By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
On Thursday (March 12), the 2026 Washington State legislative session will adjourn under the state Constitution. With this deadline rapidly approaching, we are providing another update on how bills for which the primary sponsors are your 34th District legislators – State Senator Emily Alvarado, State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, State House Rep. Brianna Thomas – have fared since our last update two weeks ago.
Since then, another two major deadlines have passed: the last day to read in-committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways and Means and Transportation committees was Mar. 2, and the last day to consider bills in the opposite house – with some exceptions- was last Friday, March 6. Each bill number links to its page on the WA Legislature site with details, bill reports, and ways to comment.
GOVERNOR SIGNED:
The following bill has been signed into law by Governor Ferguson, and will take effect July 2027:
HB 2355 – Rep. Thomas
Creates labor protections for domestic workers including minimum wage and overtime requirements. Allows domestic workers to bring a private cause of action under the Washington Law Against Discrimination in some instances.
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR:
Bills that have been delivered to the Governor have passed both chambers, House and Senate, and have passed any concurrence, dispute, or conference committees. These committees come about if the bill is amended in the second chamber, which then requires the initial chamber to concur with the new amendments. After this, the bill is considered to have passed the Legislature. The bill is then signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, before it is sent to the Governor. The bills below have reached this point:
HB 2367 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
Exempts coal facility emissions occurring before Jan. 1, 2026 from the Cap-and-INvest Program, rather than all emissions. Gets rid of limitations on state agencies to impose emission performance standards on a coal facility as of Dec. 31, 2025. Repeals sales and tax exemptions for coal purchased or used at a coal facility.
HB 2303 – Rep. Thomas
Prohibiting employers from microchipping employees.
Governor Ferguson may decide to sign, partially veto, or completely veto a bill. If the governor does not take action within 5 days – if the bill is delivered while the legislature is still in session, or within 20 days – if it has adjourned, the bill automatically acts as if it were signed.
PASSED OPPOSITE CHAMBER: Some bills have passed the opposite chamber, but are not yet considered to have passed the Legislature – the step before being placed on the Governor’s desk. These bills have either not yet been signed by House and Senate leaders, or the opposite house has not yet concurred with new amendments:
HB 2215 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
Reduces emissions threshold determining covered entity status and compliance obligation in the Cap-and-Invest Program for certain fuel suppliers. Requires them to report emissions to the Department of Ecology. Prohibits state from awarding a procurement contract to certain fuel suppliers, with some exceptions.
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. Makes changes to the use of CCA funding and distribution of revenue.
SB 6026 – Sen. Alvarado
Certain local governments must include residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones. Prohibits requirement for groundfloor commercial and mixed-use in these zones– subject to exceptions. Prohibits local governments from imposing ground floor commercial and mixed-use requirements on subsidized affordable housing.
SB 5911 – Sen. Alvarado
Prohibits the Department of Children, Youth, and Families from applying funds for or on behalf of a person in extended foster care as a reimbursement for the cost of care. Strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care of DCYF.
SB 6027 – Sen. Alvarado
Changes the allowable uses for local sales and use tax for housing and related services. Changes the eligible uses of funding in the Affordable Housing for All Account. Updates the definition of emergency housing for property tax exemptions for low-income persons or victims of domestic violence.
MISSED MARCH 6 DEADLINE: Some bills missed the opposite house cutoff that occurred last Friday, March 6. This cutoff was the last day for bills to be considered in the opposite house, barring some exceptions including budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets:
HB 2123 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
Candidates, campaigns, sponsors of electioneering communication or political advertising must confirm the absence of foreign national influence through a certificate, when the value of the contribution totals more than $6,000.
SB 5500 – Sen. Alvarado
Asserts that a DCFY biennial report that includes a market rate survey also includes a current cost of quality childcare study and a cost of quality childcare study defined by the early educator design team.
SB 5647 – Sen. Alvarado
The real estate excise tax exemption for self-help housing would include qualified affordable housing.
SB 5993 – Sen. Alvarado
Lowering the interest rate for medical debt. Prohibits interest from being charged, and requires a refund for interest paid for medical debt in certain circumstances.
SB 5496 – Sen. Alvarado
Limits excessive home buying by certain entities including those with interest in more than 100 single family residences, with some exceptions.
WHAT’S NEXT: This legislative session will officially adjourn on Thursday. This year is the second year of the Legislative biennium, meaning that bills that didn’t pass will have to be completely reintroduced next year under new bill numbers for the 2027-2028 session, if their sponsors want to try again.
https://ift.tt/ZNq5jXz
Comments
Post a Comment