News Releases

OLYMPIA – Today the governor signed legislation into law that tightens the regulation of asbestos in building materials and existing industrial facilities. Senate Bill 6473, sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), restricts the use of asbestos-containing building materials and requires owners of industrial facilities to monitor known installations of asbestos. The law prohibits, with some exceptions, the use of asbestos-containing materials ...

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law today a bill that will prevent defendants from citing a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation — the so-called “panic defense” — to justify a violent assault. House Bill 1687 was introduced in 2019 by then-Rep. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell). Now a state senator, Stanford moved it through the Senate this year to ...

OLYMPIA – Legislation passed Tuesday by the House of Representatives will reduce barriers for international medical graduates who want to continue their professional careers in Washington state. Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) sponsored Senate Bill 6551, which addresses professional barriers for medical providers who graduate from institutions outside the U.S. and Canada. The bill is based on recommendations from a work ...

OLYMPIA – Legislation approved today by the Legislature will prevent defendants from using a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation to justify violent assaults—a justification sometimes known as the “panic defense.” Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) prime sponsored House Bill 1687 in 2019 as a state representative and was able to move it through the Senate this year. The bill clarifies ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate passed legislation today that would reduce barriers for international medical graduates who want to continue their professional careers in Washington state. Senate Bill 6551, sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), is based on recommendations from the International Medical Graduates Work Group, which was established by the legislature last year.  The work group included experts from state ...

OLYMPIA – Legislation passed today by the Senate would increase access by family members to people experiencing incarceration. Sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), Senate Bill 6476 would expand extended family visitation access to more family members of individuals experiencing incarceration and would require transparency in Department of Corrections contracts for telecommunication services to prevent exploitative pricing. In addition, the bill ...

OLYMPIA – A pair of bills to protect the health and safety of workers, both sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell), were passed today by the Senate. Senate Bill 6473 would restrict the use of asbestos-containing building materials and require owners of manufacturing facilities to implement a management plan for known installations of asbestos. The bill also would require better labeling ...

OLYMPIA – Jamie Stout, 16, served as a page in the Washington State Senate during the week of February 14. Pages are typically sponsored by the senator from their legislative district. Sen. Derek Stanford (D- Bothell) sponsored Stout’s week in the Legislature. The page program offers a hands-on opportunity for students to find out how state government works. The interactive learning experience ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) introduced a bill yesterday that would reduce barriers for international medical graduates who want to continue their professional careers in Washington state. Senate Bill 6551 is based on recommendations from the International Medical Graduates Work Group, which was set up by the legislature last year.  The work group included experts from state medical schools, ...