Things are moving fast as the Legislature moves toward the next deadline. Bills must be passed out of the opposite house by Wednesday, April 16th in order to be considered “alive” – unless of course they are necessary for a budget.
As you can see from the highlighted bills below, several bills have already crossed this hurdle and many are on their way to the Governor (or have actually been signed). Most of the bills had amendments in the opposite house and will need the original house to concur with those amendments – or go through some reconciliation process – before they can go to the Governor for his signature.
Big bills for SSCCLC are still moving. Unfortunately, HB 1217, the rent control bill passed the Senate and now goes back to the House for concurrence. Several amendments passed in the Senate that further mitigate the impact but the bill is still a concern for landlords. One interesting amendment that passed is that single family homes, not owned by corporations, would be exempt from the cap. We now will see how the House reacts to these amendments.
UI for Striking Workers (SB 5041) is on the House floor calendar. Unless an amendment hangs on the floor, this bill, if passed, will go straight to the Governor’s office. Business groups are working hard to general phone calls and get legislators to vote no – or reduce the weeks to 4 weeks rather than 12 for collecting benefits.
Paid Family & Medical Leave Expansion and the Rate Cap Increase (HB 1213 and SB 5292) are both slated for votes over the next day or so. We are also working against these bills to try and mitigate or stop them. Both have had amendments so will go back to the original house before going to the Governor – which gives us time to continue to work on them.
Would love to have more information on the budget but the discussions are backroom only at this point. We do know that there will be a second round of tax proposals coming out – perhaps with a smaller total dollar number in revenue that needs to be raised (perhaps $5-6 billion rather than $15-21 billion?). Not sure if we will see this totally until the budget is fully released (likely hours before its passage), however we are seeing more proposals for different taxes such as tobacco/nicotine taxes and an online dating tax which provides for more interesting speculation (and panic for those who smoke or are still single).
Things are changing fast so please consider this document a “living life in the fast lane” document!
Budget and Taxes
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
SHB 1198(ESSB 5167) |
Operating budget |
Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. |
H Rules R |
Ormsby |
High |
|
|
Urban area tax preferences |
Concerning targeted urban area tax preferences. |
S 2nd Reading |
Barnard |
Low |
|
|
|
Digital equity |
Furthering digital equity and opportunity in Washington state. |
S Ways & Means |
Gregerson |
High |
|
|
|
Airport projects/local REET |
Concerning the addition of airport capital projects as an allowable use of local real estate excise tax revenues. |
S Passed 3rd |
Dent |
Low |
|
|
|
Local real estate excise tax |
Increasing the flexibility of existing funding sources to fund public safety and other facilities by modifying the local real estate excise tax. |
S Rules 2 |
Paul |
High |
|
|
|
Deed of trust assignment/fee |
Eliminating the exemption for assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust from the document recording fee and the covenant homeownership program assessment. |
S 2nd Reading |
Scott |
High |
|
|
|
Public safety funding |
Improving public safety funding by providing resources to local governments and state and local criminal justice agencies, and authorizing a local option tax. |
S Rules 2 |
Entenman |
High |
Support |
|
|
SHB 2020 (SB 5777) |
Payment card processing/tax |
Creating a business and occupation tax deduction and increasing the rate for persons conducting payment card processing activities. |
H Rules R |
Berg |
Medium |
|
|
K-12 education funding |
Investing in the state's paramount duty to fund K-12 education and build strong and safe communities. |
H Finance |
Bergquist |
High |
|
|
|
HB 2073 (SB 5808) |
Health carrier surpluses |
Funding health insurance premium assistance. |
H Approps |
Parshley |
Medium |
|
|
HJR 4204 (SJR 8203) |
Principal residence/tax |
Amending the Constitution to allow for a property tax exemption for a principal place of residence. |
H Finance |
Berg |
High |
Oppose |
|
ESSB 5167(SHB 1198) |
Operating budget |
Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. |
S Conf appt |
Robinson |
High |
|
|
SSB 5194(SHB 1202) |
State gen. obligation bonds |
Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts. |
H 2nd Reading |
Trudeau |
Monitoring |
|
|
SSB 5314(2SHB 1614) |
Capital gains tax |
Modifying the capital gains tax. |
H Rules R |
Stanford |
High |
|
|
SB 5315 (HB 1126) |
Local tax rate changes |
Standardizing notification provisions relating to local tax rate changes and shared taxes administered by the department. |
H 2nd Reading |
Gildon |
Medium |
Support |
|
ESSB 5390(HB 1914) |
Access to recreation sites |
Concerning the discover pass and distributions. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Concerning access to recreation sites or lands.) |
H 2nd Reading |
Stanford |
High |
|
|
Tax and revenue laws |
Modifying tax and revenue laws in a manner that is not estimated to affect state or local tax collections. |
H 2nd Reading |
Schoesler |
Medium |
|
|
|
2SSB 5786(SHB 2035) |
Liquor license fees |
Increasing license, permit, and endorsement fees. |
S Rules 2 |
Stanford |
Medium |
|
|
SB 5808 (HB 2073) |
Health carrier surpluses |
Funding health insurance premium assistance. |
S Ways & Means |
Robinson |
Medium |
|
|
Investment/LTSS accounts |
Amending the Constitution to allow the state to invest moneys from long-term services and supports accounts. |
H 2nd Reading |
Braun |
High |
Support |
|
|
SJR 8203 (HJR 4204) |
Principal residence/tax |
Amending the Constitution to allow for a property tax exemption for a principal place of residence. |
S Rules X |
Robinson |
High |
Oppose |
Childcare
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
Child care qualifications |
Modifying child care provider qualifications. |
S Passed 3rd |
Dent |
Medium |
|
|
|
ESSB 5509(SHB 1212) |
Child care center siting |
Concerning the siting of child care centers. |
H Passed 3rd |
Alvarado |
Medium |
|
Energy and Climate Change
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
EHB 1329 (SB 5401) |
Wholesale power purchases |
Concerning wholesale power purchases by electric utilities under the Washington clean energy transformation act. |
S Passed 3rd |
Hunt |
Low |
Support |
|
Clean fuels program |
Concerning the clean fuels program. |
S Rules 2 |
Fitzgibbon |
Medium |
Oppose |
|
|
ESHB 1522(SSB 5430) |
Utility wildfire mitigation |
Concerning approval of electric utility wildfire mitigation plans. |
S 2nd Reading |
Dent |
Low |
Support |
|
SHB 1543(SSB 5514) |
Clean buildings standard |
Increasing compliance pathways for the clean buildings performance standard. |
S Passed 3rd |
Doglio |
Low |
Support |
|
Energy standard/comply cost |
Regarding the costs of compliance with the state energy performance standard. |
S 2nd Reading |
Dye |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Climate commitment act |
Amending the climate commitment act by adjusting auction price containment mechanisms and ceiling prices, addressing the department of ecology's authority to amend rules to facilitate linkage with other jurisdictions, and providing for market dynamic analysis. |
S Rules 2 |
Fitzgibbon |
Medium |
Support |
|
|
Statewide emissions data |
Strengthening Washington's leadership and accountability on climate policy by transitioning to annual reporting of statewide emissions data. |
H Passed 3rd |
Boehnke |
Low |
Support |
Health Care
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
SHB 1392 (SB 5372) |
Medicaid access program |
Creating the medicaid access program. |
S 2nd Reading |
Macri |
Medium |
Oppose |
|
E2SSB 5083(SHB 1123) |
Health carrier reimbursement |
Ensuring access to primary care, behavioral health, and affordable hospital services. |
H Rules R |
Robinson |
Monitoring |
|
|
SB 5084 (HB 1379) |
Health carrier reporting |
Concerning health carrier reporting. |
C 6 L 25 |
Robinson |
Monitoring |
|
|
Hospital price transparency |
Concerning hospital price transparency. |
H Passed 3rd |
Riccelli |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Universal health care |
Concerning Universal Health Care. |
H 2nd Reading |
Hasegawa |
High |
Oppose |
Housing Attainability
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
Affordable housing financing |
Expanding housing supply by supporting the ability of public housing authorities to finance affordable housing developments. |
Del to Gov |
Walen |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Solicited real estate |
Establishing consumer protections for owners of solicited real estate. |
S Passed 3rd |
Donaghy |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Lot splitting |
Increasing housing options through lot splitting. |
S 2nd Reading |
Barkis |
High |
Support |
|
|
Housing cost task force |
Creating a task force on housing cost driver analysis. |
S Passed 3rd |
Klicker |
High |
Support |
|
|
Local government planning |
Ensuring that local government planning complies with the growth management act. |
C 17 L 25 |
Duerr |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
EHB 1217(SSB 5222) |
Residential tenants |
Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement. |
S Passed 3rd |
Alvarado |
High |
Oppose |
|
ADU self-certification |
Establishing a self-certification program for accessory dwelling unit project permit applications. |
C 22 L 25 |
Ramel |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Condominium construction |
Simplifying condominium construction statutes. |
S Passed 3rd |
Taylor |
High |
|
|
|
Transit-oriented housing dev |
Promoting transit-oriented housing development. |
S Rules 2 |
Reed |
High |
|
|
|
Multiple-unit dwellings/tax |
Concerning the property tax exemptions for new and rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban centers. |
S 2nd Reading |
Ramel |
Medium |
|
|
|
Historic landmarks/cities |
Concerning the designation of historic landmarks by cities. |
S Passed 3rd |
Walen |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Covenant homeownership prg. |
Modifying the covenant homeownership program. |
S 2nd Reading |
Taylor |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Deed of trust assignment/fee |
Eliminating the exemption for assignments or substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust from the document recording fee and the covenant homeownership program assessment. |
S 2nd Reading |
Scott |
High |
|
|
|
Project permit definition |
Concerning the definition of project permit and project permit application. |
S Passed 3rd |
Duerr |
Medium |
Support |
|
|
Eminent domain purchase back |
Providing owners of real estate taken through eminent domain by school districts, or sold under threat of eminent domain, the opportunity to purchase the real estate back when it is not put to intended public use. |
H Passed 3rd |
Hasegawa |
Medium |
|
|
|
E2SSB 5148(HB 1235) |
GMA housing element |
Ensuring compliance with the housing element requirements of the growth management act. |
H Rules R |
Bateman |
High |
|
|
ESSB 5184(HB 1299) |
Minimum parking requirements |
Concerning minimum parking requirements. |
H 2nd Reading |
Bateman |
High |
Oppose |
|
ESSB 5232(SHB 1263) |
Essential needs program uses |
Updating eligible uses for the essential needs and housing support program. |
H 2nd Reading |
Wilson |
Monitoring |
|
|
ESB 5471 (HB 1840) |
Middle housing |
Authorizing middle housing in unincorporated growth areas and unincorporated urban growth areas, certain limited areas of more intensive rural development, and fully contained communities. |
H Rules R |
Goehner |
High |
|
|
ADU tax exemptions |
Amending the county population threshold for counties that may exempt from taxation the value of accessory dwelling units to incentivize rental to low-income households. |
H Rules R |
Gildon |
High |
Support |
|
|
Kit homes/building codes |
Concerning the creation of building codes for kit homes. |
H Rules R |
Wilson |
High |
|
|
|
Growth management plans |
Concerning growth management comprehensive plans. |
H Passed 3rd |
Goehner |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
UGA subdivision process |
Streamlining the subdivision process inside urban growth areas. |
H Passed 3rd |
Lovelett |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
ESSB 5576(HB 1763) |
Affordable housing funding |
Providing state funding for essential affordable housing programs. |
H Rules R |
Lovelett |
Monitoring |
|
|
Affordable housing dev. |
Concerning affordable housing development in counties not closing the gap between estimated existing housing units within the county and existing housing needs. |
H 2nd Reading |
Cleveland |
Medium |
|
|
|
Land use permitting workload |
Streamlining and clarifying local governments' land use permitting workloads. |
H Passed 3rd |
Salomon |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Residential development |
Concerning the development of clear and objective standards, conditions, and procedures for residential development. |
H Rules R |
Salomon |
Monitoring |
|
Public Safety
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
Public safety funding |
Improving public safety funding by providing resources to local governments and state and local criminal justice agencies, and authorizing a local option tax. |
S Rules 2 |
Entenman |
High |
Support |
|
|
Criminal justice trainings |
Concerning training provided by the criminal justice training commission. |
H 2nd Reading |
Orwall |
Monitoring |
|
Supporting Small Business
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
Work restrictions/age 16, 17 |
Concerning restrictions on the working conditions and hours of sixteen- and seventeen-year olds. |
S Passed 3rd |
McClintock |
Medium |
Support |
|
|
Maritime careers task force |
Directing the statewide career and technical education task force to consider educational opportunities for careers in maritime professions. |
S Passed 3rd |
Shavers |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
E2SHB 1213(SB 5539) |
Paid family & medical leave |
Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program. |
S Rules 2 |
Berry |
High |
Oppose |
|
SHB 1308 (SB 5345) |
Access to personnel records |
Concerning access to personnel records. |
S Passed 3rd |
Reed |
High |
Oppose |
|
Transp. network companies |
Concerning transportation network companies. |
S 2nd Reading |
Obras |
Medium |
|
|
|
ESHB 1483(SB 5423) |
Digital electronics/repair |
Supporting the servicing and right to repair of certain products with digital electronics in a secure and reliable manner. |
S Passed 3rd |
Gregerson |
Monitoring |
|
|
Isolated employees |
Concerning workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees. |
S Pres Signed |
Obras |
Medium |
Concerns |
|
|
ESHB 1644(SB 5756) |
Working minors |
Concerning the safety and health of working minors. Imposes significant restrictions and penalties on employers' ability to get minor work permits - particularly variances. |
S Passed 3rd |
Fosse |
Monitoring |
|
|
EHB 1747 (SB 5549) |
Job applicants and employees |
Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act. |
S Passed 3rd |
Ortiz-Self |
Medium |
|
|
2SHB 1788(2SSB 5548) |
Workers' compensation |
Concerning workers' compensation benefits. |
S 2nd Reading |
Richards |
High |
Oppose |
|
Sick leave/immigration |
Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings. |
S Rules 2 |
Salahuddin |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
ESSB 5023(HB 1561) |
Domestic workers |
Providing labor market protections for domestic workers. |
H Rules R |
Saldana |
Medium |
Concerns |
|
Unemp ins/strikes & lockouts |
Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers. |
H 2nd Reading |
Riccelli |
High |
Oppose |
|
|
Worker leave/hate crimes |
Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents. |
H Rules R |
Valdez |
Medium |
Concerns |
|
|
Immigration status coercion |
Protecting employees from coercion in the workplace based on immigration status. |
H 2nd Reading |
Hasegawa |
Medium |
Concerns |
|
|
Pregnancy accommodations |
Expanding pregnancy-related accommodations for all employers. Only impact for construction would be the provisions requiring payment for break or leave time if accommodations not made that can adapt in a way that works during work time. Changes this piece to a wage and hour issue. |
H Rules R |
Nobles |
Medium |
|
|
|
ESSB 5291(HB 1415) |
Long-term services trust |
Implementing the recommendations of the long-term services and supports trust commission. |
H 2nd Reading |
Conway |
Medium |
|
|
Family & medical leave rates |
Concerning paid family and medical leave rates. |
H Rules R |
Conway |
Medium |
Oppose |
|
|
SSB 5408 (HB 1831) |
Wage and salary disclosures |
Allowing for corrections to wage and salary disclosures. |
H Rules R |
King |
Medium |
Support |
|
SSB 5492(SHB 1437) |
Tourism promotion |
Concerning sustainable state tourism promotion. |
H Passed 3rd |
Riccelli |
Monitoring |
|
|
Employee driving requirement |
Concerning employer requirements for driving. |
H Passed 3rd |
Stanford |
Low |
|
|
|
Layoffs |
Concerning employment loss due to businesses closing or mass layoffs. |
H Passed 3rd |
Cleveland |
Medium |
|
Transportation
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
County ferry contracts |
Concerning county ferry maintenance and repair contracts. |
Del to Gov |
Leavitt |
High |
|
|
|
SHB 1227(ESSB 5161) |
Transportation budget |
Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. |
H Rules R |
Fey |
High |
|
|
Ferry system salaries |
Concerning the salaries of ferry system collective bargaining units. |
S Rules 2 |
Fey |
High |
Support |
|
|
Clean fuels program |
Concerning the clean fuels program. |
S Rules 2 |
Fitzgibbon |
Medium |
Oppose |
|
|
PTBA governing body members |
Adding two voting members that are transit users to the governing body of public transportation benefit areas. |
S Rules 2 |
Timmons |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
ESHB 1837(SB 5667) |
Intercity passenger rail |
Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities. |
S Rules 2 |
Reed |
Monitoring |
|
|
Transp. project permitting |
Convening a work group regarding the streamlining of permitting for transportation projects. |
S Rules 2 |
Richards |
Medium |
Support |
|
|
ESSB 5161(SHB 1227) |
Transportation budget |
Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. |
H Passed 3rd |
Liias |
High |
|
|
Transportation/tribal rep. |
Including tribal representation in certain transportation activities. |
H Rules R |
Kauffman |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
ESSB 5466(SHB 1673) |
Electric transmission system |
Improving reliability and capacity of the electric transmission system in Washington state. |
H Rules R |
Shewmake |
Monitoring |
|
|
Transp. electrification |
Concerning the installation of transportation electrification infrastructure. |
H Passed 3rd |
Liias |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
SB 5581 (HB 1992) |
Safe system approach strat. |
Implementing safe system approach strategies for active transportation infrastructure. |
H Rules R |
Shewmake |
Monitoring |
|
|
Toll rate setting process |
Streamlining the toll rate setting process at the transportation commission. |
H Rules R |
Ramos |
Medium |
|
|
|
Transportation procurement |
Concerning alternative procurement and delivery models for transportation projects. |
H Rules R |
Liias |
High |
|
Workforce Education
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
Dual credit program access |
Improving student access to dual credit programs. |
S 2nd Reading |
Paul |
Medium |
Support |
|
|
Postsecondary ed protections |
Providing postsecondary education consumer protections. |
S 2nd Reading |
Pollet |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Commencement/cultural exp. |
Providing public school students with opportunities for cultural expression at commencement ceremonies. |
S 2nd Reading |
McEntire |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
CTE careers work group |
Improving access to career opportunities for students. |
S Pres Signed |
Connors |
High |
|
|
|
HB 1556 (SB 5542) |
HS completers/CTC tuition |
Expanding tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges. |
Del to Gov |
Entenman |
Monitoring |
|
|
Higher ed. accreditation |
Modifying higher education accreditation standards. |
S Rules 2 |
Pollet |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
Partner promise scholarships |
Encouraging local government partner promise scholarship programs within the opportunity scholarship program. |
S 2nd Reading |
Bergquist |
High |
Support |
|
|
Secondary career education |
Reviewing state restrictions affecting students participating in secondary career and technical education programs and other state-approved career pathways. |
S Passed 3rd |
Connors |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
HB 1796(2SSB 5095) |
School construction debt |
Concerning school districts' authority to contract indebtedness for school construction. |
S Rules 2 |
Callan |
Monitoring |
|
|
SSB 5253(SHB 1257) |
Special education services |
Extending special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. |
H Rules R |
Cortes |
High |
Support |
|
Special education funding |
Concerning special education funding. |
H 2nd Reading |
Pedersen |
High |
Support |
|
|
2SSB 5358(HB 1280) |
Career & tech. ed./6th grade |
Concerning career and technical education in sixth grade. |
H Passed 3rd |
Braun |
Medium |
Support |
|
SB 5542 (HB 1556) |
HS completers/CTC tuition |
Expanding tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges. |
H Rules R |
Boehnke |
Monitoring |
|
|
CTC online course offerings |
Establishing a virtual campus for all Washingtonians. |
H Rules R |
Slatter |
Monitoring |
|
|
|
SB 5682 (HB 1883) |
Employment training program |
Concerning the Washington customized employment training program. |
H 2nd Reading |
Warnick |
Monitoring |
|
Uncategorized Bills
|
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Priority |
Position |
|
2/3rd vote for tax increases |
Amending the Constitution to require a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature to raise taxes. |
H Finance |
Couture |
Monitoring |
|
