The 2021 Legislative Session began on Monday, January 12, 2021 and is scheduled to end on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

Today, Monday, February 15, 2021 is the first cutoff date.  This is the last date that bills must pass out of committee in the house of origin except for those in the House fiscal committees and Senate Ways and Means and Transportation Committees. This week is basically the last week for bills to pass out of their policy committees in order to remain alive.

Next, Monday, February 22, 2021 is the last day for bills in the house of origin that have been referred to the House fiscal committees and the Senate Ways and Means and Transportation Committees to pass in order to remain alive.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 5 PM is the deadline to pass bills out of their house of origin.

Top Action of the Week:

SB 5399 Creating a universal health care commission.

SUPPORT

SB 5399 creates a universal health care commission for the purposes of developing a plan to create a health care system in Washington that provides coverage and access through a universal financing system including, but not limited to, a single-payer financing system, for all Washingtonians. By November 1, 2024, the commission must report its findings to the legislature, along with recommendations on implementing a universal health care system in Washington to be implemented by 2026.

Status:  SB 5399 has passed out of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5399 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Whether or not you can attend this hearing – if you can only do one thing, contact your senators on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee and ask for their support and passage of SB 5399 out of committee by February 22, 2021.

You can contact your legislators by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1 800-562-6000.  You can also contact them by e-mail using this format:  firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov.  If you need to look up your legislators, use the following link to find them: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Note:  Committee members for House and Senate Committees are listed at the end of this alert. 

We have also included hyperlinks on each of the bill actions below, which will take you to the WA State Legislature’s comment page for the bill where you can enter your support or opposition to the bill and include a comment (up to 1000 characters).

For a public hearing you may register to testify on the bill, submit written testimony or state your position without testifying.  If you want to testify or to state your position on a bill without testifying you must register for the hearing at least 1 hour prior to the start of the hearing.  Written testimony closes 24 hours after the start of the committee hearing.   To register for any of these options – click here and then choose the Senate or House and follow the instructions on the screen to register.

Civil and Equal Rights

Watermarks on ballots

HB 1003 Requiring watermarks on mail-in ballots.

OPPOSE

HB 1003 limits vote by mail ballots to only those mailed to a voter. Currently if you lose your ballot, you can reprint it, as well as the envelope and mail it and your vote will be counted.  The bill also eliminates the ability for the Voter Student Engagement hubs from assisting college and university students from downloading their ballots in order to vote.  This bill disenfranchises voters and would cost the elections departments additional monies to implement the procedures to inspect the ballots for the watermark.

Status:  HB 1003 is in the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee and let them know that you oppose HB 1003.

Child Custody jurisdiction and enforcement related to countries who have the death penalty on the basis of religious beliefs, political beliefs, or sexual orientation

HB 1042 Revising the international application of the uniform child custody jurisdiction and enforcement act to protect families from facing the death penalty in certain foreign jurisdictions on the basis of religious beliefs, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.

SUPPORT

HB 1042 modifies the requirement of upholding a foreign country’s child custody laws when the foreign country holds that a person’s abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief, political belief or homosexuality are punishable by death. A WA State Court may not enforce such a court order from a foreign country if either the child or the parent may be at risk of being subject to such laws.

Status:  HB 1042 is in the Senate Law and Justice Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday, February 15^th at 9:30 AM

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and let them know you support HB 1042 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Legal aid for undocumented immigrants

HB 1072 Removing only one of the restrictions on the use of civil legal aid funds.

SUPPORT

HB 1072 removes a restriction on the Office of Civil Legal Aid (“OCLA”) funding that prohibits distributing funds to legal aid providers who use those funds to serve undocumented immigrants.

Status: HB 1072 has passed out of the House and is on its way to the Senate.  It has not yet been assigned to a committee in the Senate.

Action: Contact your senators and let them know that you support HB 1072.

Voter Eligibility

HB 1078 Restoring voter eligibility for all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

SB 5086 Restoring voter eligibility for all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

SUPPORT

HB 1078 and SB 5086 change the voting rights law to automatically restore a felon’s voting rights as long as the defendant is not in total confinement with the department of corrections.  It states that a person serving a term of community custody is not considered to be in total confinement of the department of corrections and does not include confinement imposed as a sanction for a community custody violation. A person who has had their voting rights restored must reregister to vote before voting

Status:  HB 1078 in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

SB 5086 is in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee and is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives and let them know that you support HB 1078 and ask that they vote yes when HB 1078 comes to the floor.

Contact your senators on the Senate State Government and Elections Committee and let them know that you support SB 5086.

Ranked Choice Voting

SUPPORT

HB 1156 Increasing representation and voter participation in local elections.

SUPPORT

This is an avenue to truly fair elections. HB 1156 does the following:

• It permits the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in elections for offices in counties, cities, towns, school districts, fire districts, and port districts, and establishes certain requirements for RCV ballot design and vote tabulation.
• It adds a cost-recovery provision to the Washington Voting Rights Act (Act) for those who file a notice alleging a violation of the Act, and
• It permits the Secretary of State to provide grants to local governments to implement RCV or make changes to their electoral system in response to a notice filed under the Act, subject to appropriation.

Status:  HB 1156 has passed out of the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee and is headed to the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know that you support HB 1156 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Peace officer accountability

HB 1082 Concerning state oversight and accountability of peace officers and corrections officers.

SB 5051 Concerning state oversight and accountability of peace officers and corrections officers.

SUPPORT

HB 1082 and SB 5051 improve the certification, background check, and decertification of law enforcement officers.   The bill accomplishes this by

• adjusting the membership of the Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) to a total of 17 persons including representatives who have not been employed in the last 10 years as a peace officer.  improving the process to decertify peace and corrections officers who have engaged in serious misconduct,
• requiring the CJTC to issue public recommendations to the governing body of a law enforcement agency regarding the agency’s command decisions, inadequacy of policy or training, investigations or disciplinary decisions regarding misconduct, potential systemic violations of law or policy, unconstitutional policing, or other matters
• requiring law enforcement agencies to report misconduct to the CJTC, and
• requiring a public database containing information about all conduct investigated by the CJTC.

Status:  HB 1082 has had its public hearing in the House Public Safety Committee and is eligible for an executive session.

SB 5051 was scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Sunday, February 14^th at 4 PM. If it passed out of committee it is headed to the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Public Safety Committee and let them know you support HB 1082 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Contact your senators and let them know you support SB 5051 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

HB 1202 Addressing meaningful civil remedies for persons injured as a result of police misconduct, including by allowing for an award of attorney fees in addition to damages and injunctive and declaratory relief.

SUPPORT
HB 1202 establishes a cause of action by an individual who was injured by a peace officer or a peace officer who through reasonable diligence to aid or prevent the injury from occurring and failed to do so.   The bill outlines actions by the peace officer that constitute injury:

• Conduct under civil law that constitutes assault, battery, outrage, false imprisonment, false arrest, 38 malicious prosecution, trespass, or conversion; or
• Executed a detention, traffic stop, search, seizure, or entry into a home that is unlawful under the state Constitution; or
• Engaged in conduct that violated the duty of reasonable care or
• Violated a provision of RCW 10.93.16 which deals with the restrictions that law enforcement agencies most follow when dealing with immigration and citizenship status.

A peace officer has a defense against an action if, when the injury occurred, the officer substantially complied with a regulation, practice, procedure, or policy that was established by the employer or approved or condoned by superior officers. If the peace officer proves this defense, the employer is independently liable for the injury if the injury was proximately caused by a regulation, custom, usage, practice, procedure, or policy approved or condoned by the employer.

Status:  HB 1202 has passed out of the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and is now in the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representative on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support HB 1202 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session before the February 22^nd cutoff.

5066 Concerning a peace officer’s duty to intervene

SUPPORT
SB 5066 requires a peace officer to intervene when the officer witnesses a fellow peace officer engaging in the use of excessive force. A peace officer who observes wrongdoing by a fellow officer is required to report the wrongdoing to the officer’s supervisor. Law enforcement agencies must adopt written policies on the duty to intervene and ensure that all law enforcement officers obtain training on the policy through the Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Status:  SB 5066 has passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact your senators and let them know you support SB 5066 and ask for a YES vote when SB 5066 comes to the floor.

Death Penalty

SB 5047 Reducing criminal justice expenses by eliminating the death penalty and instead requiring life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole as the sentence for aggravated first degree murder.

SUPPORT

SB 5047 changes WA criminal code to eliminate the death penalty.  In February 2014, Governor Inslee signed an executive order imposing a moratorium on the death penalty in WA State due to its inconsistent and unequal application and the enormous costs associated with seeking this punishment. 

Status:  SB 5047 has been referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and let them know you support SB 5047.

Unlawfully Summoning Police

SB 5135 Concerning unlawfully summoning a police officer

SUPPORT

SB 5135 creates a private cause of action which allows a person to sue in a civil action for damages against any person who knowingly causes a law enforcement officer to arrive at a location with the intent to:

• Infringe on the other person’s constitutional rights
• Discriminate against the other person
• Cause the person to feel harassed, humiliated or embarrassed,
• Cause the person to be expelled from a place in which the person is lawfully located, or
• Damage the person’s
  • reputation or standing in the community, or
  • financial, economic, consumer, or business prospects or interests. 

Status:  SB 5135 is in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact your senators let them know you support SB 5135 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Economic Equity and Support for Low Income Individuals and Families

Measuring Possible Disparate Impact of Legislature on Historically Marginalized Communities

HB 1264 – Establishing an Equity Impact Statement for Legislative Proposals

SB 5274 – Establishing an Equity Impact Statement for Legislative Proposal

SUPPORT

HB 1264 establishes a measurement tool to provide legislators with aggregated and disaggregated demographical data and other information to help them proactively identify possible disparate impacts on historically marginalized communities, and thus be able to make better informed and intentional decisions on legislative proposals.
Implementation requires that an Equity Impact Statement be generated and provided prior to or at the time any legislative proposal requiring a fiscal note is first heard by the committee of reference in the house or origin. The Equity Impact Statement may also be provided at the request of a legislator if a fiscal note is not required.

HB 1264 directs the Office of Financial Management develop procedures and format for the Equity Impact Statement, and to submit a report to the governor by November 15, 2021.

HB 1264 was passed out of committee with a substitute bill.  It requires the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to establish procedures, guidelines, and content and format requirements for the Equity Impact Statement, and that the requiring agencies and the OFM provide, upon request, an EIS for legislative proposals that create or amend statutes on housing or health care policies, elementary and secondary education policy, and tax policy. Two to three policy areas will be added on odd number years until all matters subject to legislation are included.

STATUS:  HB 1264 passed out of the State Governmental & Tribal Relations Committee with a substitute bill and is likely to be sent to the House Appropriations Committee.

ACTION:  Contact your representatives on the House Committee on Appropriations and let them know you support HB 1264.

STATUS:  SB 5274 Referred to the state Government & Elections Committee on January 19.

ACTION:  Contact your representatives on the Government & Elections Committee, tell them to support SB 5274 and ask them to schedule it for a public hearing and executive session.

Housing for low-income households and households in need

HB 1035 Providing local governments with options to grant rent relief and preserve affordable housing in their communities.

SUPPORT

HB 1035 provides communities a local option to preserve and increase healthy, high quality, and affordable rental housing opportunities for low-income households and very low-income households when the governing authority has found that there are insufficient affordable housing opportunities available. It also encourages housing opportunities that are affordable to renters at below market rent levels, as determined by the governing authority upon considering community needs, market rental costs, and income levels of renters.   Under HB 1035, a city or county governing authority may by ordinance or resolution establish an affordable housing incentive program to preserve affordable housing within the city or unincorporated area that meets health and quality standards for low-income households and very low-income households at risk of displacement or that cannot afford market rate housing.
Status:  HB 1035 is in the House Finance Committee where it is eligible for an executive session.
Action: Contact your representatives on the House Finance Committee and let them know you support HB 1035 and schedule it for executive session and pass it out of committee.

HB 1070 Modifying allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities.

SUPPORT

HB 1070 allows county and city governments to submit an authorizing proposition to the voters at a special or general election that modifies allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services, to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities.  HB 1070

• Expands the allowable uses of a portion of revenues from the local sales and use tax for housing and related services to include acquiring affordable housing.
  • Requires a county that seeks to acquire a facility using funds from the local sales and use tax for housing and related services to consult with the city in which the facility is located prior to acquisition and to ensure that at least 15 percent of the services provided in an acquired facility are provided for residents of that city.
  • Clarifies that affordable housing includes emergency, transitional, and supportive housing for purposes of the local sales and use tax for housing and related services.
  • Expands the allowable uses of a portion of revenues from the state shared lodging tax to include housing and facilities for homeless youth for counties with a population of at least 1.5 million.

Status:  HB 1070 has passed out of the House Committee on Finance with a DO PASS recommendation and is in Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action:  Contact your representatives to let them know you support HB 1070 and ask that they vote YES when it comes to the floor.

HB 1277 – Providing for an additional revenue source for eviction prevention and housing stability services

SB 5279 – Providing for an additional revenue source for eviction prevention and housing stability services

SUPPORT

HB 1277 and SB 5279 create an eviction prevention rental assistance program by providing resources to households most likely to become homeless and/or suffer severe health consequences after eviction.  This bill promotes equity by prioritizing households, including communities of color, disproportionately impacted by public health emergencies and homelessness and housing instability.

Grants will be provided by eligible nonprofit organizations to provide rental assistance, including rental arrears, future rent, and utility assistance if needed to prevent eviction, as well as foreclosure and dispute resolution eviction prevention services, rental assistance for people experiencing homelessness, and tenant education and legal assistance.
As a revenue source, a surcharge of $100 will be instituted for each document (with some exceptions) recorded at a county auditor’s office.
The House passed a substitute bill that requires a report on the expenditures, performance, and outcomes of the eviction prevention rental assistance program, to include the number of households served in that are comprised of adults without minor children, and/or households with adults and minor children, unaccompanied youth, and young adults.

STATUS:  HB 1277 is in the House Appropriations Committee and is eligible for a public hearing and an executive session.

ACTION:  Call your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and ask them to pass Substitute HB 1277 out of committee.
STATUS:  SB 5279 has been referred to the Housing & Local Government Committee.
ACTION:  Call your representatives on the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee and tell them to support SB 5279 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

HB 1350 – Providing a property tax exemption for limited equity cooperative housing

SUPPORT

HB 1350 exempts limited equity cooperatives from property tax, provided a majority of the property is used and occupied by low-income households.  The public policy objective of this bill is to financially incentivize the formation and use of limited equity cooperatives, and to increase the availability of housing to low-income households.

To be eligible for this tax exemption, the housing must be insured, financed, or assisted, in whole or in part through a federal or state housing program administered by the department of commerce; or a federal or state housing program administered by the federal department of housing and urban development, a city or county government.

STATUS:  HB 1350 has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

ACTION:  Contact your representatives in the House Finance Committee, tell them you support HB 1350 and ask them to schedule it for public hearing and executive session

SB 5375– Concerning a study of the difference in low-income housing development in urban and rural locations.

SUPPORT
SB 5375 directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee to conduct a study to identify and compare the amount of publicly subsidized low-income housing in urban and rural counties, and to compare it with the demographics in those areas.  To the extent practicable, the study will review contributing factors that may impact differences.  The study will also determine what funding sources have been provided to low-income housing projects built in rural counties. SB 5375 was amended in committee and requires the Department of Commerce to contract with at least one affordable housing development consultant to provide technical and pre- construction assistance to rural communities during the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.
STATUS:  SB 5375 is scheduled for  a public hearing on Tuesday February 16^th at 1:30 PM and an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, February 18 at 1:30 PM.
ACTION:  Call your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, tell them you support SB 5375  and ask them to pass it out of committee.

Public assistance for low-income households and households in need

HB 1151 – Bolstering economic recovery

SUPPORT.

HB 1151 establishes a consolidated emergency assistance program (CEAP) for families with children.  Benefits can be provided to alleviate emergent conditions resulting from insufficient income.  These benefits may be used to provide for: food, shelter, clothing, medical care, or other necessary items.  They may also be used for family reconciliation services, family preservation services, home-based services, short-term substitute care in a licensed agency, crisis nurseries, therapeutic childcare, or other necessary services.

Federal emergency assistance funds will be used to supplement the state funds appropriated for the operation of this program as long as other departmental programs are not adversely affected by the receipt of federal funds. If state funds appropriated for the consolidated emergence assistance program are exhausted, the department may discontinue the program.

During a governor ordered a state of emergency and pursuant to an order from the governor benefits under this program may be extended to individuals and families without children and the 12-month period may be extended.

The House Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee passed a substitute version of HB 1151 which amends this bill to:

• Allow Consolidated Emergency Assistance to be provided more than once in a 12-month period when directed by the Governor.
• Requires the Department of Social and Health Services to update the standards of need for cash assistance programs. Currently cash grants are lower than the standard of need for food, clothing, shelter, and other household costs.
• Adds an emergency clause with an immediate effective date for the provisions related to the CEAP.
• Requires a one-time cash benefit for households whose eligibility for Basic Food is ending to be funded with state funds.

Status:  Substitute HB 1151 was passed out of the House Appropriations committee with a DO PASS recommendation and is in the Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the House.
Action:  Call your representatives to let them know you support HB 1151 and ask that they vote YES when it comes to the floor.

HB 1319 – Creating a Washington recovery rebate by temporarily expanding the working families’ tax exemption

SUPPORT

HB 1319 Creates a recovery rebate for low-income persons by temporarily expanding the working families sales tax exemption.  Eligible persons must pay the sales tax for a given year but are allowed to claim a rebate of their sales tax the following year.

STATUS:  HB 1319 has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

ACTION:  Contact your representatives in the House Finance Committee, tell them you support HB 1319 and ask them to schedule it for public hearing and executive session.

SB 5214 – Concerning economic assistance programs.

SUPPORT

SB 5214 amends the current law that limits the amount of time an adult can receive economic assistance from the state.  It states that the current 60-month limit may be extended if, in addition to the current exceptions, the recipient is participating satisfactorily in the program, is temporarily prevented from working or looking for a job, and/or is in need of mental health or substance use disorder treatment. SB 5214 was amended in committee and provides that for any month that the state unemployment rate is at or above 7% the department of social and health services may not count temporary assistance for need families (TANF) recipient’s cash grant towards the 60-month lifetime limit.

STATUS:  SB 5214 is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16^th at 1:30 PM and an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, February 18^th at 1:30 pm.

ACTION:  Call you senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and tell them you support SB 5214 and ask that it be passed out of committee.

Relief to low-income customers through reduction in government mandated costs to BPA and electric utilities

SB 5007 – Addressing the economic challenges facing Washington citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic through a temporary reduction in compliance and tax burden on electric utilities

SUPPORT

SB 5007 Provides temporary cost relief of compliance costs to electric utilities, enabling them to pass this reduction on to low-income utility customers.

Status:  Status:  SB 5007 had been referred to the Environment, Energy & Technology committee.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the Environment, Energy & Technology committee and let them know you support SB 5007 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

SB 5008. Extending the business and occupation tax exemption for amounts received as credits against contracts with or funds provided by the Bonneville power administration and used for low-income ratepayer assistance and weatherization.

SUPPORT

SB 5008 makes permanent the exemption from business and occupation tax amounts received by utilities in the form of credits against power contracts or received from the Bonneville power administration for energy conservation purposes, if the tax savings are used by utilities for low-income ratepayer assistance or weatherization programs. This exemption will induce utilities to invest funds in energy conservation and efficiency programs, thereby reducing the amount of electric energy that such utilities must either generate or purchase, thereby reducing energy costs to utilities and customers. Further, state laws mandating utilities to acquire energy through both energy conservation and noncarbon-emitting resources can increase the cost of energy to ratepayers.

Status:  SB 5008 is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the Senate Ways & Means Committee, let them know you support SB 5008 and ask that it be scheduled for public hearing.

Authorizing new taxes to local governments for funding affording housing

SB 5012.  Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing program.

SUPPORT

SB 5012 Authorizes the legislative bodies of counties, cities or towns to levy and collect a special excise tax (up to a maximum of 10%) on the furnishing of lodging of short-term rentals.  Moneys collected from the special excise tax must be used exclusively for the operating and capital costs of affordable housing programs including, but not limited to, homeless housing assistance, temporary shelters, and other related services. A city or town may use revenues collected under this section for contracts, loans, or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for services related to affordable housing programs.  Up to 5% of the moneys collected for this special excise tax may be used for the direct and indirect cost incurred in administrating the services and programs.

Status: SB 5012 has passed out of the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators in the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5012 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session to pass out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Redefining eligibility requirements for working connections childcare program

SB 5023 Concerning working connections childcare eligibility and unemployment benefits.

SUPPORT

SB 5023 ensures that temporary federal unemployment benefits do not disrupt continuity of childcare for families seeking work by re-defining income eligibility so that it does not include increases in state of federal unemployment benefits.

Status: SB 5023 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, let them know you support SB 5023 and ask that they schedule a public hearing and pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Providing tax deferral in high unemployment counties to stimulate employment

SB 5029 Concerning tax deferrals for investment projects in high unemployment counties.

SUPPORT

SB 5029 reestablishes a tax deferral program to be effective solely in counties experiencing chronically high levels of unemployment. The legislature declares that this limited program serves the vital public purpose of creating employment opportunities and reducing poverty in the distressed counties experiencing levels of unemployment that are higher than those of the state.

A substitute bill was passed out of the Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee and it creates a rural county sales and use tax deferral program from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2031, in high unemployment counties.

Status:  SB 5029 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, let them know you support SB 5029 and ask them to schedule it for a public hearing and executive session.

Economic inclusion

SB 5241 – Promoting economic inclusion.

SUPPORT

SB 5241 directs the department of commerce to establish and oversee the implementation of economic inclusion grants for local communities with an emphasis on economically distressed communities as defined by the department of commerce. The purpose of these grants is to promote equity, economic inclusion, and a stable financial foundation for people experiencing poverty (at or below 200% of the federal poverty level). Recipients of the grants are required amongst other provisions to

• Coordinate existing poverty reduction resources and benefits to make them easier to access
• Develop a local leadership coalition or use an existing local partnership that includes people experiencing poverty, people of color, homelessness programs, and representatives of the workforce development council, community service offices, Medicaid, accountable communities of health, and associate development organizations, and may include other members
• Work with people experiencing poverty to ensure they have access to multiple benefits to help them meet their basic needs
• Ensure equitable access to state and local government services for people with disabilities
• Ensure options for career development, English language learners, and other services for both parents in two-parent families, including childcare if desired by the family, and
• To the extent allowable under federal law, access to benefits may not be conditioned upon seeking employment nor limited to people pursuing individual career plans, and benefits must be available to people experiencing poverty who are in need of financial stability whether or not they are pursuing career plans.

The bill also allows the Department of Commerce in consultation with the steering committee and to apply for federal waivers to remove federal barriers to coordinating service delivery across multiple programs, where possible.

STATUS:  A substitute version of SB 5241 passed out of the Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it can be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

ACTION:  Call you senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, tell them you support SB5241 and ask that it be voted out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Employment for hard to place workers

Incentives for employment of hard to place job seekers

SB 5358– Providing incentives to employers to hire certain hard-to-place job seekers.

SUPPORT
SB 5385 provides employers a business and occupation tax credit, or a public utility tax credit, for hiring unemployed persons who have been homeless, convicted of a felony, are recipients of temporary assistance for needy families, are recipients of security income recipient, or if they have received a vocational rehabilitation referral.
STATUS:  SB 5358 was replaced with a substitute bill by the Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee. The substitute was passed out of Committee on February 4 and referred to the Ways & Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.
ACTION:  Call your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, tell them you support SB 5358  and ask them to schedule it for a public hearing and to pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.    

Property tax relief for senior citizens

SB 5290– Modifying the income eligibility requirement for the senior citizen and persons with disabilities property tax exemption program.

SUPPORT
SB 5290 provides a property tax exemption or tax reduction for a person who is:

• Sixty-one years of age or older or retired from gainful employment by reason of disability by December 31 of the year the exemption claim is filed; or
• A veteran of the US armed forces, receiving compensation from the US department of veterans (with certain qualifications); or
• A surviving spouse or domestic partner of a person who was receiving an exemption at their time of death, if the claimant is fifty-seven years of age or older and otherwise meets the requirements stated in the bill; or
• Is living in residence with a spouse or domestic partner who meets these eligibility requirements.

STATUS:  SB 5290 is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.
ACTION:  Call your senators on the Ways & Means Committee, tell them you support SB 5290 and ask them to schedule a public hearing and executive session on the bill.

Working Families tax exemption

HB 1297 – Concerning working families tax exemption

SB 5387 – Concerning working families tax exemption

SUPPORT
HB 1297 and SB 5387 update and simplify the structure of the working families tax exemption (WFTE). It also expands the tax exemption to include those with individual taxpayer identification numbers or an individual who has a spouse or dependent without a social security number who would otherwise be eligible. Remittance calculations are restructured.  The department of revenue is to design and implement a public information campaign to inform potentially eligible persons of the WFTE.

STATUS:  HB 1297 has passed out of the House Committee on Finance and is in the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

SB 5387 is in the Senate Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee where it is eligible for an executive secession.

ACTION:  Call your representative on the House Appropriations Committee and tell them you support HB 1297 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Call your senators on the Senate Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee and ask that SB 5387 be scheduled for an executive session and to pass it out of committee.

Unemployment benefits for workers who are unemployed due to COVID-120

SB 5438 – Providing unemployment benefits to workers who are unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and not eligible for unemployment benefits due to immigration status.
SUPPORT
SB 5438 establishes the Washington income replacement program for immigrant workers program, which provides certain unemployment benefits to workers excluded from state unemployment insurance benefits due to immigration status and as a result of COVID-19 and creates the unemployment benefits for undocumented workers account.   Eligible individuals:

• worked at least 680 hours in the base year;
• were separated from employment through no fault of the claimant’s, or quit work for good cause; and
• are able to work, and available to work, and actively searching for suitable work

Benefit is $400 payment for each week of unemployment during the eligibility period, which must not exceed 39 weeks. Payments must be made retroactively to cover unemployment beginning January 1, 2021.
STATUS:  SB 5438 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs on February 15 at 8:30 AM.

ACTION:  Call your senators on the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and tell them you support SB 5438, and ask them to schedule executive session and pass it out of committee.

Assistance for homeowners navigating the foreclosure process

HB 1108 Maintaining funding and assistance for homeowners navigating the foreclosure process.

SUPPORT

Homeownership is a key determinant to building wealth and there is a serious racial wealth gap here as in the nation.  Washington’s Foreclosure Fairness program has been underfunded and needs a permanent fund source to stabilize to ensure housing counseling, legal aid and mediation to Washington’s families. The Covid-19 pandemic will very likely lead to a rush of foreclosures once foreclosure moratoriums are lifted. Rep. Orwall is introducing a series of bills to address foreclosure prevention.  She is promoting revamping the estate tax, as proposed by the Economic Opportunity Institute, to make it more progressive. The proposal would generate over $100 million in the current biennium of which a portion would be dedicated to homelessness prevention including foreclosure prevention.

HB 1108 puts in place a temporary stopgap remedy requiring banks and credit unions that own or service a mortgage for a residential property to offer foreclosure mediation services even though they may have done less than 250 foreclosures in 2020. Also, the fees increased from $300 to $325 per nonjudicial foreclosure trustee sale. The expiration date of the remediation requirement is December 31, 2022.

The House passed an Engrossed Substitute Bill: It extends the mediation and certain other pre-foreclosure requirements under the Deeds of Trust Act and the Foreclosure Fairness Act (FFA) to residential real property of up to four units and removes the requirement that a property be owner-occupied to the existing bill.

Please ask budget writers to include the funding below for foreclosure prevention in the operating budget, as Governor Inslee did, and keep an eye out for a sign-on letter for:

$3.875m in FY 2021 in the proposed supplemental budget and $7.307m in both FY 2022 and 2023 in the proposed biennial budget for foreclosure prevention, specifically “to assist current and prospective homeowners, and homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Funding provided in this section may be used for activities to prevent mortgage or tax lien foreclosure, housing counselors, a foreclosure prevention hotline, legal services for low-income individuals, mediation, and other activities that promote homeownership. The department may contract with other foreclosure fairness program state partners to carry out this work.” 

Status:  HB 1108 has passed out of the House on a unanimous vote and is on its way to the Senate.  It is now in the Senate Business, Financial Services, and Trade Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Business, Financial Services, and Trade Committee and let them know you support  HB 1108.

Assuring Equitable Access to Digital Tools

HB 1212 Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic products to increase access to appropriate and affordable digital products, support small businesses and jobs, and enhance digital connectivity in Washington state.

SUPPORT

With HB 1212, the legislature finds that access to appropriate and affordable digital electronic products is necessary to overcome digital inequities in Washington state and that broader distribution of the information and tools necessary to repair digital electronic products will shorten repair times and lower costs for consumers. It further finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for devices even more critical as people rely on digital electronic devices to submit unemployment claims, join telehealth appointments, attend work and school, connect with family and friends, and generally access services from the safety of their home. They recognize that people will continue to need digital electronic products to function for the foreseeable future.

In order to assist in accomplishing these goals, HB 1212 requires manufacturers to give product information to owners and independent repair providers to:

(1) make available to owners and independent repair providers certain information, equipment, parts, and tools on fair and reasonable terms, and meet other right-to-repair requirements; or

(2) provide a training program and allow any licensed Washington business to obtain certification as a “manufacturer certified repair facility”.

Oftentimes independent repair shops offer more affordable prices than the manufacturer.

Status: HB 1212 is in the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Monday, February 15^th at 10 AM.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee and let them know you support  HB 1212 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Property Tax

HB 1332 Concerning property tax deferral during the COVID-19 pandemic

SB 5402 Concerning property tax deferral during the COVID-19 pandemic

SUPPORT

Interest and penalties on delinquent property taxes are suspended during the COVID-19 state of emergency and for 12 months thereafter. During the COVID-19 state of emergency, extensions of the due date for any property taxes payable in April 2021 for any real property used for business purposes for which the owner demonstrates a loss of at least 20 percent of revenue for 2020 compared to 2019 shall be available. Taxpayers have to file an application provided by the Department of Revenue to obtain this extension. If the application is approved, the county treasurer shall defer property taxes due in April of 2021 to become due and payable before October 31st, 2021.

Status: HB 1332had a public hearing on January 28, 2021 in the House Finance Committee. An executive session was scheduled but no action was taken.  Negotiations are underway on this bill so that it be rescheduled for an executive session.

SB 5402 is eligible for an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support  HB 1332 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and means Committee and ask that SB 5402 be scheduled for an executive session to pass out of committee.

Notification of recorded documents with unlawful racial restrictions

HB 1335 Concerning review and property owner notification of recorded documents with unlawful racial restrictions.

SUPPORT

HB 1335 was amended in committee and now requires institutions of higher learning to provide research related to review of existing recorded covenants and deed restrictions to identify those documents that include racial or other restrictions on property ownership or use against protected classes that are unlawful.  After identifying these, the institution of higher learning they must notify the current owner of the property with information on how the property owner may record a document striking from the referenced original instrument all provisions that are void and unenforceable under law.

Many homeowners would never find out about the existence of racial covenants. A number of real estate companies have created a process through which racial covenant or deed restrictions are identified when a property is listed, but that will only capture properties when they are sold. This bill is needed to take proactive measures to assure that these covenants and deed restrictions that are void and unenforceable are removed from these documents.  This bill has the support of the realtors.

Status: HB 1335 has passed out of the House Local Government Committee and is now in the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support  HB 1335 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Automobile Insurance protections for consumers

HB 1425 Concerning automobile insurance policies.

SUPPORT

HB 1428 gives consumers the right to choose a repair shop and force their automobile insurance carrier to pay for repairs that would restore the vehicle and make the customer whole. 

• Requires basic contracts of automobile insurance to provide that, when an automobile is deemed repairable, it must be restored to its condition prior to the loss.

• Provides that payment must be based on reasonable and necessary costs at the claimant’s chosen repair facility.

• Provides insurance companies are not required to pay for parts supplied by the original equipment manufacturer, unless necessary to restore the vehicle to pre-loss condition.

Status: HB 1428 Is in the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Monday, February 15^th at 10 AM.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee and let them know you support  HB 1428 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Protection from certain types of garnishment

HB 1525 Concerning enforcement of judgments.

SUPPORT

With HB 1525 certain funds held in bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities, are given automatic protection from garnishment (an order to compel third parties to divert funds from a debtor), attachment (a legal judgement to secure property from a debtor), and execution (a judgement to require payment of money or property) if the debt falls into one of these categories:

• For private student loan debt: $1,000 in value is automatically protected.

• For consumer debt: $1,000 in value is automatically protected.

• For all other debts: $500 in value is automatically protected.

A writ of garnishment must contain instructions to financial institutions directing them to comply with the above automatic protections and release protected funds to the debtor. The financial institution is directed to only hold funds for the creditor if the debtor’s accounts contain value in excess of the automatically protected total.

Status: HB 1525 has passed out of the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and is headed to the Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action:  Contact your representatives and let them know you support  HB 1525 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Credit Scoring in Insurance

SB 5010 Banning Credit Scoring in Insurance.

SUPPORT

SB 5010 bans the use of credit scoring in insurance.  This bill is brought forth as OIC/Governor request because credit scoring is discriminatory and should not be used as a tool to decide insurance rates.  People of color and with lower incomes are disproportionately and negatively impacted by this practice – meaning they are paying higher insurance rates because of their credit scores – and it must end. It is about racial equity and economic fairness.

This quote from a recent Crosscut article sums it up: A 2015 analysis by Consumer Reports found that, in Washington state, a driver with poor credit and a clean driving record would pay $690 a year more for auto insurance than someone with excellent credit and a conviction for driving under the influence.  In 2007, the legislature passed SB 5827 by Sen. Hobbs that banned the use of credit scoring for the purpose of employment. Same concept. We hope this will be the year that credit scoring will also be banned in insurance.

Check out Office of the Insurance Commissioner’s (OIC’s) credit score website:

https://www.insurance.wa.gov/credit-scoring-ban – the short video on this site – it is excellent! And media links… in the OIC fact sheet.

Status:  SB 5010 is scheduled for and executive hearing in the Senate Business, Financial Services, and trade Committee on Monday, February 15^th at 9 AM.

Action:  Please reach out to Chair Mark Mullet and members of the committee and urge them to pass it out of committee AS IS! Contact your senators on the Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee and let them know you support  SB 5010.

HB 1351 Concerning reasonable exceptions to insurance rates for consumers whose credit information is influenced by extraordinary life circumstances.

OPPOSE

HB 1351 The insurance industry has come up with a counter strategy (to SB 5010) which says if you use credit information a person can ask for exception from the rates produced by the algorithms if they show independently verifiable proof of a catastrophic event.

Status:  HB 1351 has passed out of the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee and is headed to the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action: Oppose HB 1351 as it doesn’t address systemic discrimination, is open to further discrimination due to subjective review and puts the consumer in the position of asking for relief from rates that are determined by using credit scoring, which is a known race proxy (see the information above from the OIC). Contact your representative on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you oppose HB 1351 and ask that it not be passed out of committee.

Consumer Protection Act

SB 5025 Concerning the Consumer Protection Improvement Act.

SUPPORT

SB 5025 is legislation requested by the Washington State Attorney General that provides an update to the civil penalties allowed in the Consumer Protection Act. Maximum civil penalties for violation of the CPA are increased as follows:

• violation of any injunction issued under the CPA—$215,000
• any contract, trust, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce or monopolization or attempt to monopolize any part of trade or commerce—$260,000 for an individual or $1,300,000 for a corporation; and

• unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade or commerce—$13,350 for each violation.

Also, an enhanced penalty of $10,000 shall apply to unlawful acts or practices targeting specific individuals or communities based on demographic characteristics, including age; race; national origin; citizenship or immigration status; sex; sexual orientation; presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; religion; veteran status; or status as a member of the armed forces.

Status:  SB 5025 has passed out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee and is now in the Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact the members of the rules committee and ask that this bill move to the floor for a vote. And contact your senators and ask for a YES vote on SB 5025 when it comes to the floor.                         

Debt-based Driver’s License Suspension

SB 5226 Concerning the suspension of licenses for traffic infractions.

SUPPORT

SB 5226 deals with modifications as to when a WA State Driver’s license can be suspended:

• Eliminates drivers’ license suspension for the failure to pay, respond, or appear at a requested hearing for a traffic infraction for a moving violation.

• Authorizes the Department of Licensing (DOL) to reinstate all driver’s licenses suspended for reasons that are no longer grounds for suspension.

• Requires DOL to take reasonable steps to notify anyone whose driver’s license was suspended who may qualify for reinstatement and create an online application process for people to use to determine whether they are eligible for reinstatement, within 90 days of the effective date of the legislation.

Status:  SB 5226 Senate Law & Justice Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Monday, February 15^th at 9:30 AM.

Action:  Contact the members of Senate Law and Justice committee and let them know that you support SB 5025  and ask that they pass it out of committee.                                                                                            

Homestead Exemptions

SB 5408 Concerning the homestead exemption

SUPPORT

SB 5408 is primarily sponsored by Northwest Consumer Law Center. Senator Derek Stanford introduced this bill to increase the amount of the homestead exemption to protect Washington state families from losing their homes or a substantial amount of equity in their homes from a forced sale and to allow those in need, the ability to file a federal bankruptcy case without losing their primary residence or a substantial amount of the equity to creditors.

At $125,000—a figure last updated in 2007—Washington’s homestead exemption is currently one of the nation’s lowest. Increases in home prices have dramatically reduced the value of the exemption throughout the state—for example, home prices in Okanogan and Chelan counties rose by 37 percent in 2020 alone. SB 5408 restores homestead fairness to Washington. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of Washington homeowners rely on the homestead exemption to protect their homes from creditors. Yet, rising home values have put this option out of reach for many at the time they need it the most. SB 5408 addresses that problem.

Status:  SB 5408 is in the Senate Law and Justice Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Monday, February 15^th at 9:30 AM.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Law and Justice Committee, let them know you support SB 5408 and ask them to pass it out of committee by the February 15^th cutoff date.  Let them know that at time when our state budget is strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and potential COVID-19 relief, SB 5408 provides real, tangible relief to vulnerable working people and ALL homeowners without costing taxpayers a cent.

Education

High School graduation

HB 1162 Concerning high school graduation credit and pathway options.

SUPPORT

HB 116 is an act relating to creating new graduation credit and pathway options. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the inequities of institutions, including the education system. The 24-credit requirement doesn’t allow students to fail a class and still graduate on time. The limited number of graduation pathways discourages students from entering the trades, and by making credit waivers difficult to attain, students are forced to take courses that do not align with their career paths. This bill will make graduation more flexible and equitable and will ensure that all students have access to courses that will help them in their careers. It reduces the number of credits required for high school graduation from 24 to 20 and applies the revised credit requirements to the graduating class of 2021 and subsequent classes. It establishes an additional graduation pathway option that enables students to meet graduation pathway requirements by completing a performance exhibition meeting specified criteria—to give equitable access to programs already established in multiple WA high schools. And it modifies credit waiver provisions by limiting a two-credit individual student waiver to students in the graduating class of 2019 and 2020, per pandemic mic. Without this emergency measures, many districts in the state will be unable to maintain services.

Status: HB 1476 is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know that you support HB 1162 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Enrollment Stabilization

HB 1476 Addressing enrollment declines duet the COVID-19 pandemic

SUPPORT

HB 1476 relates to enrollment stabilization funding to address enrollment declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and declares an emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the delivery of education across the state and impacted our schools financially, as school districts transitioned to remote learning environments to protect the health of students and staff. However, inflexible, current state funding formulas are largely driven by enrollment. The pandemic has resulted in unforeseen, temporary enrollment declines in many districts, which, if left to the current funding formulas, will result in corresponding funding declines. The funding formulas do not take into account the pandemic or the temporary nature of the enrollment changes and this can affect a district’s ability to maintain the staffing and resources needed to deliver education services. With this act, the legislature intends to provide stabilizing funding to districts that have seen temporary enrollment declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without this emergency measures, many districts in the state will be unable to maintain services.

Status: HB 1476 is in the House Appropriations Committee and is eligible an executive session.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know that you support HB 1476 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Student Transportation During an Emergency

SSB 5128: Concerning student transportation funding during a local, state, or national emergency

SUPPORT

Currently, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) calculates each school district’s transportation allocation using the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS). The STARS model uses a regression analysis of student ridership numbers and district characteristics to calculate an allocation amount, which is adjusted for certain qualifying factors. This STARS allocation amount is then compared to the district’s transportation expenditures from the prior year. The school district receives the lesser of the two calculated amounts, plus salary and benefit allocations as appropriated byte Legislature. However, the COVID 19 pandemic has caused school districts to provide remote instruction. This temporarily decreased student ridership but did not decrease the need and use of transportation service by school districts, in service to their students. Thus, although transportation expenses decreased very little, by current formulas, school district transportation funding will be gutted, Justas it is most needed to return students to the classroom. SB 5128 provides an alternative student transportation allocation formula and allows expanded transportation services during certain local, state, and national emergencies. This will partially address the expected underfunding. It also allows school districts to apply for additional funding and allows OSPI to use student transportation data from prior reporting periods to calculate transportation allocations immediately following an emergency.

Status: SB 5128 has passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is now in the Senate Rules Committee where it is eligible for a vote by the full Senate.

Action: Contact your senators to let them know that you support SSB 5128 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Affordable childcare and early development programs

HB 1213 Expanding accessible, affordable childcare and early childhood development programs.

SB 5237 Expanding accessible, affordable childcare and early childhood development programs.

SUPPORT

HB1213 and SB 5237 expand access to affordable childcare and early childhood development programs by

1. Expanding eligibility and decreasing copayments in the Working Connections Child Care Program and expanding eligibility in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.
2. Providing increased rates, training, grants, and services for childcare and early learning providers.
3. Establishing a new account for childcare and early learning purposes and includes a non-exhaustive list of allowable fund uses.

Both bills were amended in their policy committees and they add the following:

1. Expands health care coverage through state sponsorship of childcare workers on the Washington health benefit exchange and providing consumer assistance through navigators
2. Increases childcare and early learning providers’ compensation
3. Establishes prekindergarten through 3^rd grade system coordinators at educational service districts.
4. Develops a language access plan that centers equity and access for immigrants, multilingual providers, caregivers, and families.

Status: HB 1213 is in the House Appropriations Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16^th at 1:30 PM.

SB 5237 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16^th at 1:30 PM and an executive session on Thursday, February 18^th at 1:30 PM.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support HB 1213 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff.

Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know that you support SB 5237 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff.

Broadband Access

HB 1336 Creating and expanding unrestricted authority for public entities to provide telecommunications services to end users.

SUPPORT

HB 1336 authorizes public utility districts, port districts, second-class cities, towns, and counties to provide retail telecommunications services. This bill is a bipartisan project. The last year has demonstrated to all that highspeed broadband is essential for modern life. Washington is in a minority of states with restrictions on some local governments’ ability to provide broadband services. Many in the rural areas do not have access to services that PUDs could provide. This bill is not just about the rural areas. Plenty of people have access but it is unreliable and unaffordable. This bill is about getting broadband to the kids who need it so they can become citizens. With the pandemic, kids need broadband access even more. It represents a crucial policy shift that addresses economic, education, healthcare, and equity issues. There is currently an inequitable arrangement where people in more populated areas have high speed Internet and rural areas do not.

Status: HB 1336 is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action: Contact your representatives to let them know that you support HB 1336 and ask that they vote YES when the bill comes to the floor.

Housing for school district employees

SB 5043 Providing housing to school district employees.

SUPPORT

There is a housing affordability crisis in our communities. Many educators are priced out of the communities they work in. Lack of housing is an obstacle to the retention of teachers in all school districts. Teachers living out of district also leads to increased carbon emissions and congestion. This legislation is a way to provide housing to first responders in addition to school staff, all while not increasing education costs, particularly for small, remote school districts. SB 5043 would allow districts to put to the people the question of whether they should be able to provide housing to teachers through levy funds and expands the use of a 100-year-old law in Washington State to all districts. It enables school districts to better retain staff, particularly staff in underrepresented communities that might otherwise be deterred by housing costs.

Status: SB 5043 has passed out of the of Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Friday, February 19^th at 9 AM.

Action: Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee to let them know that you support SB 5043.

Health and pension benefits for school bus drivers

SB 5326 Concerning health and pension benefits for school bus drivers employed by private nongovernmental entities.

Amendment Needed

SB 5326 Provides that school districts may only enter into pupil transportation service contracts with nongovernmental entities that provide health and retirement benefit contributions to their employees equivalent to those received by school employees. Health care and related benefits for eligible school district employees are provided through the School Employees’ Benefit Board (SEBB) program. However, some school districts enter into contracts for bus drivers with private nongovernmental entities. This bill would mandate the additional cost to those districts of limiting them to this condition but does not provide funding to allow them to do so. Thus, this benefit would come at the cost of other school programs. The Legislature should insist on benefits for all school employees by fully funding all aspects of education, including the critical provision of benefits for bus drivers.

Status: SB 5043 is scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday, February 15^th at 4 PM.

Action: Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know that you OPPOSE SB 5326 as currently written but would SUPPORT an amended version that appropriates funds to ensure that there are no discriminatory financial impacts to those districts who must rely on private contractors.

Reproductive Rights and Health Care

Prohibit abortion based on down syndrome

HB 1008 Prohibiting abortion on the basis of Down Syndrome.

SB 5416 Prohibiting abortion on the basis of Down Syndrome.

OPPOSE

HB 1008 and SB 5416 prohibit abortion in circumstances when the fetus has been diagnosed with down syndrome. Any physician who performs an abortion in such circumstances will have their license revoked and is liable for civil action.

Status:  HB 1008 has been assigned to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee.

SB 5416 has been assigned to the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

Action:  Contact your legislators and let them know you oppose HB 1008 and SB 5416.

Requiring student health plans to cover maternity care and related services, including abortion

HB 1009 Relating to student health plans.

SUPPORT

HB 1009 requires student health plans to cover maternity care and related services. This includes abortion coverage. It ensures that student health plans are not exempt from state laws and rules requiring abortion coverage and are held to the same standard as other market health plans.

Status:  HB 1009 was passed out of committee on Thursday, January 14 and referred to the Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action:  Contact your legislators and let them know you support HB 1009 and ask for a YES vote when it come to the floor.

Issuing certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth

HB 1031 Concerning the government issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

SB 5072 Concerning the government issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

SUPPORT

HB 1031 and SB 5072 create a process allowing any person who gives birth to a stillborn fetus to request and receive a certification of birth resulting in stillbirth from the applicable state or local registrar.

Status:  HB 1031 was passed out of committee on Thursday, January 14 and referred to the Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

SB 5072 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee.

Action:  Contact your Representatives and let them know you support HB 1031 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Contact your Senator on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee and let them know that you support SB 5072.

Expanding Paid Family Leave

HB 1073 Expanding coverage of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

SUPPORT
HB 1073 expands access to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program. It changes the eligibility criterion from working at least 820 hours for an employer to making at least $1,000 with that employer, and it expands the legal definition of family member to include any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association is the equivalent of a family member and includes child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling or spouse of an employee.

Status:  HB 1073 has passed out House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee and is now in the House Appropriations Committee where it will be eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives and members of the Appropriations Committee and tell them you support HB 1073 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

SB 5097 Expanding coverage of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

SUPPORT

SB 5097 expands access to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program.  It changes the eligibility criterion from requiring an employee to work for an employer with 50 or more employees to having been employed by their current employer for 90 days or more.

Status:  SB 5097 has passed out of the Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee and is now in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full senate.

Action:  Contact your Senators and let them know that you support SB 5097.  Ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Comprehensive Public Health Districts

HB 1152 Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts

SB 5173 Supporting measures to create comprehensive public health districts

SUPPORT

HB 1152 and SB 5173 Requires counties to form comprehensive public health districts

beginning January 1, 2023 and repeals provisions related to establishing and operating local boards of

health, local health districts, local district boards of health, and city county health departments.

Status:  HB 1152 has passed out of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee and is most likely headed to the House Appropriations Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

SB 5173 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support HB 1152 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Contact your senators on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee and ask that  SB 5173 be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

Health coverage regardless of immigration status

HB 1191 Ensuring equity in health coverage.

SUPPORT

HB 1191 extends health coverage to all Washington residents, regardless of immigration status by creating state lookalike programs for: Medicaid, accessible for free to people who otherwise meet eligibility for federal Medicaid but for immigration status; and, qualified health plans and qualified dental plans, subsidized in cost to the same extent qualified health and dental plans on the exchange are subsidized.

Status:  HB 1191 has been assigned to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee.

Action:  Contact your legislators and let them know you support HB 1191 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

School based health centers

HB 1225 Supporting school based health centers.

SUPPORT

HB 1225 creates a school-based health center program office within the department of health to award grants and coordinate with other agencies and entities to provide support, training, and technical assistance to school-based health centers. School-based health centers advance equity by providing health care access and support at schools.

Status:  HB 1225 has passed out of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee and is now in the House Appropriations Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, February 16^th at 1:30 pm.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Appropriations Committee and let them know you support HB 1225 and that it be passed out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Menstrual products in schools

HB 1273 Menstrual hygiene products in school bathrooms.

SB 5070 Menstrual hygiene products in school bathrooms.

SUPPORT

HB 1273 and SB 5060, starting in the 2022-2023 school year, would require schools and post-secondary institutions to make available, at no cost, menstrual hygiene products in all gender neutral and bathrooms designated for females. This applies to schools and institutions serving students in grades 6 through 12 and institutions of higher education. HB 1273 was amended and requires that menstrual hygiene products also be available in a school health room or other location designated by the principal for grades 3 through 5.

Status:  HB 1273 is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

SB 5070 is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and it was scheduled for an executive session on Wednesday, February 10 but no action was taken.

Action:  Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1273 and ask it to be scheduled for a vote by the full House and that your representatives vote YES to pass it on to the Senate for their consideration.

Contact your senators on the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and let them know you support SB 5070 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Penalties for prescription drug price increase

SB 5020 Assessing a penalty on unsupported prescription drug price increases to protect the safety, health, and economic well-being of Washington residents.
SUPPORT
SB 5020 assesses an annual penalty on prescription unsupported drug price increases. An unsupported price increase is one in which there was no, or inadequate, new clinical evidence to support the price increase. The penalty in any calendar year must equal 80 percent of the difference between the revenue generated by sales within the state of the identified drugs and the revenue that would have been generated if the manufacturer had maintained the wholesale acquisition cost from the previous calendar year, adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index. The manufacturer or distributor of the identified drug must not withdraw the drug from sale or distribution within the state to avoid the penalty.  If they plan to do so they must give notice and a $500,000 penalty per identified drug is to be assessed. The revenue collected funds the state’s Foundational Public Health Services account.

Status:  SB 5020 has passed out of Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5020 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Health Equity Zones

SB 5052 Creating health equity zones.
SUPPORT
SB 5052 requires the Department of Health to use health outcome data to identify potential health equity zones and coordinate with community organizations in those zones to identify projects to address the zone’s most urgent needs related to health disparities. The Department is then required to report annually on the projects implemented in each zone.

Status: SB 5052 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled or a public hearing on Monday, February 15^th at 4 PM.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5052 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Notifications for abortion

SB 5053 Requiring parental notifications for abortions.

OPPOSE

SB 5053 Requires physicians performing abortions on minors to notify a parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours prior to their intention of performing the abortion. Physicians who perform abortions on minors without notification will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Physicians are required to submit monthly reports to the Department of Health with the number of notifications made. The Department is then required to compile the data and make it available publicly.

Status: SB 5053 has been assigned to the Senate Law & Justice Committee.

Action:  Contact your legislators and let them know you oppose SB 5053.

Expanding medicaid coverage during the postpartum period

SB 5068 Improving maternal health outcomes by extending coverage during the postpartum period.

SUPPORT

SB 5068 extends Medicaid coverage to new birth parents from 60 days post-birth to 365 days post-birth.

Status:  SB 5068 is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday, February 15^th at 4 PM.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5068 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Miscarriage-related patient care

SB 5140 Protecting pregnancy and miscarriage-related patient care.

SUPPORT

SB 5140 Prohibits health care entities from stopping health care providers from providing health care services related to miscarriage management and treatment for ectopic pregnancies.

Status:  SB 5140 is now in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact your senators and let them know you support SB 5140 and ask they urge the Rules Committee to schedule SB 5140 for a vote by the full Senate and that they vote YES when it comes to the floor.

Universal Health Care

SB 5204 Crating the whole Washington Health Trust

SUPPORT

SB 5140 Creates the Whole Washington Health Trust to provide coverage for a set of essential health benefits to all Washington residents. These essential health benefits include:

• Hospital services, including hospital-based outpatient care and 24 hour emergency services;
• Ambulatory primary and preventive care services, including chronic disease management;
• Prescription drugs, medical devices, and biological products;
• Mental health and substance abuse treatment services;
• Laboratory and other diagnostic services, including diagnostic imaging services;
• Reproductive, maternity, and newborn care;
• Pediatric primary and specialty care;
• Palliative care and end-of-life care services;
• Oral health, audiology, and vision services;
• Short-term rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices.

Status:  SB 5204 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee.

Action:  Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5204 and ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session.

SB 5399 Creating a universal health care commission.

SUPPORT

SB 5399 creates a universal health care commission for the purposes of developing a plan to create a health care system in Washington that provides coverage and access through a universal financing system including, but not limited to, a single-payer financing system, for all Washingtonians. By November 1, 2024, the commission must report its findings to the legislature, along with recommendations on implementing a universal health care system in Washington to be implemented by 2026.

Status:  SB 5399 has passed out of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5399 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Health Equity in Medical Training

SB 5228 Requiring health equity training in medical school courses.

SUPPORT

SB 5140 Requires the state’s two medical schools, University of Washington and Washington State University, to add health equity training in the required courses. The bill also requires the medical schools to set a goal to be more representative of the demographics of the state of Washington.

Status:  SB 5228 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5228. Ask that it be scheduled for a public hearing and executive session to be passed out of committee.

SB 5229 Requiring health care professionals to complete health equity continuing education.

SUPPORT

SB 5229 Requires a licensed health care professional to complete health equity continuing education training at least once every four years.

Status:  SB 5229 is in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate. 

Action:  Contact your senators and let them know you support SB 5229 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Health Insurance Discrimination

SB 5313 Making it an unfair practice for health carriers to discriminate against enrollees seeking gender affirming treatment.

SUPPORT

SB 5313 Reduces discrimination by health carriers for enrollees seeking gender affirming treatment. Specifically, it amends the law (RCW 49.60.178, 41.05.017; 49.60.040, 48.30.300) to make it an unfair practice for health plans issued or renewed on January 1, 2022, to deny, exclude, reduce or terminate benefits when a participant seeks provider prescribed gender affirming treatment. Also, if the health carrier does not have an adequate network of providers with experience with gender affirming treatment, the health carrier shall ensure the delivery of timely and geographically accessible medically necessary gender affirming treatment at no greater expense than if the health carrier had an in-network, geographically accessible provider available.

Status:  SB 5313 has passed out of Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Friday, February 19^th at 9:00 AM

Action:  Contact your senators on the Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5313 and ask that they schedule it for an executive session and pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff.

Acquisition of health care facilities

SB 5335 Concerning the acquisition of health care facilities.

SUPPORT

SB 5335 finds that accessible affordable health care services that are responsive to the needs of the community are an important public health goal.  The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the crucial importance of our health care systems and the inequities that exist and exacerbate harm to our marginalized communities including access to and delivery of affordable, quality care. Acquisitions can result in lack of price competition and a meaningful choice of providers within a community or geographic area with these negative outcomes exacerbated for those in rural areas with few health care providers.  The bill also commits to ensuring that all Washingtonians have the full range of reproductive, end-of-life, and gender affirming health care services.  SB 5335 requires that a person or entity may not engage in acquiring a hospital or hospital system without first applying for approval from the department of health. 

SB 5335 requires that the department of health only approve an application if the acquisition in question will not detrimentally affect the continued existence of accessible, affordable health care that is responsive to the needs of the communities in which the hospital or hospital system health facilities are located. To this end, the department shall not approve an application unless, at a minimum, it determines that:

• After the acquisition, the affected community will have the same or greater access to quality, affordable care, including reproductive, end-of-life, and gender affirming health care services, and that, if the health care facilities that are the subject of this acquisition will not provide these services, there are alternative sources of quality affordable care in the community that will ensure the community has the same or greater access to these services;
• The acquisition will not result in the revocation of hospital privileges;
• Sufficient safeguards are included to maintain appropriate capacity for health science research and health care provide education;
• The acquiring person and parties to the acquisition are committed to providing health care to the disadvantaged, the uninsured, and the underinsured and to providing benefits to promote improved health in the affected community; and
• Sufficient safeguards are included to avoid conflict of interest in patient referral.

Status:  SB 5335 has been assigned to the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and an executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee and let them know you support SB 5313 and ask that they schedule it for a public hearing and executive session and pass it out of committee before Tuesday, February 16^th.

Violence Against Women

Unlawful possession of a firearm

HB 1026 Concerning the restoration of the right to possess a firearm.

MONITOR
HB 1026 modifies the criteria for individuals who have been convicted of a felony or found not guilty by reason of insanity and are prohibited from possessing firearms can petition the court for reinstatement of their right to possess a firearm.  The criteria include minimum time frames that must have passed before a person can petition the court based on the level of the offense (B or C) with no further convictions, completion of all sentencing conditions, no pending charges, and no extreme risk, domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault order issued withing the 5 years immediately preceding the petition.    Persons convicted of or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a class A felony, a felony offense in which a firearm was used, displayed, or threatened or a felony offense with a maximum sentence of at least 20 years would not be eligible.  The bill also changes the language in the section regarding the prohibition on possessing firearms from having previously been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment to having been involuntarily committed for treatment of a mental health disorder.

Status:  HB 1026 is in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

HB 1038 Prohibiting the possession of firearms by persons convicted of certain criminal offenses.

SUPPORT

HB 1038 modifies the list of misdemeanor crimes wherein a person can be prohibited from possessing a firearm.  The following crimes are added to the list:

• Unlawful aiming or discharge of a firearm or dangerous weapon
• Animal cruelty in the second degree.

The bill also adds persons who have been involuntarily committed for behavioral health treatment (in addition to those already prohibited due to having been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment) to the list of persons prohibited from possessing firearms.

Status:  HB 1038 is in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and let them know you support HB 1038.

Criminal mistreatment of children and vulnerable adults

HB 1048 Concerning the removal of specific religious references regarding the criminal mistreatment of children and vulnerable adults from a statute.

SUPPORT

HB 1048 removes a statutory reference that gives rise to constitutional issues by singling out one particular religion in statute.  The statute is change to state that health care decisions made in reliance on faith-based services do not constitute negligent treatment or maltreatment unless such a decision poses clear and present danger to the health, welfare, or safety of a child.  It also removes the reference to a person who is furnished with Christian Science treatment by an accredited Christian Science practitioner in lieu of medical care as not being considered deprived of medically necessary health care or abandoned.

Status:  HB 1048 is in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and let them know you support HB 1048.

Sexual assault victims

HB 1109 Concerning sexual assault victims

SUPPORT
HB 1109 requires that if a sexual assault kit results in in hit in the combined DNA index system shall upon request of the attorney general report changes in case status as to any related criminal investigation and prosecution to the office of the attorney general.  The attorney general’s office is directed to establish reporting requirements and to submit semiannual reports on the status of investigations and prosecution of sexual assault cases.  HB 1109 also requires that the criminal justice training commission conduct an annual review of case files from law enforcement agencies in order to identify changes to training and investigatory practices necessary to optimize outcomes in sexual assault investigations and prosecutions. The analysis must include the impact that race and ethnicity have on sexual assault case outcomes. The bill also expands the rights of sexual assault victims to:

• Receive written notice of receive written notice of his or her right to a medical forensic exam at no cost and other benefits under the Crime Victim Compensation Program
• Receive a referral to a community sexual assault program and if the victim is a minor to a children’s advocacy center
• Consult with a sexual assault survivor advocate throughout the investigatory process and prosecution.  The presence of an advocate in the courtroom fulfills the survivor’s right to consult with an advocate while he or she is providing testimony in a criminal trial. Medical facilities, law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, courts, and other criminal justice agencies, including correctional facilities, are made responsible for providing advocates access to facilities where necessary to fulfill the requirements associated with the survivor’s right to consult with an advocate.
• Receive timely notification from the law enforcement agency and prosecuting attorney as to the status of the case
• Be informed of expected time frames for receiving responses to the survivor’s inquiries regarding the case status
• Access interpreter services where necessary to facilitate communication
• For minors
  • The prosecutor to consider and discuss the survivor’s request for remote video testimony
  • The court to consider requests from the prosecutor for safeguarding the survivor’s feelings of security and safety in the courtroom in order to facilitate the survivor’s testimony and participation in the court proceedings
  • The minor has a right to receive a connection to services in accordance with the county child sexual abuse investigation protocol, which may include a referral to a children’s advocacy center

Status:  HB 1109 has passed out of the House Public Safety Committee and is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action:  Contact your representatives and let them know that you support HB 1109 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Assault weapons and large capacity magazines

HB 1164 Addressing firearm safety measures to increase public safety

SB 5078 Addressing firearm safety measures to increase public safety

SUPPORT
HB 1164 and SB 5078 establish firearm safety measures to increase public safety by prohibiting the manufacture, possession, distribution, importation, selling, offering for sale, purchasing or transfer of large capacity magazines. A large capacity magazine is defined to mean an ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which such a device can be assembled if those parts are in possession of or under the control of the same person

Status:  HB 1164 is in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session. 

SB 5078 is in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and let them know that you support HB 1164.

Contact your senators and let them know you support SB 5078 and ask that they vote YES when it comes to the floor.

HB 1229 Concerning assault weapons

SB 5217 Concerning assault weapons

SUPPORT
HB 1229 & SB 5217 create definitions for assault-style weapons and restricts assault-style weapon ownership requiring that no person in this state may manufacture, possess, distribute, import, transfer, sell, offer for sale, purchase, or otherwise transfer any assault weapon except in limited circumstances as defined in the bill.

Status:  HB 1229 is in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session. 

SB 5217 is in the Senate Law and Justice Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and let them know that you support HB 1229.

Contact your senators on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and let them know you support SB 5217 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Display of weapons

HB 1283 Including the open carry or display of weapons within the offense of criminal mischief.

SUPPORT
HB 1283 adds to the Criminal Mischief RCW the following: if a person “openly carries or displays a deadly weapon in a manner that would lead a reasonable person to feel threatened.”

Status:  HB 1283 is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know that you support HB 1283 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Domestic violence survivors

HB 1293 Reducing unduly harsh sentences for offenses committed by domestic violence survivors.

SUPPORT
HB 1293, known as the Survivors Justice Act, allows the Court to reduce any term of incarceration or other penalties or impose alternatives when the defendant is 1) a survivor of domestic violence committed by an intimate partner; 2) the domestic violence suffered by the defendant was a significant contributing factor to the defendant’s criminal conduct; and 3) the generally applicable sentencing requirements under this chapter would be unduly harsh given the nature and circumstances of the crime and the history, character, and condition of the defendant. HB 1293 also allows any person who is currently serving a sentence imposed prior to the effective date of this section may petition the sentencing court for resentencing on the basis previously described.

Status: HB 1293 is in the House Public Safety Committee where it is eligible for an executive session.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House Public Safety Committee and let them know that you support HB 1293 and ask that it be scheduled for an executive session to pass it out of committee.

Domestic violence task force

HB 1315 Creating a task force to identify the role of the workplace in helping curb domestic violence

SUPPORT
HB 1315 states that the workplace may be the only location in which an individual experiencing domestic violence may be free from a perpetrator and feel safe. In either a physical or remote environment, individuals experiencing domestic violence may also find the workplace a place of shared confidences. Therefore, the legislature intends to create a task force to explore ways in which the employer and employee community may help curb domestic violence.

The task force will be a (up to) 12-member committee comprised of representation across industries, violence and sexual assault coalitions, and to include a federally recognized tribe. The preliminary report is due 12/1/2021, with final recommendations due 12/1/2022.

Status:  HB 1315 is in the House Labor and Workplace Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Monday, February 15^th at 10 AM.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House Labor and Workplace Committee and let them know that you support HB 1315 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Civil protection orders

HB 1320 Modernizing, harmonizing, and improving the efficacy and accessibility of laws concerning civil protection orders.

SB 5297 Modernizing, harmonizing, and improving the efficacy and accessibility of laws concerning civil protection orders.

SUPPORT
HB 1320 & SB 5297 consolidate the six types of civil protection orders into a single chapter of the RCW. The six types of civil protection orders are (a) Domestic violence protection orders; (b) vulnerable adult protection orders; (c) antiharassment protection orders; (d) sexual assault protection orders; (e) stalking protection orders; and (f) extreme risk protection orders. It also creates a pathway to consolidate jurisdictional divisions to a more consistent approach with protection orders. The consolidation will come from recommendations from the Washington State Women’s Commission in consultation with the administrative office, the Gender and Justice Commission, and representatives of the courts, and is due 12/1/2021.

Status: HB 1320 is in the House Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full House.

SB 5297 is in the Senate Law and Justice Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1320 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Contact your senators on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and let them know you support SB 5297.

HB 1449 Creating the crime of coercive control.

OPPOSE

HB1449 acknowledges that the pandemic of domestic violence is occurring alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crime of coercive control is established, barring any person from engaging in a course of conduct against a family or household member or intimate partner without his or her consent in order to limit or restrict, in full or in part, his or her behavior, movement, associations, or access to or use of his or her own finances or financial information.

A person is guilty of coercive control if he or she engages in a course of conduct against a family or household member or intimate partner, as those terms are defined in RCW 10.99.020, without his or her consent in order to limit or restrict, in full or in part, his or her behavior, movement, associations, or access to or use of his or her own finances or financial information.

Lack of consent results from forcible compulsion or from fear that refusal to consent will result in further actions limiting or restricting the family or household member or intimate partner’s behavior, movement, associations, or access to or use of his or her own finances or financial information.

Coercive control is a gross misdemeanor.

WA State NOW is now Opposing HB 1449 after listening to the public testimony of three domestic violence organizations who testified in opposition. There is evidence that shows that perpetrators can use laws like this bill against the victims/survivors, creating a deeper system of abuse.

Status: HB 1449 is in the House Public Safety Committee where it is eligible for an executive session.

Action: Contact your representatives on House Public Safety Committee and let them know you oppose HB 1449 and ask that they NOT pass it out of committee.

Prohibiting open carry of weapons at public demonstrations and the state capitol

SB 5038 Prohibiting the open carry of certain weapons at public demonstrations and the state capitol.

SUPPORT
SB 5038 prohibits a person from knowingly carrying a firearm or other weapon while attending a demonstration – a march, rally, vigil, sit-in or picket which has the effect or intent of attracting a crowd – at a public place or within 1000 feet of a demonstration.  The bill also prohibits any person to knowingly open carry a firearm or other weapon on the state capitol grounds, in any building on the state capitol grounds, in any state legislative office, or at any location of a public legislative hearing or meeting during the hearing or meeting.

SB 5038 was amended with the following changes:

• Adds an exception for federal law enforcement agents and armed forces of the United States and Washington State. 
• Specifies buildings on the state capitol grounds and defines the west state capitol campus grounds. 
• Change demonstrations to permitted demonstrations. 
• Changes the distance from 1000 feet to 250 feet within a permitted demonstration for a person who may not open carry a firearm.

Status:  SB 5038 is in the Senate Rules Committee where it can be scheduled for a vote by the full senate.

Action:  Contact your senators to let them know you support SB 5038 and ask for a YES vote when it comes to the floor.

Victims of nonfatal strangulation

SB 5183 Concerning victims of nonfatal strangulation.

SUPPORT
SB 5183 directs the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) to develop practices for local communities to increase access to forensic nurse examiner services in nonfatal strangulation assaults, and to publish those best practices to its website by 1, 2022.  It also directs OCVA to develop strategies to make forensic nurse examiner training available throughout the state without causing unreasonable travel or expenses for nurses and report those strategies to the Governor and Legislature by October 1, 2022. The Crime Victims Compensation Program is authorized to pay for forensic examination of domestic violence victims of nonfatal strangulation and prohibits charging the victim for the examination.

Status:  SB 5183 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday, February 16^th at 1:30 PM. 

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5183 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Crime victim safety

SB 5245 Concerning the safety of crime victims.

SUPPORT
SB 5245 was amended in committee and now provides that that the department of correction and witness notification programs are expanded to add victims by domestic violence offenders, certain assault offenders, vehicular homicide offenders, and controlled substance homicide offenders to receive notification of the offender’s pending release. Note that violent offenders, sex offenders, and domestic violence protection order offenders are already included in this RCW.

Status: SB 5245 is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday, February 17^th at 1:30 PM and an executive session on Friday, February 19^th at 9:00 AM. 

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you support SB 5245 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Budget/Revenue

2021-2023 Operating Budget.

HB 1094 Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations

SB 5092 Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations
SUPPORT

HB 1094 and SB 5092 are the starting bills for the 2021 2023 operating budget.  Governor Inslee proposed this budget as presented in these bills just before the beginning of this year’s legislative session. His proposal is a good starting place for meeting our state’s needs.  But our legislators need to hear from us now and during their budget negotiations. The details in these bills will change. 

Our state’s economy crashed this year because consumer demand collapsed overnight after initial mandatory closures due to COVID-19. In the months since, consumer spending has further collapsed as thousands of businesses have closed and more than 1.4 million Washingtonians have filed first-time unemployment claims.

While our State’s budget picture has improved since last spring, the state still faces significant fiscal challenges.  New revenue is needed support the recovery effort and protect vital state services especially for the people hardest hit by the pandemic and to protect previous investments in state services.

Funds are needed to

1. strengthen WA’s public health system,
2. provide support for childcare providers struggling during the pandemic,
3. provide food assistance and unemployment insurance,
4. provide relief for hungry and homeless families,
5. preserve environmental protections,
6. support agencies that keep our communities safe, and
7. provide adequate funding for K-12 education and make investments in higher education opportunities. 

Status: HB 1094 was scheduled for a public hearing on, January 14 in the House Appropriations Committee.  It is now eligible for an executive hearing.

SB 5092 had its public hearing on January 12 and is eligible for an executive session in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Action:  In order and be able to serve our states residents especially those that are marginalized and disenfranchised in our state we need you to deliver a message to your representatives in regard to HB 1094 and senators in regard to SB 5092 that WA State needs a new progressive revenue stream and not budget cuts.  Comprehensive tax reform is also needed to ease the disproportionately high tax burden on our poorest communities.

Tax deduction repeal to provide funds for basic needs.

HB 1111. Concerning investment income tax deductions
SUPPORT

HB 1111 repeals current existing investment tax deductions currently granted to companies and nonprofits that have sufficient revenues to be able to make financial investments

Status:  HB 1111 is in the House Finance Committee where it is eligible for a public hearing and executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Finance Committee and let them know you support HB 1111.

Estate Taxes

HB 1465 Making the estate tax more progressive by exempting small estates, reducing estate taxes on medium estates, increasing the estate tax on larger estates, and addressing equity in homeownership and homelessness.

SUPPORT

HB 1464 revamps the estate tax to make it more progressive.   For an estate of an individual dying on or after August 1, 2021, changes are made to the estate tax. The exclusion amount is increased to $2.5 million and the language providing for annual adjustment is updated to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle metropolitan area. The rates for estates over $3 million through $9 million are increased. Additional rate classes are created for estates over $9 million.

The bill further dedicates 10% of the proceeds to the Equity in Housing Account to be used to address homelessness, including foreclosure prevention, rental assistance, outreach engagement services, housing services, and behavioral health, with priority for agencies, programs, and services which address current and historical racial inequities

Note:  For the estate of a married decedent, all of the community property and all of the decedent’s separate property are reported on the estate tax return. The community property assets are then reduced by 50 percent to reflect the deceased individual’s share of the property.

Status: HB 1465 is in the House Finance Committee where it is eligible for an executive session.

Action:  Contact your representatives on the House Finance Committee and let them know you support  HB 1465 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

Capital gains tax

SB 5096 Concerning an excise tax on gains from the sale or exchange of certain capital assets
SUPPORT

WA State has the most regressive tax system in the US with those who make the least amount of money paying the highest percentage of their income in taxes. Whereas the very wealthy paying a very small share of their income in taxes.  SB 5096 would do the following:

• add a 9% tax on high-end capital gains – such as sales of stocks and bonds – only on profits greater than $25,000 (or $50,000 for couples filing jointly)
• raise more than $1 billion for community investment in the coming budget cycle and more than $2 billion in following budget cycles

 The capital gains tax would NOT apply to gains from the sales of assets from:

• retirement accounts,
• college savings,
• small businesses,
• residential real estate, or
• farmland, timber, or livestock.

For a more in-depth explanation of what a capital gains tax in WA would do, see the Budget and Policy Center’s report on Closing the Tax Break on Capital Gains.

Status:  SB 5096 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it had a public hearing on Thursday, January 14, 2021 and is eligible for an executive session.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you supportSB 5096 and ask that they schedule it for an executive session and vote YES to pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

State bank

SB 5188 Concerning the creation of the Washington state public bank.
SUPPORT

SB 5188 establishes a state cooperative bank that provides opportunities of state, local, and tribal government entities to competitively finance a broad array of public infrastructure and economic development projects including housing, at competitive rates with low administrative costs and would gaps that the current banking system cannot or will not fill.

Status:  SB 5188 is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it is scheduled for public hearing on Thursday, February 18 at 1:30 PM.

Action:  Contact your senators on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and let them know you supportSB 5188 and ask that they pass it out of committee by the February 22^nd cutoff date.

HOUSE COMMITEES

Appropriations Committee:
Timm Ormsby (Chair), Steve Berquist  (Vice Chair), Mia Gregerson (Vice Chair),  Nicole Macri (Vice Chair), Matt Boehnke, Kelly Chambers, Chris Corry, Michele Caldier, Bruce Chandler, Frank Chopp, Eileen Cody, Laurie Dolan, Mary Dye, Joe Fitzgibbon, Noel Frame, Drew Hansen, Paul Harris, Larry Hoff, Cyndy Jacobsen, Jesse Johnson, Debra Lekanoff, Drew MacEwen, Gerry Pollet, Skyler Rude, Cindy Ryu, Joe Schmick, Tana Senn, Larry Springer, Mike Steele, Drew Stokesbary, Monica Stonier, Pat Sullivan, and Steve Tharinger

Capital Budget Committee:
Steve Tharinger (Chair), Lisa Callan (Vice Chair), David Hackney (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Jessica Bateman, Mary Dye, Carolyn Eslick, Greg Gilday, Shelley Kloba, Vicki Kraft, Mari Leavitt, Drew MacEwen, Jacquelin Maycumber, Joel McEntire, Gina Mosbrucker, Strom Peterson, Marcus Riccelli, Alicia Rule, Mike Steele, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Mike Sells, Sharon Shewmake, and Mike Volz

Children Youth and Families:
Tana Senn (Chair), Tarra Simmons (Vice Chair), Alicia Rule (Vice Chair), Lisa Callan, Rob Chase, Tom Dent, Carolyn Eslick, Roger Goodman, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Brad Klippert, Bob McCaslin, Emily Wicks, and Jesse Young

Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee
Drew Hansen (Chair), Tarra Simmons (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Lauren Davis, Debra Entenman, Greg Gilday, Roger Goodman, Jenny Graham, Steve Kirby, Brad Klippert, Tina Orwall, Strom Peterson, My-Linh Thai, Javier Valdez, Amy Walen, Jim Walsh, and Alex Ybarra

College and Workforce Development Committee:
Vandana Slatter (Chair), Debra Entenman (Vice Chair), Mari Leavitt (Vice Chair), Kelly Chambers, Bruce Chandler, Drew Hansen, Larry Hoff, Cyndy Jacobsen, Vicki Kraft, Dave Paul, Gerry Pollet, Mike Sells, and Robert Sutherland

Commerce and Gaming Committee:
Shelley Kloba (Chair), Emily Wicks (Vice Chair), Drew MacEwen, Kelly Chambers, Steve Kirby, Melanie Morgan, Eric Robertson, Brandon Vick, and Sharon Wylie

Community & Economic Development
Cindy Ryu (Chair), Dave Paul (Vice Chair), Matt Boehnke, Rob Chase, Chris Corry, Noel Frame, Cyndy Jacobsen, Jesse Johnson, Vicki Kraft, John Lovick, Alicia Rule, Robert Sutherland, and Jamila Taylor

Consumer Protection and Business Committee:
Steve Kirby (Chair), Amy Walen (Vice Chair), Chris Corry, Jeremie Dufault, Cindy Ryu, Sharon Tomiko Santos, and Brandon Vick

Education Committee:
Sharon Tomiko Santos (Chair), Laurie Dolan (Vice Chair), April Berg, Steve Berquist, Lisa Callan, Bob McCaslin, Joel McEntire, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Skyler Rude, Mike Steele, Monica Stonier, Jim Walsh and Alex Ybarra

Environment & Energy Committee:
Joe Fitzgibbon (Chair), Davina Duerr (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Liz Berry, Mary Dye, Matt Boehnke, Jake Fey, Keith Goehner, Kirsten Harris-Talley, Mark Klicker, Alex Ramel, Sharon Shewmake, and Vandana Slatter

Finance Committee:
Noel Frame (Chair), April Berg (Vice Chair), Amy Walen (Vice Chair), Ed Orcutt, Rob Chase, Frank Chopp, Jeremie Dufault, Kirsten Harris-Talley, Melanie Morgan, Tina Orwall, Alex Ramel, Larry Springer, Drew Stokesbary, My-Linh Thai, Brandon Vick, Sharon Wylie, and Jesse Young      

Health Care and Wellness Committee:
Eileen Cody (Chair), Jessica Bateman (Vice Chair), Dan Bronoske, Michelle Caldier, Lauren Davis, Paul Harris, Nicole Macri, Jacquelin Maycumber, Marcus Riccelli, Skyler Rude, Joe Schmick, Tarra Simmons, Monica Stonier, Steve Tharinger, and Alex Ybarra

Housing, Human Services, and Veterans Committee:
Strom Peterson, (Chair), Jamila Taylor (Vice Chair), Andrew Barkis, Jessica Bateman, Michele Caldier, Frank Chopp, Greg Gilday, Mari Leavitt, and My-Linh Thai,

Labor and Workplace Standards Committee:
Mike Sells (Chair), Liz Berry (Vice-Chair), Dan Bronoske, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Paul Harris, Larry Hoff, and Gina Mosbrucker

Local Government Committee:
Gerry Pollet (Chair), Davina Duerr (Vice Chair), Tina Berg, Keith Goehner, Dan Griffey, Eric Robertson, and Tana Senn

Public Safety Committee:
Roger Goodman (Chair), Jesse Johnson (Vice Chair), Lauren Davis, Jenny Graham, Dan Griffey, David Hackney, Brad Klippert, John Lovick, Gina Mosbrucker, Tina Orwall, Bill Ramos, Tarra Simmons and Jesse Young

Rules Committee:
Laurie Jinkins (Chair), Steve Berquist, Micelle Caldier, Lauren Davis, Tom Dent, Jeremie Dufault, Greg Gilday, Jenny Graham, Mia Gregerson, Paul Harris, Cyndy Jacobsen, Mark Klicker, Joel Kretz, John Lovick, Melanie Morgan, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Tina Orwall, Alex Ramel, Marcus Riccelli, Eric Robertson, Tarra Simmons, Larry Springer, Monica Juarado Stonier, Pat Sullivan, My-Linh Thai, Amy Walen, and J.T. Wilcox

Rural Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee:
Mike Chapman (Chair), Sharon Shewmake (Vice Chair), Bruce Chandler, Tom Dent, Mary Dye, Joe Fitzgibbon, Mark Klicker, Shelley Kloba, Joel Kretz, Debra Lekanoff, Joel McEntire, Melanie Morgan, Ed Orcutt, Erick Pettigre, Bill Ramos, Joe Schmick, Larry Springer, and Jim Walsh

State Government and Tribal Relations Committee:
Javier Valdez (Chair), Debra Lekanoff (Vice Chair), Laurie Dolan, Jenny Graham, Mia Gregerson, Mike Volz, and Jim Walsh

Transportation Committee:
Jake Fey (Chair), Sharon Wylie (1^st Vice Chair), Dan Bronoske (2^nd Vice Chair), Bill Ramos (2^nd Vice Chair), Andrew Barkis, Liz Berry, Mike Chapman, Tom Dent, Davina Duerr, Debra Entenman, Carolyn Eslick, Keith Gohner, Dan Griffey, David Hackney, Mark Klicker, John Lovick, Bob McCaslin, Ed Orcutt, Dave Paul, Marcus Riccelli, Eric Robertson, Vandana Slatter, Robert Sutherland, Jamila Taylor, Javier Valdez, Mike Volz, Jim Walsh, and Emily Wicks

SENATE COMMITEES

Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee:
Kevin Van De Wege (Chair), Jesse Salomon (Vice Chair), Judy Warnick, Jim Honeyford, Christine Rolfes, Derek Stanford, and Shelly Short

Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long-Term Care Committee:
Manka Dhingra (Chair), Keith Wagoner, David Frockt, T’wina Nobles, and Judy Warnick

Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee:
Mark Mullet (Chair), Bob Hasegawa (Vice Chair), Perry Dozier, Sharon Brown, David Frockt, Steve Hobbs, and Lynda Wilson

Early Learning and K-12 Committee:
Lisa Wellman (Chair), T’wina Nobles (Vice Chair – K12 Education), Claire Wilson (Vice Chair – Early Learning), Perry Dozier, Brad Hawkins, Sam Hunt, Jim McCune, Mark Mullet, and Jamie Pedersen,

Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee:
Reuven Carlyle (Chair), Liz Lovelett (Vice Chair), Doug Ericksen, Phil Fortunado, Sharon Brown, Mona Das, Steve Hobbs, Marko Liias, Joe Nguyen, Tim Sheldon, Shelly Short, Derek Stanford, and Lisa Wellman

Health and Long Term Care Committee:
Annette Cleveland (Chair), David Frockt (Vice Chair), Ron Muzzall, Steve Conway, Jeff Holy, Karen Keiser, Mike Padden, Emily Randall, Ann Rivers, June Robinson, Kevin Van De Wege, and Jeff Wilson

Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee:
Emily Randall (Chair), T’wina Nobles (Vice Chair), Jeff Holy, Sharon Brown, Doug Ericksen, and Marko Liias

Housing and Local Government Committee:
Patty Kuderer (Chair), Mona Das (Vice Chair), Phil Fortunato, Annette Cleveland, Chris Gildon, Liz Lovelett, Shelly Short, Jesse Solomon, and Judy Warnick

Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee:
Jeanne Darneille (Chair), Joe Nguyen (Vice Chair), Chris Gildon, Perry Dozier, Jim McCune, Rebecca Saldaña, and Claire Wilson

Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee:
Karen Keiser (Chair), Derek Stanford (Vice Chair – Commerce & Tribal Affairs), Steve Conway (Vice Chair-Labor), Curtis King, John Braun, Jim Honeyford, June Robinson, Rebecca Saldaña, and Mark Schoesler

Law & Justice Committee:
Jamie Pedersen (Chair), Manka Dhingra (Vice Chair), Jeanne Darneille, Mike Padden, Jeff Holy, Patty Kuderer, Jim McCune, Jesse Salomon, and Keith Wagoner

Rules Committee:
Denny Heck (Lt. Gov – Chair). Karen Keiser (Vice Chair), Andy Billig, John Braun, Reuven Carlyle, Annette Cleveland, Chris Gildon, Bob Hasegawa, Curtis King, Patty Kuderer, Marko Liias, Ron Muzzall, Joe Nguyen, Jamie Pedersen, Ann Rivers, Shelly Short, and Claire Wilson

State Government & Elections Committee:
Sam Hunt (Chair), Patty Kuderer (Vice Chair), Jeff Wilson, Bob Hasegawa, and Brad Hawkins

Transportation Committee:
Steve Hobbs (Chair), Rebecca Saldaña (Vice Chair), Curtis King, Annette Cleveland, Mona Das, Phil Fortunato, Brad Hawkins, Liz Lovelett, Joe Nguyen, T’wina Nobles, Mike Padden, Emily Randall, Tim Sheldon, Claire Wilson, and Jeff Wilson

Ways & Means Committee:
Christine Rolfes (Chair), David Frockt (Vice Chair – Capital), June Robinson (Vice Chair – Operating and Revenue), Lynda Wilson, John Braun, Sharon Brown, Reuven Carlyle, Steve Conway, Jeanne Darneille, Manka Dhingra, Bob Hasegawa, Jim Honeyford, Chris Gildon, Sam Hunt, Patty Kuderer, Marko Liias, Mark Mullet, Ron Muzzall, Jamie Pedersen, Ann Rivers, Mark Schoesler, Kevin Van De Wege, Keith Wagoner, Judy Warnick, and Lisa Wellman,

Hint:  You can view bills by going to the following website and plug in the bill number for which you want to view the history and status:

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/

Thank you to the following people who contributed to this edition of the WA State NOW 2021 Weekly Legislative Alert

• Cathy Baylor
• Hanna Febach
• Christina Henry
• Amber Koens
• Jackie McGourty
• Linda Tosti-Lane
• Lisa Weber