JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

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2025 Legislative Priorities

JUUstWA will be following a number of well-respected organizations’ legislative recommendations this year, as well as having a few of our own.  These priorities will change, sometimes significantly, as we get further into the legislative process so be welcome to return here and see what may have changed.  Official bill names and numbers will be provided as they become available.

To review and monitor bills, go to leg.wa.gov.  The platform has been updated, so don’t be surprised at the changes.  Under the “Bills and Initiatives” tab, type the four digit number of the bill in the “Search by Bill Number” box, and click the “Search” button.  This will bring to a profile page of the bill providing bill background and text(s), progression through the legislative process, links to comment and more.

Below is the status of the bills we’ve promoted that are still active in the legislative process:

Criminal Justice

  • E2SHB 1163 Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms.
  • SSB 5490 Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law.

Environmental

  • 2SHB 1183 Concerning building code and development regulation reform.
  • ESHB 1135 Ensuring that local government planning complies with the growth management act.
  • 2SHB 1497 Improving outcomes associated with waste material management systems.
  • SHB 1543 Increasing compliance pathways for the clean buildings performance standard.
  • ESHB 1837 Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities.
  • SSB 5033 Concerning sampling or testing of biosolids for PFAS chemicals. House Environment & Energy .
  • E2SSB 5284 Improving Washington’s solid waste management outcomes (formerly Wrap Act).

Economic

  • EHB 1217 Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.
  • ESSB 5023 Providing labor market protections for domestic workers. House Labor & Workplace Standards.

Tribal

  • HB 1540 Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college.
  • HB 5110 Providing tuition waivers for tribal elders at Washington’s community and technical colleges.
  • SSB 5374 Including tribal representation in certain transportation activities.
  • SSB 5570 Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.

Immigration

  • SSB 5104 Protecting employees from coercion in the workplace based on immigration status. House Labor & Workplace Standards.
  • SSB 5714 Declaring civil immigration enforcement as unprofessional conduct of bail bond recovery agents. House Consumer Protection & Business.
  • E2SHB 1232 Concerning private detention facilities.
  • SB 5103 Expediting review of sentences when there exists a pending deportation proceeding.

Equity

  • SSB 5123 Expanding protections for certain students to promote inclusivity in public schools.
  • SB 5177 Considering the experiences of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups when identifying professional development resources on certain topics.

Other

  • SSB 5436 Prohibiting Interference at Houses of Worship. House Community Safety.
  • SB 5632 Protecting the confidentiality of records and information that may be relevant to another state’s enforcement of its laws.

Below are the bills that died in committee

Economic

  • HB 1040 Concerning rental income received by people eligible for certain property tax exemption programs. Died in House Rules.
  • HB 1214 Expanding the Working Families’ Tax Credit (WFTC). Died in House Finance.
  • HB 1785 Imposing a surcharge on publicly traded companies providing excessive executive compensation. Died in House Finance.
  • SB 5222 Improving housing stability for tenants.  Died in Senate Ways and Means.

Criminal Justice

  • HB 1056 Concerning law enforcement and local corrections agency misconduct through investigations and legal actions.  Died in House Civil Rights and Judiciary.
    SB 5066 Concerning law enforcement and local corrections agency misconduct through investigations and legal actions. Died in Senate Ways and Means.
  • HB 1085 Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties. Died in House Rules.
  • HB 1125 Providing judicial discretion to modify sentences in the interest of justice. Died in House Rules.
    SB 5269 Providing judicial discretion to modify sentences in the interest of justice. Died in Senate Law & Justice.
  • HB 1152 Enhancing public safety by establishing secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences. Died in House Rules.
  • HB 1274 Concerning retroactively applying the requirement to exclude certain juvenile convictions from an offender score regardless of the date of the offense. Died in House Rules.
  • HB 1512 Improving traffic safety.  Died in House Community Safety.
    SB 5521 Improving traffic safety. Died in Senate Community Safety.
  • SB 5131 Accommodating religious foods in state correctional facilities. Died in Senate Rules.
  • SB 5140 Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms. Died in Senate Law & Justice.

Equity

  • HB 1147 Supporting civic engagement for incarcerated and institutionalized individuals in state custody to promote inclusion and rehabilitation. Died in House Appropriations.
  • HB 1482 Assuring equity in health coverage [immigrant-documented and undocumented].  Died in House Health Care & Wellness.
  • HB 1773 Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. Died in House Appropriations.
    SB 5626 Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. Died in Senate Ways and Means.

Environment

  • HB 1150 Improving Washington’s solid waste management outcomes. (Formerly Wrap Act). Died in House Rules.
  • HB 1303 Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. (formerly CURB Act).  Died in House Rules.
    SB 5380 Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. (formerly CURB Act).  Died in Senate Environment, Energy & Technology.
  • HB 1328 Accelerating the development of clean energy and transmission. Died in House Environment & Energy.
    SB 5359 Accelerating the development of clean energy and transmission. Died in Senate Ways and Means.
  • HB 1598 Concerning fair access to community solar. Died in House Environment & Energy.
  • HB 1847 Prioritizing the development of distributed alternative energy resources in targeted circumstances. Died in House Appropriations.
  • HB 1903 Establishing a statewide low-income energy assistance program. Died in House Appropriations.
  • SB 5439 Concerning divestment of funds under management by the state investment board from thermal coal. Died in Senate Ways and Means.
  • SB 5514 Increasing compliance pathways for the clean buildings performance standard. Died in Senate Rules.

Tribal

  • HB 1479 Establishing a state matching grant to support American Indian and Alaska Native students. Died in House Education.
  • HB 1894 Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes. Died in House Education.
  • SB 5304 Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college. Died in Senate Rules.