05-16** Read first time, rules suspended, and placed on second reading calendar. `reading-1`
- **2023-05-16** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-05-16** Third reading, passed; yeas, 83; nays, 13; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2023-05-16** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-05-16** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-05-16** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-16** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-16** Chapter 1, 2023 Laws 1st Special Session. `became-law`
- **2023-05-16** Effective date 8/15/2023*. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/469eca4e-086c-41a0-898f-bb66eecc95e4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).