Legislative ALert for January 11, 2021

Jan 11

Written By WAStateNOW LegislativeAlerts

WA State National Organization for Women

Legislative Alert for January 11, 2021

The 2018 Legislative Session begins on Monday, January 12, 2021 and is scheduled to end on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

Please Join the Washington State National Organization for Women Lobby Day Training

Monday, February 1, 2021 7 PM – 8:30 PM

Via Zoom

Lobby Day Week – Meet virtually with your State Legislators
Monday, February 8 – Friday, February 12

At a time that works for you!

There is no registration cost for NOW Lobby Day and no lobbying experience is required to participate. Just come and be yourself. You make the difference.

STEP 1: SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL APPOINTMENT with your 2 State Representatives and Senator for a time that works for you during the week of February 8 through 12. It’s simple – Call or email your 2 State Representatives’ and your State Senator’s office. A list of phone numbers and emails for their offices are located at https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/Members or call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and leave a message for your legislators. Need help in identifying your legislators – Find you district on the web at https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/ and enter your address. You can also have a friend or two join you for your meeting with your legislators.

STEP 2: REGISTER FOR THE WA STATE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN LOBBY DAY TRAINING: Register here. You must have a Zoom account in order to attend. If you do not already have one, you can create one for free at: https://zoom.us/signup

STEP 3: LOBBY DAY TRAINING – Monday, February 1, 2021 7-8:30 PM

· Learn about critical issues and bills that impact women and their families:

o Civil and Equal Rights

o Economic Equity

o Health Care and Reproductive Rights

o Violence

o Budget and Revenue

· Be trained by experienced citizen lobbyists

· Receive handouts that you can use for talking points and share with your legislators.

STEP 4: MEET WITH YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS at the time you scheduled. Meetings will be approximately 15 minutes with each of your legislators.

You can contact your legislators by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1 800-562-6000. You can also contact them by e-mail using this format: firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov. If you need to look up your legislators, use the following link to find them: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Top Action of the Week:

SB 5012. Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing program.

SB 5012 Authorizes the legislative bodies of counties, cities or towns to levy and collect a special excise tax on the furnishing of lodging of short-term rentals facilitated through an internet-based short-term rental platform. Moneys collected from the special excise tax must be used exclusively for the operating and capital costs of affordable housing programs including, but not limited to, homeless housing assistance, temporary shelters, and other related services. A city or town may use revenues collected under this section for contracts, loans, or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for services related to affordable housing programs. They may also retain up to five percent of the moneys collected in each calendar year for direct and indirect costs incurred in the administration of these services and programs.

Status: SB 5012 has been scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 10:30 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your senators in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government and let them know you support SB 5012.

Whether or not you can attend this hearing - if you can only do one thing, contact your legislators and ask for their support and YES vote on SB 5012.

Note: Committee members for House and Senate Committees are listed at the end of this alert.

We have also included hyperlinks on each of the bill actions below, which will take you to the WA State Legislature’s comment page for the bill where you can enter your support or opposition to the bill and include a comment (up to 1000 characters).

Civil and Equal Rights

Voter Eligibility

SUPPORT

HB 1078 Restoring voter eligibility for all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

SB 5086 Restoring voter eligibility for all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

SUPPORT

HB 1078 and SB 5086 change the voting rights law to automatically restore a felon’s voting rights as long as the defendant is not in total confinement with the department of corrections. It states that a person serving a term of community custody is not considered to be in total confinement of the department of corrections and does not include confinement imposed as a sanction for a community custody violation. A person who has had their voting rights restored must reregister to vote before voting

Status: HB 1078 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee on Thursday, January 14 at 10 AM in anticipations of other legislative action.
SB 5086 has not yet been assigned to a committee for consideration.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee and let them know that you support HB 1078 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Contact your senator and let them know that you support SB 5086.

Child Custody jurisdiction and enforcement related to countries who have the death penalty on the basis of religious beliefs, political beliefs, or sexual orientation

HB 1042 Revising the international application of the uniform child custody jurisdiction and enforcement act to protect families from facing the death penalty in certain foreign jurisdictions on the basis of religious beliefs, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.

SUPPORT

HB 1042 modifies the requirement of upholding a foreign country’s child custody laws when the foreign country holds that a person’s abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief, political belief or homosexuality are punishable by death. A WA State Court may not enforce such a court order from a foreign country if either the child or the parent may be at risk of being subject to such laws.

Status: HB 1042 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, January 13 at 10 AM and for an executive session on Friday, January 15 at 8 AM.

Action: Contact your representatives on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and let them know you support HB 1042 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

Death Penalty

SB 5047 Reducing criminal justice expenses by eliminating the death penalty and instead requiring life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole as the sentence for aggravated first degree murder.

SUPPORT

SB 5047 changes WA criminal code to eliminate the death penalty. In February 2014, Governor Inslee signed an executive order imposing a moratorium on the death penalty in WA State due to its inconsistent and unequal application and the enormous costs associated with seeking this punishment.

Status: SB 5047 was prefiled for the 2021 legislative session and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and senator and let them know you support SB 5047.

Unlawfully Summoning Police

SB 5135 Concerning unlawfully summoning a police officer

SUPPORT

SB 5135 creates a private cause of action which allows a person to sue in a civil action for damages against any person who knowingly causes a law enforcement officer to arrive at a location with the intent to:

· Infringe on the other person’s constitutional rights

· Discriminate against the other person

· Cause the person to feel harassed, humiliated or embarrassed,

· Cause the person to be expelled from a place in which the person is lawfully located, or

· Damage the person’s

o reputation or standing in the community, or

o financial, economic, consumer, or business prospects or interests.

Status: SB 5135 was prefiled for the 2021 legislative session and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and senator and let them know you support SB 5135.

Economic Equity and Support for Low Income Individuals and Families

Housing for low-income households

HB 1035 Providing local governments with options to grant rent relief and preserve affordable housing in their communities.

SUPPORT

HB 1035 provides communities a local option to preserve and increase healthy, high quality, and affordable rental housing opportunities for low-income households and very low-income households when the governing authority has found that there are insufficient affordable housing opportunities available. It is also encourages housing opportunities that are affordable to renters at below market rent levels, as determined by the governing authority upon considering community needs, market rental costs, and income levels of renters.

Status: HB was prefiled for the 2021 legislative session and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1035.

HB 1070 Modifying allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities.

Allows county and city governments to submit an authorizing proposition to the voters at a special or general election that modifies allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services,

to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities.

Status: HB 1070 has been PREFILED and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1070.

Relief to low-income customers through reduction in government mandated costs to BPA and electric utilities

SB 5007. Addressing the economic challenges facing Washington citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic through a temporary reduction in compliance and tax burden on electric utilities

SUPPORT

SB 5007 Provides temporary cost relief of compliance costs to electric utilities, enabling them to pass this reduction on to low-income utility customers.

Status: SB 5007 has been PREFILED and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support SB 5007.

SB 5008. Extending the business and occupation tax exemption for amounts received as credits against contracts with or funds provided by the Bonneville power administration and used for low-income ratepayer assistance and weatherization.

SUPPORT

SB 5008 Makes permanent the exemption from business and occupation tax amounts received by utilities in the form of credits against power contracts or received from the Bonneville power administration for energy conservation purposes, if the tax savings are used by utilities for low-income ratepayer assistance or weatherization programs. This exemption will induce utilities to invest funds in energy conservation and efficiency programs, thereby reducing the amount of electric energy that such utilities must either generate or purchase, thereby reducing energy costs to utilities and customers. Further, state laws mandating utilities to acquire energy through both energy conservation and noncarbon-emitting resources can increase the cost of energy to ratepayers.

Status: SB 5008 has been scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 8:00 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your representatives on the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology and let them know you support SB 5008.

Authorizing new taxes to local governments for funding affording housing

SB 5012. Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing program.

SUPPORT

Status: SB 5012 has been scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 10:30 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your senators in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government and let them know you support SB 5012.

Redefining eligibility requirements for working connections childcare program

SB 5023 Concerning working connections childcare eligibility and unemployment benefits.

SUPPORT

SB 5023 ensures that temporary federal unemployment benefits do not disrupt continuity of childcare for families seeking work by re-defining income eligibility so that it does not include increases in state of federal unemployment benefits.

Status: SB 5023 has been scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Friday, January 15, 2021, at 8:00 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your representatives in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education and let them know you support SB 5023.

Providing tax deferral in high unemployment counties to stimulate employment

SB 5029 Concerning tax deferrals for investment projects in high unemployment counties.

SUPPORT

SB 5029 reestablishes a tax deferral program to be effective solely in counties experiencing chronically high levels of unemployment. The legislature declares that this limited program serves the vital public purpose of creating employment opportunities and reducing poverty in the distressed counties experiencing levels of unemployment that are higher than those of the state.

Status: SB 5029 has been PREFILED and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support SB 5029.

Assistance for homeowners navigating the foreclosure process

HB 1108 Maintaining funding and assistance for homeowners navigating the foreclosure process.

SUPPORT

HB 1108 puts in place a temporary stopgap remedy requiring banks and credit unions that own or service a mortgage for a residential property to offer foreclosure mediation services even though they may have done less than 250 foreclosures in 2020. Also, the fees increased from $300 to $325 per nonjudicial foreclosure trustee sale.

Status: HB 1108 has been PREFILED and has not yet been assigned to a committee

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1108.

Consumer Protection Act

SB 5025 Concerning the Consumer Protection Improvement Act.

SUPPORT

SB 5025 is legislation requested by the Washington State Attorney General to increase the civil penalties for violations of an injunction under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). The penalties increase from $25,000 to $215,000. It also increases other civil penalty violations from $100,000 to $260,000 for persons other than corporations, who engage in a conspiracy restrain trade or commerce from $500,000 to $1,300,000, and for corporations. Lastly, for other violations for certain unfair and deceptive acts of the CPA, the civil penalty is increased from $2000 to $13,250.00. The CPA also includes a limited reciprocal fee for a small business to obtain fees if they are the prevailing part against an attorney general action.

Status: SB 5025 is scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Law and Justice Committee at 10:30 AM on Thursday, January 14.

Action: Contact your senator on the Senate Law and Justice Committee and let them know you support SB 5025.

Reproductive Rights and Health Care

Prohibit abortion based on down syndrome

HB 1008 Prohibiting abortion on the basis of Down Syndrome.

OPPOSE

HB 1008 prohibits abortion in circumstances when the fetus has been diagnosed with down syndrome. Any physician who performs an abortion in such circumstances will have their license revoked and is liable for civil action.

Status: HB 1008 was prefiled for the 2021 legislative session and has not yet been assigned to committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you oppose HB 1008.

Requiring student health plans to cover maternity care and related services, including abortion

HB 1009 Relating to student health plans.

SUPPORT

HB 1009 requires student health plans to cover maternity care and related services. This includes abortion coverage. It ensures that student health plans are not exempt from state laws and rules requiring abortion coverage and are held to the same standard as other market health plans.

Status: HB 1009 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Health Care and Wellness Committee on Wednesday, January 13 at 8 AM and for an executive hearing on Thursday, January 14 at 10 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support HB 1009.

Issuing certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth

HB 1031 Concerning the government issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

SB 5072 Concerning the government issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

SUPPORT

HB 1031 and SB 5072 create a process allowing any person who gives birth to a stillborn fetus to request and receive a certification of birth resulting in stillbirth from the applicable state or local registrar.

Status: HB 1031 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Health Care and Wellness Committee on Wednesday, January 13 at 8:00 AM and for an executive session on Thursday, January 14 at 10 AM.

SB 5072 was prefiled for the 2021 legislative session and has not yet been assigned to committee.

Action: Contact your Representatives on the Health Care and Wellness Committee and let them know you support HB 1031

Contact your Senator and let them know that you support SB 5072.

Expanding Paid Family Leave

HB 1073 Expanding coverage of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

SUPPORT
HB 1073 expands access to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program. It changes the eligibility criterion from working at least 820 hours for an employer to making at least $1,000 with that employer, and it expands the legal definition of family member to include any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association is the equivalent of a family member and includes child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling or spouse of an employee.

Status: HB 1073 is in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee where it is scheduled for a public hearing on Friday, January 15 at 8:00 AM in anticipation of other legislative action.

Action: Contact your representatives and members of the Health Care and Wellness Committee and tell them you support HB 1031 and ask that they pass it out of committee.

SB 5097 Expanding coverage of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

SUPPORT

SB 5097 expands access to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program. It changes the eligibility criterion from requiring an employee to work for an employer with 50 or more employees to having been employed by their current employer for 90 days or more.

Status: SB 5097 has been PREFILED and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your Senator and let them know that you support SB 5072.

Penalties for prescription drug price increase

SB 5020 Assessing a penalty on unsupported prescription drug price increases to protect the safety, health, and economic well-being of Washington residents.
SUPPORT
SB 5020 assesses an annual penalty on prescription unsupported drug price increases. An unsupported price increase is one in which there was no, or inadequate, new clinical evidence to support the price increase. The penalty in any calendar year must equal 80 percent of the difference between the revenue generated by sales within the state of the identified drugs and the revenue that would have been generated if the manufacturer had maintained the wholesale acquisition cost from the previous calendar year, adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index. The manufacturer or distributor of the identified drug must not withdraw the drug from sale or distribution within the state to avoid the penalty. If they plan to do so they must give notice and a $500,000 penalty per identified drug is to be assessed. The revenue collected funds the state’s Foundational Public Health Services account.

Status: SB 5020 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5020

Health Equity Zones

SB 5052 Creating health equity zones.
SUPPORT
SB 5052 requires the Department of Health to use health outcome data to identify potential health equity zones and coordinate with community organizations in those zones to identify projects to address the zone’s most urgent needs related to health disparities. The Department is then required to report annually on the projects implemented in each zone.

Status: SB 5020 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5052.

Notifications for abortion

SB 5053 Requiring parental notifications for abortions.

OPPOSE

SB 5053 Requires physicians performing abortions on minors to notify a parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours prior to their intention of performing the abortion. Physicians who perform abortions on minors without notification will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Physicians are required to submit monthly reports to the Department of Health with the number of notifications made. The Department is then required to compile the data and make it available publicly.

Status: SB 5053 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you oppose SB 5053.

Expanding medicaid coverage during the postpartum period

SB 5068 Improving maternal health outcomes by extending coverage during the postpartum period.

SUPPORT

SB 5068 extends Medicaid coverage to new birth parents from 60 days post-birth to 365 days post-birth.

Status: SB 5068 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5068.

Menstrual products in schools

SB 5070 Menstrual hygiene products in school bathrooms.

SUPPORT

SB 5060 Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, this bill would require schools and post-secondary institutions to make available, at no cost, menstrual hygiene products in all gender neutral and bathrooms designated for females. This applies to schools and institutions serving students in grades 6 through 12 and institutions of higher education.

Status: SB 5070 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5070.

Violence Against Women

Unlawful possession of a firearm

HB 1026 Concerning the restoration of the right to possess a firearm.

MONITOR
HB 1026 modifies the criteria for individuals who have been convicted of a felony or found not guilty by reason of insanity and are prohibited from possessing firearms can petition the court for reinstatement of their right to possess a firearm. The criteria include minimum time frames that must have passed before a person can petition the court based on the level of the offense (B or C) with no further convictions, completion of all sentencing conditions, no pending charges, and no extreme risk, domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault order issued withing the 5 years immediately preceding the petition. Persons convicted of or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a class A felony, a felony offense in which a firearm was used, displayed, or threatened or a felony offense with a maximum sentence of at least 20 years would not be eligible. The bill also changes the language in the section regarding the prohibition on possessing firearms from having previously been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment to having been involuntarily committed for treatment of a mental health disorder.

Status: HB 1026 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

HB 1038 Prohibiting the possession of firearms by persons convicted of certain criminal offenses.

SUPPORT

HB 1038 modifies the list of misdemeanor crimes wherein a person can be prohibited from possessing a firearm. The following crimes are added to the list:

· Unlawful aiming or discharge of a firearm or dangerous weapon

· Animal cruelty in the second degree.

The bill also adds persons who have been involuntarily committed for behavioral health treatment (in addition to those already prohibited due to having been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment) to the list of persons prohibited from possessing firearms.

Status: HB 1038 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support HB 1038.

Prohibiting open carry of weapons at public demonstrations and the state capitol

SB 5038 Prohibiting the open carry of certain weapons at public demonstrations and the state capitol.

SUPPORT
SB 5038 prohibit a person from knowingly carrying a firearm or other weapon while attending a demonstration – a march, rally, vigil, sit-in or picket which has the effect or intent of attracting a crowd - at a public place or within 1000 feet of a demonstration. The bill also prohibits any person to knowingly open carry a firearm or other weapon on the state capitol grounds, in any building on the state capitol grounds, in any state legislative office, or at any location of a public legislative hearing or meeting during the hearing or meeting.

Status: SB 5038 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5038.

Assault weapons and large capacity magazines

SB 5078 Addressing firearm safety measures to increase public safety

SUPPORT
SB 5078 establishes firearm safety measures to increase public safety by prohibiting the manufacture, possession, distribution, importation, selling, offering for sale, purchasing or transfer of large capacity magazines. A large capacity magazine is defined to mean an ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which such a device can be assembled if those parts are in possession of or under the control of the same person

Status: SB 5078 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your legislators and let them know you support SB 5078.

Budget/Revenue

Tax deduction repeal to provide funds for basic needs.

HB 1111. Concerning investment income tax deductions
SUPPORT

HB 1111 repeals current existing investment tax deductions currently granted to companies and nonprofits that have sufficient revenues to be able to make financial investments

Status: HB 1111 has been prefiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Action: Contact your representatives and let them know you support HB 1111.

HOUSE COMMITEES

Appropriations Committee:
Timm Ormsby (Chair), Steve Berquist (Vice Chair), Mia Gregerson (Vice Chair), Nicole Macri (Vice Chair), Matt Boehnke, Kelly Chambers, Chris Corry, Michele Caldier, Bruce Chandler, Frank Chopp, Eileen Cody, Laurie Dolan, Mary Dye, Joe Fitzgibbon, Noel Frame, Drew Hansen, Paul Harris, Larry Hoff, Cyndy Jacobsen, Jesse Johnson, Debra Lekanoff, Drew MacEwen, Gerry Pollet, Skyler Rude, Cindy Ryu, Joe Schmick, Tana Senn, Larry Springer, Mike Steele, Drew Stokesbary, Monica Stonier, Pat Sullivan, and Steve Tharinger

Capital Budget Committee:
Steve Tharinger (Chair), Lisa Callan (Vice Chair), David Hackney (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Jessica Bateman, Mary Dye, Carolyn Eslick, Greg Gilday, Shelley Kloba, Vicki Kraft, Mari Leavitt, Drew MacEwen, Jacquelin Maycumber, Joel McEntire, Gina Mosbrucker, Strom Peterson, Marcus Riccelli, Alicia Rule, Mike Steele, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Mike Sells, Sharon Shewmake, and Mike Volz

Children Youth and Families:
Tana Senn (Chair), Tarra Simmons (Vice Chair), Alicia Rule (Vice Chair), Lisa Callan, Rob Chase, Tom Dent, Carolyn Eslick, Roger Goodman, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Brad Klippert, Bob McCaslin, Emily Wicks, and Jesse Young

Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee
Drew Hansen (Chair), Tarra Simmons (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Lauren Davis, Debra Entenman, Greg Gilday, Roger Goodman, Jenny Graham, Steve Kirby, Brad Klippert, Tina Orwall, Strom Peterson, My-Linh Thai, Javier Valdez, Amy Walen, Jim Walsh, and Alex Ybarra

College and Workforce Development Committee:
Vandana Slatter (Chair), Debra Entenman (Vice Chair), Mari Leavitt (Vice Chair), Kelly Chambers, Bruce Chandler, Drew Hansen, Larry Hoff, Cyndy Jacobsen, Vicki Kraft, Dave Paul, Gerry Pollet, Mike Sells, and Robert Sutherland

Commerce and Gaming Committee:
Shelley Kloba (Chair), Emily Wicks (Vice Chair), Drew MacEwen, Kelly Chambers, Steve Kirby, Melanie Morgan, Eric Robertson, Brandon Vick, and Sharon Wylie

Community & Economic Development
Cindy Ryu (Chair), Dave Paul (Vice Chair), Matt Boehnke, Rob Chase, Chris Corry, Noel Frame, Cyndy Jacobsen, Jesse Johnson, Vicki Kraft, John Lovick, Alicia Rule, Robert Sutherland, and Jamila Taylor

Consumer Protection and Business Committee:
Steve Kirby (Chair), Amy Walen (Vice Chair), Chris Corry, Jeremie Dufault, Cindy Ryu, Sharon Tomiko Santos, and Brandon Vick

Education Committee:
Sharon Tomiko Santos (Chair), Laurie Dolan (Vice Chair), April Berg, Steve Berquist, Lisa Callan, Bob McCaslin, Joel McEntire, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Skyler Rude, Mike Steele, Monica Stonier, Jim Walsh and Alex Ybarra

Environment & Energy Committee:
Joe Fitzgibbon (Chair), Davina Duerr (Vice Chair), Peter Abbarno, Liz Berry, Mary Dye, Matt Boehnke, Jake Fey, Keith Goehner, Kirsten Harris-Talley, Mark Klicker, Alex Ramel, Sharon Shewmake, and Vandana Slatter

Finance Committee:
Noel Frame (Chair), April Berg (Vice Chair), Amy Walen (Vice Chair), Ed Orcutt, Rob Chase, Frank Chopp, Jeremie Dufault, Kirsten Harris-Talley, Melanie Morgan, Tina Orwall, Alex Ramel, Larry Springer, Drew Stokesbary, My-Linh Thai, Brandon Vick, Sharon Wylie, and Jesse Young

Health Care and Wellness Committee:
Eileen Cody (Chair), Jessica Bateman (Vice Chair), Dan Bronoske, Michelle Caldier, Lauren Davis, Paul Harris, Nicole Macri, Jacquelin Maycumber, Marcus Riccelli, Skyler Rude, Joe Schmick, Tarra Simmons, Monica Stonier, Steve Tharinger, and Alex Ybarra

Housing, Human Services, and Veterans Committee:
Strom Peterson, (Chair), Jamila Taylor (Vice Chair), Andrew Barkis, Jessica Bateman, Michele Caldier, Frank Chopp, Greg Gilday, Mari Leavitt, and My-Linh Thai,

Labor and Workplace Standards Committee:
Mike Sells (Chair), Liz Berry (Vice-Chair), Dan Bronoske, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Paul Harris, Larry Hoff, and Gina Mosbrucker

Local Government Committee:
Gerry Pollet (Chair), Davina Duerr (Vice Chair), Tina Berg, Keith Goehner, Dan Griffey, Eric Robertson, and Tana Senn

Public Safety Committee:
Roger Goodman (Chair), Jesse Johnson (Vice Chair), Lauren Davis, Jenny Graham, Dan Griffey, David Hackney, Brad Klippert, John Lovick, Gina Mosbrucker, Tina Orwall, Bill Ramos, Tarra Simmons and Jesse Young

Rural Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee:
Mike Chapman (Chair), Sharon Shewmake (Vice Chair), Bruce Chandler, Tom Dent, Mary Dye, Joe Fitzgibbon, Mark Klicker, Shelley Kloba, Joel Kretz, Debra Lekanoff, Joel McEntire, Melanie Morgan, Ed Orcutt, Erick Pettigre, Bill Ramos, Joe Schmick, Larry Springer, and Jim Walsh

State Government and Tribal Relations Committee:
Javier Valdez (Chair), Debra Lekanoff (Vice Chair), Laurie Dolan, Jenny Graham, Mia Gregerson, Mike Volz, and Jim Walsh

Transportation Committee:
Jake Fey (Chair), Sharon Wylie (1st Vice Chair), Dan Bronoske (2nd Vice Chair), Bill Ramos (2nd Vice Chair), Andrew Barkis, Liz Berry, Mike Chapman, Tom Dent, Davina Duerr, Debra Entenman, Carolyn Eslick, Keith Gohner, Dan Griffey, David Hackney, Mark Klicker, John Lovick, Bob McCaslin, Ed Orcutt, Dave Paul, Marcus Riccelli, Eric Robertson, Vandana Slatter, Robert Sutherland, Jamila Taylor, Javier Valdez, Mike Volz, Jim Walsh, and Emily Wicks

SENATE COMMITEES

Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee:
Kevin Van De Wege (Chair), Jesse Salomon (Vice Chair), Judy Warnick, Jim Honeyford, Christine Rolfes, Derek Stanford, and Shelly Short

Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long-Term Care Committee:
Manka Dhingra (Chair), Keith Wagoner, David Frockt, T’wina Nobles, and Judy Warnick

Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee:
Mark Mullet (Chair), Bob Hasegawa (Vice Chair), Perry Dozier, Sharon Brown, David Frockt, Steve Hobbs, and Lynda Wilson

Early Learning and K-12 Committee:
Lisa Wellman (Chair), T’wina Nobles (Vice Chair - K12 Education), Claire Wilson (Vice Chair - Early Learning), Perry Dozier, Brad Hawkins, Sam Hunt, Jim McCune, Mark Mullet, and Jamie Pedersen,

Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee:
Reuven Carlyle (Chair), Liz Lovelett (Vice Chair), Doug Ericksen, Phil Fortunado, Sharon Brown, Mona Das, Steve Hobbs, Marko Liias, Joe Nguyen, Tim Sheldon, Shelly Short, Derek Stanford, and Lisa Wellman

Health and Long Term Care Committee:
Annette Cleveland (Chair), David Frockt (Vice Chair), Ron Muzzall, Steve Conway, Jeff Holy, Karen Keiser, Mike Padden, Emily Randall, Ann Rivers, June Robinson, Kevin Van De Wege, and Jeff Wilson

Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee:
Emily Randall (Chair), T’wina Nobles (Vice Chair), Jeff Holy, Sharon Brown, Doug Ericksen, and Marko Liias

Housing and Local Government Committee:
Patty Kuderer (Chair), Mona Das (Vice Chair), Phil Fortunato, Annette Cleveland, Chris Gildon, Liz Lovelett, Shelly Short, Jesse Solomon, and Judy Warnick

Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee:
Jeanne Darneille (Chair), Joe Nguyen (Vice Chair), Chris Gildon, Perry Dozier, Jim McCune, Rebecca Saldaña, and Claire Wilson

Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee:
Karen Keiser (Chair), Derek Stanford (Vice Chair – Commerce & Tribal Affairs), Steve Conway (Vice Chair-Labor), Curtis King, John Braun, Jim Honeyford, June Robinson, Rebecca Saldaña, and Mark Schoesler

Law & Justice Committee:
Jamie Pedersen (Chair), Manka Dhingra (Vice Chair), Jeanne Darneille, Mike Padden, Jeff Holy, Patty Kuderer, Jim McCune, Jesse Salomon, and Keith Wagoner

Rules Committee:
Andy Billig (Chair), Karen Keiser (Vice Chair), John Braun, Mark Schoesler, Randi Becker, Reuven Carlyle, Annette Cleveland, Chris Gildon, Bob Hasegawa, Curtis King, Patty Kuderer, Marko Liias, John McCoy, Ron Muzzall, Joe Nguyen, Jamie Pedersen, Ann Rivers, Tim Sheldon, Shelly Short, and Clair Wilson

State Government & Elections Committee:
Sam Hunt (Chair), Patty Kuderer (Vice Chair), Jeff Wilson, Bob Hasegawa, and Brad Hawkins

Transportation Committee:
Steve Hobbs (Chair), Rebecca Saldaña (Vice Chair), Curtis King, Annette Cleveland, Mona Das, Phil Fortunato, Brad Hawkins, Liz Lovelett, Joe Nguyen, T’wina Nobles, Mike Padden, Emily Randall, Tim Sheldon, Claire Wilson, and Jeff Wilson

Ways & Means Committee:
Christine Rolfes (Chair), David Frockt (Vice Chair - Capital), June Robinson (Vice Chair - Operating and Revenue), Lynda Wilson, John Braun, Sharon Brown, Reuven Carlyle, Steve Conway, Jeanne Darneille, Manka Dhingra, Bob Hasegawa, Jim Honeyford, Chris Gildon, Sam Hunt, Patty Kuderer, Marko Liias, Mark Mullet, Ron Muzzall, Jamie Pedersen, Ann Rivers, Mark Schoesler, Kevin Van De Wege, Keith Wagoner, Judy Warnick, and Lisa Wellman,

Hint: You can view bills by going to the following website and plug in the bill number for which you want to view the history and status:

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/

Thank you to the following people who contributed to this edition of the WA State NOW 2021 Weekly Legislative Alert

· Cathy Baylor

· Hanna Febach

· Christina Henry

· Linda Tosti-Lane