Enacting the uniform consumer debt default judgments act.

 S-3890.4

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5720

State of Washington

69th Legislature

2026 Regular Session

By Senate Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Pedersen and Warnick; by request of Uniform Law Commission)

READ FIRST TIME 01/23/26.

AN ACT Relating to the uniform consumer debt default judgments act; amending RCW 19.16.260 ; adding a new chapter to Title 4 RCW; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. TITLE. This chapter may be known and cited as the uniform consumer debt default judgments act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. INTENT. The legislature enacted critical protections for consumers in 2020 through the passage of Substitute House Bill No. 2476 regarding debt buyers. In enacting the uniform consumer debt default judgments act, the legislature intends to broaden those protections by: (1) Expanding requirements and remedies previously applicable only to debt buyers to be applicable to all holders of purchased debt and any affiliates; and (2) imposing new disclosure requirements in all actions to collect consumer debt and new remedies in actions in which those requirements are not satisfied.