Washington House Passes Amended Bill Expanding Attorney General's Powers

Legislation broadens the AGO's ability to issue Civil Investigative Demands for potential legal violations.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Washington State House of Representatives has passed an amended version of a bill that would expand the authority of the state Attorney General's Office to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) when investigating potential violations of state and federal law, including constitutional rights, labor laws, and other regulations. The bill now heads back to the Senate for further consideration.

Why it matters

The legislation is controversial, with supporters arguing it provides necessary tools to protect civil rights and speed up investigations for vulnerable communities, while opponents worry it could be used for political intimidation and 'witch hunts'.

The details

Senate Bill 5925, now known as Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, broadens the AGO's ability to issue CIDs, which are formal, pre-suit discovery tools that allow the office to compel individuals or entities to produce documents, answer questions, or provide testimony without first filing a lawsuit or obtaining a judicial warrant. The House passed amendments to the bill, including prohibiting the AGO's Criminal Justice Division from issuing CIDs and extending the time to respond to a CID from 20 to 30 days.

  • The Washington State House of Representatives passed the amended bill on March 5, 2026.
  • The Senate passed the original version of the bill on February 11, 2026.

The players

Darya Farivar

A Democratic state representative from Seattle who supports the legislation, arguing it will help protect civil rights and provide justice for vulnerable communities.

Peter Abbarno

A Republican state representative from Chehalis who opposes the bill, arguing it could lead to 'witch hunts' and gives the attorney general too much power to demand information.

Washington State Attorney General's Office

The state agency that would be granted expanded authority to issue Civil Investigative Demands under the proposed legislation.

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What they’re saying

“Now more than ever, our Attorney General's Office needs these tools. Let's give them these tools to make sure that we are protecting all people in Washington state.”

— Darya Farivar, State Representative (dailyfly.com)

“This bill is akin to giving the attorney general the ability to just kick the door down to your house or your business and demand all your paperwork, demand oral testimony, demand a deposition, hand you interrogatories, just do discovery because the attorney general needs to do it because he can't operate within the laws we have now like all the other attorneys have to do now ...”

— Peter Abbarno, State Representative (dailyfly.com)

What’s next

The amended bill will now go back to the Washington State Senate for further consideration.

The takeaway

This legislation highlights the ongoing debate over the balance between expanding government powers to investigate potential wrongdoing and protecting individual and business rights from potential overreach or abuse of those powers.