Surfrider Washington is calling for an end to cruise ship scrubbers in our waters because they turn air pollution into water pollution—dumping toxic wastewater directly into our ocean and the Salish Sea. These systems allow cruise ships to keep burning dirty fuel while discharging heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and acidic waste into some of Washington’s most ecologically and culturally important waters. Our coast and communities deserve clean water, not pollution loopholes. Banning scrubber discharge is a critical step towards protecting our marine life, upholding environmental justice, and leading the way toward a healthier ocean for all.
Coast & Ocean Legislation
Washington's 2026 Legislative Session is just around the corner!
Here's what's on the horizon...
Although the 2025 legislative session wrapped up way back in April, we've been busy behind the scenes collaborating with partners, negotiating with industry leaders, and developing policy strategies to identify what bills and budgets we can work on during the 2026 legislative session that will continue our mission of protecting Washington's ocean, waves, and beaches. Below you will find our bill tracker, which we will try to keep updated as our bills move through the legislature. Next year is an even year, which means the session will be a short one - just 60 days, begining on Jan 12 and ended on March 12! That's not a lot of time, but we still have an ambitious suite of bills we are working to pass! Stay tuned for more updates...
Ways to take action:
Below is our bill tracker so you can quickly see where these bills are and what actions you can take to support them. We will keep this updated with opportunities to sign in Pro, submit testimony, and other ways to engage in this year's legislative session. Throughout session, you can always call the Legislative Hotline or contact your electeds:
1. You can email or call your legislators at any time - check out District Finder to find your elected and how to contact their offices directly. Your message should be simple and concise - "Please help eliminate plastic pollution in Washington by supporting Extended Producer Responsibility during the 2025 Legislative Session."
2. Environmental Lobby Day was February 6th, and two of our bills were priorities this year. You can read more about it here, and if you'd like support working with your electeds, email psteelquist@surfrider.org.
3. Call the Legislative Hotline at any time during session at 1-800-562-6000 to leave a voice message for your Representative and Senator in support of our bills.
4. Follow Surfrider Washington's social media and keep an eye on our newsletter for action alerts about other ways you can support coastal conservation.
Support a Statewide Bottle Deposit System
This proposal expresses strong support for the Recycling Refund program (HB 1607 / SB 5502), a "Bottle Bill" designed to address Washington’s recycling crisis, where currently only 30% of beverage containers are recycled. By implementing a 10-cent refundable deposit funded by beverage companies rather than taxpayers, the program aims to reduce the 26 million pounds of annual litter that clogs state roads and waterways. Drawing on successful models from ten other states that have seen litter reductions of over 80%, the bill enjoys broad public support as a proven, bipartisan solution to protect wildlife and save millions in cleanup costs.
A Better Bag Ban
Effective January 1, 2027, this bill expands Washington’s 2020 plastic bag ban by eliminating the "reusable" loophole for thicker plastic film bags at retail, grocery, and restaurant checkouts. Designed to reduce ocean pollution and streamline state standards, the law requires customers to provide their own bags or pay a fee for paper or durable alternatives, while maintaining exemptions for bulk, garment, and food storage bags.
Resources:
Coming soon!
Balloon Release Ban
Balloons in the ocean and elsewhere in the environment are a hazard to wildlife, causing entanglement and digestive blockages. Helium-filled balloons explode at about 10,000 feet altitude and when they float down to the ocean, they look like squid, one of the favorite foods of seabirds. They are the number one type of plastic that kills them. Mylar balloons also cause power outages and fires. Right now, anyone can go buy an infinite number of balloons and intentionally release them into the environment with no consequences. This bill would ban intentional balloon releases, reducing the number of balloons.
Resources:
Coming soon!
Scrubber-free Seas
Resources:
Coming soon!
Environmental Crimes Bill
Washington has one of the strongest environmental enforcement teams in the country, but our state laws don’t currently treat the most egregious pollution violations with the seriousness they deserve. Unlike federal law and in states like Oregon, Washington still allows major clean air, clean water, and hazardous waste violations to be charged only as misdemeanors. If passed, SB 5360 will close this gap by strengthening state penalties so that people and companies who knowingly break environmental laws can be held fully accountable—especially as federal enforcement is scaled back. The bill allows prosecutors to pursue felony charges for the most serious violations, increases penalties when pollution endangers people or natural resources, and ensures Washington’s environmental laws have real consequences.
Public Beaches Not Private Greens
While not a bill or campaign related to legislative session, we are still working to stop the Westport Golf Course.
Westport Light State Park, along with the Westport Jetty, stands as one of Washington State Parks' premier natural assets and the state's leading beach access point for surfing. The Westport Jetty attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, offering a world-class destination for surfing, clam-digging, birdwatching, kiteboarding, fishing, rock hounding, and relaxing. The beaches and jetty area are particularly popular with surfers from across the Pacific Northwest, providing consistent, high-quality waves that are both accessible and challenging for all skill levels. The proposed Westport Golf Links (WGL) project, could change that. The developers are advocating for a public-private partnership to construct a Scottish links-style golf course on approximately 562 acres of Westport Light State Park lands, primarily situated across the dune landscape near the ocean. We have a lot of concerns around effects on water quality and availability, impacts to wetlands and public beach access, and future impacts of sea level rise and whether the community will be on the hook to pay for those.
Resources:
The Public Beaches Not Private Greens campaign page
The letter we submitted during the DEIS public comment period (closed on June 9th, 2025).
The Westport Golf Links website
Our 2015 Coastal Recreation Use Survey
Send your comments to Washington State Parks
Six-Gill Shark Bill
Washington should designate the Sixgill Shark as its official state shark because no other species better represents the depth, mystery, and ecological importance of our coastal waters. Living in the deep waters of Puget Sound and along Washington’s outer coast, sixgills are ancient survivors—largely unchanged for over 200 million years—and play a crucial role as apex predators that help keep marine ecosystems in balance. Their presence so close to our urban shorelines is a powerful reminder that Washington is home to one of the most biodiverse and scientifically significant marine environments in the world. Naming the Sixgill Shark as the state shark would celebrate our unique marine heritage, highlight the importance of ocean conservation, and inspire pride and stewardship for the waters that define Washington.
Resources:
Coming soon!
No statewide efforts right now
Beach access is always an ongoing issue for our organization, and local chapters are constantly fighting to keep public access open. With over 3000 miles of coastline in Washington State, everyone should be able to access the beach. Stay tuned for future efforts to proteect public access.
You can always check with your local chapter about access issues in your area, and our fight to stop the Westport Golf Course is also part of our Beach Acccess Initiative.