By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
With this year’s Washington State legislative session scheduled to end March 12, here are some updates on the bills for which our 34th District legislators – State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, State House Rep. Brianna Thomas, and State Senator Emily Alvarado – are the main sponsors. Longer summaries of these bills are in our previous coverage, and each bill number below links to the Legislature website page with full details (as well as ways to comment).
MIDWAY TO APPROVAL: Several bills primarily sponsored by the above representatives have passed in their original chamber, either House or Senate, and are in the process of working through the opposing chamber. These include:
HB 2215– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Obligation for compliance to the Climate Commitment Act for fuels supplied or sold in Washington.
Scheduled for public hearing on Feb.18 at 8:00 a.m.
HB 2367– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Eliminating limitations on imposing emissions requirements for coal facilities inconsistent with the greenhouse gas Emissions Performance Standard.
Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 20 at 10:30 a.m.
HB 2123– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Eliminates state prohibitions on contributions by foreign nationals toward Washington State elections.
HB 2303– Rep. Thomas
Prohibiting employers from microchipping employees.
HB 2355– Rep. Thomas
Creates labor protections for domestic workers, including minimum wage requirement.
SB 5496– Sen. Alvarado
Limits excessive home buying by certain entities including those with interest in more than 25 single family residences, with some exceptions.
SB 6026– Sen. Alvarado
A city or county with a population of 30,000 may not exclude residential uses in areas zoned for mixed use or commercial development.
SB 6027– Sen. Alvarado
Minimum of 60 percent of Local Sales and Use Tax for Housing and Related Services used for constructing or acquiring affordable housing, behavioral health facilities, or for operational costs.
SB 5500– Sen. Alvarado
Child-care subsidy base rate must achieve the 85th percentile of market minimum, alters how the cost of quality child care rate model is used by the Department of CHildren, Youth, and Families.
Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 18 at 4:00 p.m.
SB 5993– Sen. Alvarado
Prohibits interest charges or collecting owed interest on new or outstanding medical debt, and that medical debt may only be enforced six years after its date of entry.
Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 18 at 8:00 a.m.
SB 5911– Sen. Alvarado
As of Jan. 1, 2027, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families may not apply funds paid to or on behalf of someone receiving Extended foster Care services as reimbursement.
Scheduled for public hearing on Feb, 18 at 1:30 p.m.
Below are others that have not advanced to the opposing chamber, but have passed committee, and are in the process to appear on the floor for a vote before moving forward:
HB 2251– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Repeals three of the Climate Commitment Act funding accounts and replaces them with the Climate Commitment Act Operating Account and the Climate Commitment Act Capital Account.
HB 2517– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Allows regional transit authorities to apply for permits before acquiring property or receiving notice of land use decisions.
HB 2496– Rep. Thomas
Requires the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to consult with federally recognized tribes during siting review and compliance monitoring. It also exempts these meetings from the Open Public Meetings Act, with some exceptions.
SB 5647– Sen. Alvarado
Expands the Real Estate excise Tax exemption for self-help housing.
SB 6173– Sen. Alvarado
Creates an Apple Health Employer Assessment imposed on all employers with employees enrolled in Medicaid, going toward the State Health Care Affordability account.
SB 6069– Sen. Alvarado
Encourages permanent supportive housing, transitional housing,and indoor emergency housing by allowing it in urban growth areas not zoned for industrial use.
NOT EXPECTED TO ADVANCE: Below are several bills unlikely to advance this session after missing deadlines on Feb. 4 and Feb.9. Feb. 4 was the policy committee cutoff, meaning, if a bill was not approved by its designated committee by that date, it is now unlikely to move forward with the legislative process this session. Feb. 9 served as the fiscal committee cutoff, a later cutoff reserved for bills referred to House fiscal committees and the Senate Ways and Means, and Transportation Committees. The bills that failed to make it out of committee for the deadlines include:
HB 2581– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Provides additional investment options for electric utilities under the alternative compliance segment of the greenhouse-neutral gas standard.
HB 2724– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Establishing a tax on millionaires to fund education, health care, and other essential government services.
HJR 4209– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Allowing the legislature to amend Washington State’s congressional districts before the next decennial census if another state does so outside a court order and before the next census.
HB 2182– Rep. Thomas
Removes requirements for the Washington State Department of Corrections to sell abortion medication and allows the department to obtain payment for medication.
HJR 4210– Rep. Thomas
Allows the legislature to determine the length of regular sessions by amending the Washington State constitution.
HB 1090– Sen. Alvarado
Requires that health plans provide a reimbursement of a 12-month supply of contraceptives.
SB 6067– Sen. Alvarado
Modifies workers’ compensation, specifically concerning benefits for total disability.
SB 6068– Sen. Alvarado
Allows workers employed by subcontractors to seek payments for unpaid wages and benefits from contractors.
SB 6028– Sen. Alvarado
Develops a revolving loan fund to give loans to organizations for mixed-income affordable housing development.
WHAT’S NEXT: An additional cutoff is coming up on Feb.17, which is the last day to consider bills in their house of origin. The bills that have yet to appear on the floor for a vote in their house of origin are subject to this cutoff date.