OLYMPIA, WA – Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a bill into law that updates terminology in Washington statutes by replacing references to the word “alien” with “noncitizen” or other context-appropriate language, except where federal law requires otherwise.
The measure, House Bill 2632, makes Washington the fourth state in the nation to remove the term “alien” from its laws when referring to individuals. Supporters said the change updates statutory language to reflect modern legal standards.
The legislation was sponsored by My-Linh Thai, who said the change reflects Washington’s values.
“As a refugee to this country, I know what it feels like to be labeled as ‘other’. The term ‘alien’ is outdated, dehumanizing, and does not reflect how we speak about people today,” Thai said in a statement. “Our laws should reflect who we are as a state. Washington stands for fairness, dignity and equal protection under the law and this bill is part of that ongoing work.”
With the change, Washington joins Oregon and California as states that have removed the term across statutes and official documents.
The effort to update the language was brought forward this session by the Undocumented Communities Committee, which works to support equitable access to legal aid as part of the work of the Washington State Supreme Court Access to Justice Board.
Elizabeth Fitzgearld, co-chair of the committee, said the term “alien” is ambiguous and often requires additional modifiers such as “legal resident alien” or “nonimmigrant alien” to clarify meaning.
“This bill replaces a word that is, at best, an ambiguous synonym requiring constant context and, at worst, dehumanizing to Washingtonians without U.S. citizenship with its plain, objective equivalent: noncitizen,” Fitzgearld said.
Nicholas Mejía, the committee’s other co-chair, said the bill maintains the existing statutory structure while improving clarity. He said the word “noncitizen” more directly describes the individuals referenced in law without requiring interpretation.
Supporters of the legislation included the Washington State Access to Justice Board, the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General, the Washington State Pro Bono Council and NAACP Vancouver.
Opponents argued the change addressed hurt feelings at the expense of legal clarity.
The law takes effect June 11, 2026. It requires that state and local statutes and official documents adopted after that date use the updated terminology where appropriate, while retaining language required under federal law.
The legislation also allows state agencies to use an expedited rulemaking process to update existing statutes and documents when the change only replaces the word “alien” with “noncitizen” or another context-appropriate term without altering the rule’s effect.
