Washington State Updates Immigration Status Terminology With 2026 Bill

Passed during the legislature's 2026 Regular Session, HB 2632 makes linguistic changes in how state law refers to individuals who are not U.S. citizens or nationals. This legislation systematically removes the term "alien" from state statutes and replaces it with “noncitizen.”

This update changes more than 40 RCW sections and eliminates the word “alien” when used for individuals. Additionally, the law directs future state and local government documents to use the word "noncitizen" or other context-appropriate terminology.

The removed terminology has been seen by proponents of this law as outdated and dehumanizing. In changing this wording, the law does not make any substantive legal or policy changes as it relates to legal definitions, immigration enforcement, or eligibility requirements for public benefits or other programs.

New Requirements for the State

The new terminology "noncitizen" is defined to mean “an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States.” See, RCW 1.16.063.

HB 2632 both directly amends existing state statutes and establishes requirements for state laws enacted or issued after July 1, 2026. It establishes similar requirements for local government ordinances, resolutions, regulations, and official documents enacted or issued after July 1, 2026. For example, RCW 1.20.130(2) states:

Except where required by federal law or necessary to comply with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, all state and local government statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents enacted after July 1, 2026, shall use the term "noncitizen" or other context-appropriate term, instead of the term "alien," when referring to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States. The legislature urges all state and local entities to review their statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents and revise them to omit the use of the term "alien" when referring to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the Unites States.

To facilitate agency compliance, state agencies are authorized to use expedited rulemaking procedures when the only proposed change is substituting the word "alien" with "noncitizen" without altering substantive effects, even if written objections are received.

For existing state laws, provisions of HB 2632 amend statutes related to firearms regulations, including concealed pistol license applications; crime victim compensation programs; workers' compensation for injured employees; public assistance programs for pregnant women and individuals with disabilities; professional licensing for private investigators, security guards, and bail bond recovery agents; juvenile court record procedures; mental health proceedings; teacher retirement systems; property rights; and court procedures including statutes of limitations.

Exceptions

This legislation explicitly preserves use of "alien" terminology where required by federal law or when necessary to comply with federal funding requirements. This means certain federal immigration terms—such as "qualified alien," "nonimmigrant alien," and "United States issued alien number"—remain in use where mandated by federal authorities or essential for obtaining federal grants and protecting federal funding.

In addition, this law does not change terminology referring to non-human entities. Phrases like "alien corporation," "alien bank," and "alien insurer" remain unchanged, as these phrases describe foreign business entities rather than individuals.

Timelines

This law contains multiple effective dates designed to promote smooth implementation across affected agencies and systems.

Most provisions took effect on June 11, 2026. However, certain firearm-related provisions are not effective until May 1, 2027, perhaps to allow law enforcement agencies additional time to update databases, training materials, and licensing systems.

Several administrative provisions are not effective until June 30, 2027.

New Requirements for Local Governments

Although HB 2632 directly amends state statutes, its mandate extends significantly to Washington's local governments as well. The legislation requires that all local government statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents enacted or issued after July 1, 2026, must use "noncitizen" or other appropriate terminology instead of "alien" when referring to individuals to the extent consistent with federal law or federal grant funding.

The prospective nature of the requirement for local governments provides some relief. Existing municipal codes adopted before July 1, 2026, are not required to be amended or updated. However, any revisions made after this date to code provisions regarding noncitizens need to use the new terminology.

Types of Local Code Sections Impacted

Areas of local government laws and regulations that may have “alien” terminology include:

• Business and occupation licensing chapters. These may include provisions regarding work authorization documentation for persons who are business owners and/or employees, particularly in regulated industries such as construction, security services, and professional services.
• Public safety and law enforcement codes. These codes may reference immigration status in contexts such as crime victim assistance programs, witness protection protocols, and domestic violence services. Some jurisdictions have adopted policies that explicitly address how local law enforcement interacts with noncitizens. Such provisions may require review and revision to align with the new statutory terminology while preserving policy intent.
• Housing and rental ordinances. Municipal codes addressing landlord-tenant relationships, fair housing protections, and anti-discrimination provisions frequently reference citizenship or immigration status. Changes might also need to be made if rent assistance programs or affordable housing initiatives previously referenced individuals as “aliens” and are now being updated after July 1, 2026.
• Municipal employment codes. This includes codes related to hiring requirements, background check procedures, and personnel policies. Such information may include outdated language where it addresses employment eligibility verification or distinguishes between citizen and noncitizen employees for specific positions.
• Business registration and contractor licensing provisions. In particular, provisions requiring proof of legal work authorization may need updating if other changes are made after July 1, 2026.
• Local tax and revenue codes. These codes may include provisions based on residency or citizenship status—such as certain local business taxes or fee structures—and may need to be updated if “alien” terminology is used in reference to individuals.

Regional Context

By adopting HB 2632 in 2026, Washington became the fourth state to address “alien” terminology referencing individuals in state laws.

In recent years, California and Oregon have made comprehensive changes to state law by replacing “alien” with “noncitizen,” and in 2021 Colorado adopted a more limited law that changed one statutory reference in public contracts laws from “illegal alien” to “a worker without authorization.”

Conclusion and Resources

This new law represents a commitment to modernize language that reflect contemporary standards in state and local laws. By systematically replacing "alien" with "noncitizen" in state laws and requiring similar updates in future government documents, this law aligns our state with evolving linguistic norms while maintaining necessary federal law compliance.

As implementation continues through 2027, the results of HB 2632 will become increasingly apparent across governmental operations at both state and local levels.