(The Center Square) – After failing to launch last session, the Washington State Republican Party is attempting to raise the stakes around dealing, trafficking and possessing fentanyl with legislation that, if approved, would lead to harsher sentences.
Washington State Republican Party Chair Rep. Jim Walsh, D-Aberdeen, filed House Bill 1000 on Tuesday ahead of the 2025 legislative session. Walsh pushed the same measure during the last session, but his bill never went before a committee for a hearing and failed to make it out of the House.
HB 1000 would expand what the state considers a “major violation” of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act to include fentanyl. Major violations of the UCSA qualify for longer sentences outside of the standard range, meaning the dangerous yet popular opioid would join the list.
According to the proposed bill, the following would be added to the UCSA if approved: “The current offense involved the knowing delivery or distribution of fentanyl, precursor chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of fentanyl, or a counterfeit substance containing fentanyl, and resulted in substantial bodily harm as defined in RCW 9A.04.110 , permanent impairment to cognitive functions, or death of another person.”