It is almost the first cutoff date of this short legislative session, which means that bills must move out of the policy committee in their house of origin if they want to stay alive. This first cutoff is on Wednesday, February 4th. HB 2225, which would regulate the use of AI companion chatbots by minors, has already passed this cutoff and is now waiting to be heard on the floor of the House for a vote of the full chamber.
This week in Legislative Branch Explained, we examine the changes made to the bill between the public hearing and the executive session, focusing on the interplay between the governor’s office and the committee members as amendments to the bill language are suggested. Check out all the details on the new substitute bill in this 6 minute video.
Check out the Executive Session for yourself: https://tvw.org/video/house-technolog…
Stay tuned for weekly explainers on how policymaking is progressing around certain legislation as it moves through the legislature in the 2026 Session!
Teach with TVW is TVW’s civic education department, dedicated to helping people of all ages across Washington State understand how government works and participate effectively in the legislative process.
Learn more at: www.teachwithtvw.org