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.
Here are the bills we’ve identified so far:
Tribal:
- SB 5304 Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college.
- SB 5374 Including tribal representation in certain transportation activities.
- HB 1479 Establishing a state matching grant to support American Indian and Alaska Native students.
- SB 5570 Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.
- HB 5110 Providing tuition waivers for tribal elders at Washington’s community and technical colleges.
Environmental:
- HB1 1135 Ensuring that local government planning complies with the growth management act.
- HB 1150, SB 5284 Improving Washington’s solid waste management outcomes.
- HB 1183 Concerning building code and development regulation reform.
- HB 1303, SB 5380 Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions.
- SB 5439 Concerning divestment of funds under management by the state investment board from thermal coal.
- HB 1847 Prioritizing the development of distributed alternative energy resources in targeted circumstances.
- HB 1328, SB 5359 Accelerating the development of clean energy and transmission.
- HB 1497 Improving outcomes associated with waste material management systems.
- HB 1543 Increasing compliance pathways for the clean buildings performance standard.
Economic:
- SB 5222, HB 1217 Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act
- HB 1214 Expanding the Working Families’ Tax Credit (WFTC)
- HB 1040 Concerning rental income received by people eligible for certain property tax exemption programs.
- HB 1903 Establishing a statewide low-income energy assistance program.
Criminal Justice:
- HB 1125, SB 5269 Providing judicial discretion to modify sentences in the interest of justice.
- HB 1147 Supporting civic engagement for incarcerated and institutionalized individuals in state custody to promote inclusion and rehabilitation.
- SB 5131 Accommodating religious foods in state correctional facilities.
- HB 1512 Traffic Safety For All Act (still waiting on bill number)
- HB 1274 Concerning retroactively applying the requirement to exclude certain juvenile convictions from an offender score regardless of the date of the offense.
- HB 1056, SB 5066 Concerning law enforcement and local corrections agency misconduct through investigations and legal actions.
Weapon Control
- HB 1152 Enhancing public safety by establishing secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences.
- HB 1163, SB 5140 Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms.
Other
- SB 5436 Prohibiting Interference at Houses of Worship.
- SB 5626, HB 1773 Wage Replacement for Excluded Workers [undocumented workers]
- HB 1482 Assuring equity in health coverage [immigrant-documented and undocumented]
- HB 1785 Imposing a surcharge on publicly traded companies providing excessive executive compensation.