Last Tuesday marked the halfway point in this year’s 60-day legislative session. It was also the day of the fiscal committee cutoff, ending marathon hearings in Appropriations, Ways & Means, and other committees. Mercifully, WSAC’s bill tracking list got a lot shorter.
The latter half of last week and the first half of the upcoming week are devoted to floor action. Bills will need to move from the gatekeeping Rules Committees to a full vote of the House or Senate in order to keep moving in the process. Many of the remaining bills are not controversial. But, some interesting ones still remain.
WSAC staff will weigh in on a few bills during hearings at the end of the week:
Thursday, Feb. 20
- Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks at 1:30 pm
- SHB 1293 – Concerning the distribution of monetary penalties to local courts and state agencies paid for failure to comply with Discover Pass requirements. Testify in Support.
- House Finance at 1:30 pm
- HB 2915 – Increasing the relevant taxes to fully fund the foundational public health services account. Testify in Support
Friday, Feb. 21
- House Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10 am
- 2ESSB 5720 – Concerning the involuntary treatment act. Sign in Support
WSAC’s top four legislative priorities this year asked the state to:
- Fund a coordinated approach to fish passage barrier removal;
- Fully fund trial court public defense services;
- Address the need for a better strategy related to Involuntary Treatment Act court costs; and
- Oppose unfunded mandates.
However, just because an idea did not rise to the top 4, it doesn’t mean the issue is unimportant to WSAC and Washington’s counties. In fact, there are a number of bills WSAC staff considers to be priorities to support, oppose, or continue to seek amendments on. Some of these bills are ones we changed our position on due to good or bad amendments. Many of the ones we oppose would amount to unfunded mandates. The bills are listed in numerical, not priority, order:
LEGISLATION WSAC SUPPORTS
- SHB 1293 – Concerning the distribution of monetary penalties to local courts and state agencies paid for failure to comply with discover pass requirements.
- ESHB 1598 and ESSB 5522 – Providing code cities of a certain size with the ability to annex unincorporated areas without a referendum provision pursuant to a jointly approved interlocal agreement with the county.
- ESHB 1622 – Concerning drought preparedness and response.
- HB 1718 – Providing cities and counties flexibility with existing resources. WSAC does have concern about a floor amendment that would add some nonsupplant language the bill otherwise seeks to soften.
- HB 1829 – Concerning veterans’ assistance levies.
- HB 2145 – Modifying the annual regular property tax growth limit.
- HB 2228 – Permitting early deployment of state fire resources.
- HB 2348/SB 6229 – Streamlining reporting for recipients of housing-related state funding by removing WSQA program requirements.
- HB 2420 – Requiring the office of public defense to assume duties for the trial court indigent defense services.
- ESHB 2421 and SSB 6134 – Concerning state reimbursement of election costs. While WSAC continues to support requiring the state to pay its fair share of elections costs, amendments to both bills add potentially troubling language regarding unfunded mandates.
- SHB 2438 – Concerning establishment of the prescription opioid impact account.
- SHB 2494 – Concerning sales and use tax for public facilities in rural or border counties.
- SHB 2679 – Concerning funding for individuals who are not eligible for federal insurance subsidies and for foundational public health services.
- ESHB 2722 – Concerning minimum recycled content requirements.
- HB 2797 – Concerning the sales and use tax for affordable and supportive housing.
- HB 2900 – Concerning marijuana excise tax distributions to local governments.
- HB 2915 – Increasing the relevant taxes to fully fund the foundational public health services account.
- SHB 2919 – Adjusting the amount and use of county fees on the REET. WSAC supports this bill because of the raised REET collection administrative fee amount for smaller counties but opposes the mandate relating to King County’s REET fee.
- SB 6365 – Concerning payments in lieu of real property taxes by the department of fish and wildlife.
- SSB 6314 – Protecting taxpayers from home foreclosure.
- SB 6365 – Concerning payments in lieu of real property taxes by the department of fish and wildlife.
- SSB 6545 – Concerning the voluntary stewardship program.
- SSB 6574 – Clarifying the respective administrative powers, duties, and responsibilities of the growth management hearings board and the environmental land use and hearings office.
- SB 6652 – Addressing local transportation revenue options.
LEGISLATION WSAC OPPOSES
- HB 1390/SSB 5400/SB 6165 – Providing a benefit increase to certain retirees of the PERS 1 and TRS 1.
- 2SHB 1965 – Allowing whistleblowers to bring actions on behalf of the state for violations of workplace protections (qui tam).
- HB 2230 – Subjecting federally recognized Indian tribes to the same conditions as stated and local governments for property owned exclusively by the tribe.
- SHB 2409 – Concerning industrial insurance employer penalties, duties, and the licensing of third-party administrators.
- 2SHB 2793 – Vacating criminal records.
- SSB 6536 – Creating more housing options in traditionally single-family zones. (S Rules 2)
LEGISLATION ABOUT WHICH WSAC HAS CONCERNS
- SHB 2342 – Aligning the timing of comprehensive plan updates required under the GMA with the timing of shoreline master program updates required by the SMA.
- WSAC supports the change from 8 to 10 years but has concerns about the new requirement to update the housing element and CAO every 5 years.
- SHB 2427 – Tackling climate change as a goal of the GMA.
- WSAC remains concerned about the lack of funding for this bill.
- 2SHB 2570 – Managing growth by planning and zoning for accessory dwelling units.
- WSAC supports the safe harbor and underlying density protections and would support the bill if it were limited to only one ADU per single family lot.
- HB 2687 – Planning for affordable housing under the GMA.
- WSAC is concerned that the requirement to update the county-wide planning policies 14 months prior to the required comprehensive plan update for GMA counties is an unfunded mandate.
- SHB 2786 – Establishing the opioid epidemic response advisory council.
- WSAC supports the addition of a county representative on the council (including, not in lieu of, the local public health official).
- SSB 6287 – Concerning guardianship and conservatorships.
- WSAC supports the corrections being made to last year’s bill, but this new system will create a significant financial burden that needs funding.
- SSB 6592 – Concerning tourism authorities.
- WSAC seeks amendments to eliminate or expand the definition of “tourist” and to include a process for the elimination of the charge, with a 60% rather than 50% vote to mirror the creation requirement.
- SSB 6617 – Concerning accessory dwelling units.
- WSAC seeks an amendment requiring that detached ADU’s within UGA’s not be considered as contributing to the underlining density of the zone.
