S-3822.2
SENATE BILL 6272
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By Senators Liias, Pedersen, Conway, Shewmake, and Valdez
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.
AN ACT Relating to the design and operation of buildings to protect birds; amending RCW 39.35D.030 and 43.19.682 ; reenacting and amending RCW 1.16.050 ; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington state is home to over 500 bird species that play a critical role in building and maintaining healthy ecosystems through pollination, predation, scavenging, seed dispersal, and habitat engineering. The legislature also finds that light pollution caused by the proliferation of artificial light disrupts natural systems and disorients birds resulting in collisions with buildings, especially during migration. Eliminating or reducing unnecessary lighting can save energy and reduce costs while simultaneously improving bird migration. The legislature further finds that buildings may be designed to incorporate eco-friendly practices such using bird-safe glass and reducing nighttime lighting to help prevent bird collisions. Therefore, the legislature intends that during peak migration in the months of April, May, September, and October, nonessential lighting should be turned off to reduce energy consumption and provide birds safer passage between their nesting and wintering grounds and that incentives should be established within Washington's LEED standard to promote eco-friendly building practices that reduce bird collisions.
Sec. 2. RCW 1.16.050 and 2025 c 58 s 1001 and 2025 c 30 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows: