The legislature has now passed the halfway point of the 105-day legislation session. Last week, legislators devoted almost all their time to debating bills on the floor, extending into the weekend. Several floor debates went late into the evening and even into the early hours of the morning. The deadline for passing bills out of their chamber of origin (House or Senate), is March 8. Bills that have passed their house of origin and moved to their opposite house are being scheduled for hearings in policy committees.
Throughout this part of the legislative process, some bills will die because they are simply not one of the majority party’s priorities or they lack adequate votes to bring to the floor. Other bills that are indeed majority caucus priorities will die on the floor calendar because they get weighed down with time-consuming amendments.
Housing
Housing issues continue to be front and center with several bills moving through the process this week.
- The Senate passed Senate Bill 5466, which would encourage transit-oriented development.
- The Senate also passed Senate Bill 5235 which requires cities and counties to allow accessory dwelling units.
- The House passed House Bill 1337 which would allow for the construction of accessory dwelling units in urban growth areas.
- The House also passed House Bill 1474, which created the Covenant Homeownership Account to assist individuals who were affected by racially restrictive covenants with first-time home purchasing costs.
- We are still waiting to see if Middle Housing House Bill 1110 will pass the house this session. If you want to advocate for the passage of this bill, please click here to send a message to your legislators.
Environment and Business
Environmental issues have been on the agenda this year for Democrats, the majority party.
- The House passed House Bill 1085, which seeks to address plastic use by eventually prohibiting hotels from providing small plastic bottles of soap and shampoo, requiring new construction that provides a drinking fountain to provide water bottle refill stations, and prohibiting the sale of expanded or extruded plastic foam overwater structures.
- The Senate passed Senate Bill 5447 last week, a bill that proposes a B&O and public utilities tax credit for sales and purchases of alternative jet fuel upon notification of a production facility operating in Washington.
- Governor-request legislation House Bill 1216 passed out of the House on March 4 and seeks to create an Interagency Clean Energy Siting Coordinating Council to be co-chaired by the Department of Ecology and the Department of Commerce.
Workforce
Labor and workforce issues came into play on the floors of both chambers last week.
- After a lengthy debate and several proposed amendments, the Senate also passed Senate Bill 5217 to reinstate L&I’s ability to regulate ergonomics.
- The House passed House Bill 1106, which seeks to extend unemployment insurance to employees who quit their job for good cause, including lack of access to childcare or inability to find care for a vulnerable family member.
More COVID-19 Requirements Ending
The Department of Health announced that effective April 3, health care, long-term care, and adult correctional facilities will no longer be required to wear masks. A similar announcement was also made on the same day by the state of Oregon.
Legislation to Watch
Employment Law
This legislation would expand social insurance program access to rideshare drivers. Specifically, it provides unemployment insurance to drivers providing services for transportation network companies. It also creates a pilot program in which drivers may elect to pay for Paid Family and Medical Leave coverage. On March 2 the bill passed the House, 87-9.
SHB 1458 – Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for apprenticeship program participants
This legislation would expand unemployment benefits to apprentices. The bill requires the Employment Security Department to convene a work group to identify and address barriers faced by eligible claimants participating in apprenticeship programs when those claims seek timely access to unemployment insurance benefits. The bill passed the House last week.
This bill repeals the law prohibiting the Department of Labor and Industries from adopting rules related to ergonomics or musculoskeletal disorders. Last week the bill was brought to the Senate. There was a striking amendment adopted on the floor and then 14 additional amendments were considered. The body ultimately adopted two additional amendments and the bill passed, 27-21.
Economic Development
This legislation would implement multiple measures to expand tourism in Washington State, including increasing the revenue collected into the Statewide Tourism Marketing Account from $3 to $9 million per biennium. SHB 1258 was unanimously passed out of the House last week.
HB 1717/ SB 5379 – Supporting innovation at associate development organizations
This legislation requires the Department of Commerce to establish an annual competitive grant program to support and catalyze initiatives to foster innovation, sustainability, partnerships, and equity at associate development organizations. It passed the House on March 4, 90-6.
Housing Affordability and Homelessness
This session the conversation surrounding housing supply and the “missing middle” has gained significant momentum. This legislation would require cities with a population of at least 6,000 or a city near an urban growth area with a population of more than 200,000 to increase density in residential areas typically dedicated to single-family detached housing. House Bill 1110 was pulled from the Rules last week and placed on the House floor calendar.
HB 1517/SB 5466 – Promoting transit-oriented development
This is a bill focused on transit-oriented development, seeking the density of residential development near transit hubs and light rail stations. Last week SB 5466 passed the Senate, 40-8. The bill has now been referred to the House Housing Committee.
This legislation would require cities and counties to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in urban growth areas (with some restrictions) and permit homeowners to convert garages into ADUs. The bill passed the House last week, 81-15.
HB 1276/SB 5235- Concerning accessory dwelling units
This legislation would require cities and counties to allow ADUs but differs from HB 1337 in that it also allows homeowners to lease the ADUs as short-term rentals. SB 5235 passed the Senate last week, 42-6. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Housing Committee on March 9.
Public Safety
HB 1638 – Creating a state trooper expedited recruitment incentive program
This legislation creates the State Trooper Expedited Recruitment Incentive Program and directs the Washington State Patrol to establish hiring procedures and an accelerating training program for lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies. The bill passed the House last week, 94-1.
Environment
HB 1505/SB 5447 – Promoting the alternative jet fuel industry in Washington
This week bipartisan legislation was introduced related to sustainable aviation fuels. The goal of the legislation is to promote in-state use and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels through tax incentives and other tools. SB 5447 passed the Senate last week, 46-2. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Environment and Energy Committee on March 9.
HB 1216/ SB 5380 – Concerning clean energy siting
This governor-request legislation would create an Interagency Clean Energy Siting Coordinating Council to be co-chaired by the Department of Ecology and the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the council would be to expedite the permitting for clean energy projects. The bill would also establish a definition for clean energy projects “of statewide significance” and require SEPA review to be completed within two years. On March 4 the bill passed the House, 75-20.
What was once known as the RENEW Act (SB 5697 last session) has been rebranded as the Washington Recycling and Packaging Act or WRAP Act. This session, the WRAP Act is sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry and Senator Christine Rolfes. The WRAP Act was pulled from Rules last week and placed on the House floor calendar.
What’s Coming Next
On March 20 the Washington State Economic & Revenue Forecast Council will release its revenue forecast that legislators use to draft their 2023-25 Biennium Operating, Transportation, and Capital Budgets. A preliminary report is available online. Revenue collections since the November forecast are $89 million, 1.1% above expectations. The report shows Washington’s unemployment rate has increased for a third consecutive month in December. Wages and salaries were lower than expected and housing construction continued to slow in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.
Following the March 8 cutoff legislators will head back to committees where the Senate will hear House bills and the House will hear Senate bills. The House will release its budget after the March 20th revenue forecast and the Senate will release its version soon after. Then budget negotiations will begin.
Important Dates
March 8, 2023 – House of Origin Cutoff
March 29, 2023 – Policy Committee Cutoff – Opposite House
April 4, 2023 – Fiscal Committee Cutoff – Opposite House
April 12, 2023 – Opposite House Cutoff
April 23, 2023 – Sine Die