Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateWashingtonIntroduced
SB 6231: Removing a tax exemption for the replacement of equipment for data centers.
Noel Frame
SB 6231 status: Introduced — Effective date 6/11/2026* (updated Apr 1, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
50OUT OF 100
Score:50/100 civic fit — mixed
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 50/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion50%
Bill summary
What changes
The legislation removes the current tax exemption for the replacement of equipment within data centers.
Who is affected
Data center operators and companies maintaining large-scale hardware infrastructure in Washington.
Requirements and enforcement
Entities must pay taxes on new hardware replacements previously covered by exemptions.
Costs and funding
Directly increases the cost of capital expenditures for data center hardware.
When it takes effect
Effective date noted as 6/11/2026.
Potential benefits
Potential for increased state tax revenue and a more neutral tax code across different industries.
Risks and tradeoffs
Potential for reduced industry competitiveness, business migration to other states, and increased costs for digital services.
What is still unknown
The specific dollar value of the revenue gain and the sensitivity of the local tech industry to this specific tax shift.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Mixed / Neutral
55%
Benefits
- Increases potential state tax revenue
- Reduces specialized tax subsidies
- Promotes tax code equity across sectors
Risks
- Increases operational costs for data centers
- Potential for business relocation to other states
- Possible reduction in local capital investment
Society
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Technology Industry
Mixed / Neutral
45%
Benefits
- Levels the competitive playing field
- Reduces industry dependency on government incentives
- Neutralizes tax-based distortion in hardware replacement
Risks
- Higher cost for equipment replacement cycles
- Potential slowdown in digital infrastructure expansion
- Increased financial burden for data center operators
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Public Health & Safety
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source material limited to legislative abstract
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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