HB 1050 addresses the leakage of HFC (Hydrofluorocarbon), a greenhouse gas approximately 10,000 times as potent as CO2, although it is in much smaller concentrations (parts per trillion) than CO2 (parts per million). It was developed to replace CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) when it was discovered that CFCs depleted the ozone layer. Although better than CFCs for solving ozone depletion, HFCs were discovered to be highly potent GHGs. Provisions:

• Applies certain existing regulations addressing emissions of ozone depleting substances to HFCs.
• Directs the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to establish a refrigerant management program to address refrigerant emissions from large air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
• Requires Ecology to provide recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2021, regarding the design of a program to address the end-of-life management and disposal of refrigerants.
• Establishes a state purchasing and procurement preference for recycled refrigerants.
• Requires consideration of HFC emissions in mandatory utility conservation activities and in codes adopted by the State Building Code Council.

The bill has been advanced by the Environment and Energy Committee and the Appropriations Committee, and passed the House by a vote of 56 to 40. It passed the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, and Ways and Means Committee, and passed the Senate by a vote of 30 to 19, so it is likely to become law.

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The environmental-explicit portion  of the Growth Management Act (GMA) revision, HB 1099, regarding vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was introduced as part of the GMA suite of bills. This is one of the legislative priorities identified by participants in the Justice Summit.

Provisions of HB 1099 include, inter alia:

Transportation: Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that help achieve statewide targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled, and are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans.

Housing: Encourage the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.

HB 1099 passed the House 56-41.  (See below for notes on House committee hearing) It went next to the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government for executive action (see below for March 16 hearing). It passed the Housing & Local Government committee and the Ways and Means, but was stopped in the Senate Transportation Committee. However, a a proviso was approved in the Final Operating Budget that will fund the Department of Commerce to create the programs needed to implement the GMA climate change element that HB 1099 would have created.

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The building electrification bill, HB 1084, has been transformed into the Governor’s Healthy Homes & Clean Buildings bill. Building electrification is one of the environmental justice legislative priorities identified at the Justice Summit. The following provisions are in the bill:

1. Eliminate all gas hookups by 2030.
2. Eliminate building code preemption of local building codes; state code becomes minimum but local governments can go beyond.
3. Expand requirements in law for benchmarking, energy audits on 5 year cycle for small bldgs.
4. Eliminate RCW (Revised Code WA) references that favor gas industry.
5. Create surcharge on use of natural gas, money used to address Environmental Justice issues.
6. State policy of encouraging electrification throughout state by transition planning (take bldgs. off gas gradually)

The bill passed the Environment and Energy Committee and went to the Appropriations Committee, but Appropriations did not take action and it appears that the bill is dead for the session.While it will not get floor action as a separate bill, there is a provision in the budget (see below for details) for funding the Department of Commerce to pursue electrification for “Shifting from fossil fuels to high-efficiency electric heat pumps and other electric equipment, control systems that enable grid integration or demand control, and on-site renewable generation and efficiency measures that significantly reduce building energy loads.” This provision could set the stage for further state action.

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