2023 Legislative Update: Week 4
Weekly Update
The fourth week of session continued at a rapid pace with many hearings and bills moving out of committee. Both chambers continued to focus on affordable housing and held a bipartisan press conference announcing their support for 13 bills meant to increase housing stock. The Legislature also heard competing proposals on vehicle pursuits – SB 5533, creates a 19-person workgroup to draft model policy and HB 1363, restores the ability of law enforcement to initiate a chase with “reasonable suspicion” – and conversations on a proposal will probably continue until the last days of session.
A conservative advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday arguing that the Move Ahead WA transportation package contained multiple subjects that lack “rational unity” and violates the state constitution. The lawsuit asks the judge to void the law entirely. A repeal of the law would leave megaprojects, the ferry system and transit agencies without sources of funding for work already underway.
The first cutoff of session on February 17th – House of Origin Policy Cutoff – is quickly approaching. Only so many bills can be heard in one hearing, and there are a limited number of committee hearings per week, so committee chairs are packing hearings with as many bills as possible. The last week before cutoff will be filled with mostly executive sessions (where a bill is voted on by the committee), so there is really only one week of hearings left before that first cutoff. After policy cutoff the focus will shift to the fiscal committees.
Bills that have already made it out of their respective policy committees are starting to have fiscal hearings. Bills that skip fiscal committee (bills with a fiscal impact of under $100,000) will go to the respective Rules committee where they will await being pulled to the chamber floor for debate and vote.
There are several bills scheduled for a hearing this coming week that may be of interest to the Bellevue Chamber:
- SB 5536 – controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment
- SB 5467 – encouraging treatment for possession of certain counterfeit drugs or controlled substances
- SB 5624 – implementing the recommendations of the substance use recovery services advisory committee
- HB 1474/SB 5496 – creating the covenant homeownership account and program to address the history of housing discrimination due to racially restrictive real estate covenants in Washington state
- SHB 1181 – improving the state’s response to climate change by updating the state’s planning framework
- HB 1519 – local project review
- SB 5651 – concerning equity and environmental justice in the growth management act
- HB 1628 – increasing the supply of affordable housing by modifying the state and local real estate excise tax
- HB 1517 – promoting transit-orientated development
- SB 5059 – concerning prejudgement interest
- HB 1428 – concerning pedestrians crossing and moving along roadways
TVW’s Legislative Review does clips each day highlighting some of the hot topics of the day. You can find links to the Legislative Review videos here.
Upcoming Events Report
Law & Justice (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/6 @ 10:30am
SB 5467 - Public Hearing - Encouraging treatment for possession of certain counterfeit drugs or controlled substances. (Remote Testimony Available).
SB 5624 - Public Hearing - Implementing the recommendations of the substance use recovery services advisory committee. (Remote Testimony Available).
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (House) - HHR D and Virtual JLOB - 2/6 @ 1:30pm
HB 1530 - Public Hearing - Expanding eligibility for employment of certain law enforcement and prosecutor office positions. (Remote Testimony Available).
Appropriations (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 2/6 @ 4:00pm
SHB 1181 - Public Hearing - Improving the state's response to climate change by updating the state's planning framework. (Remote Testimony Available).
Transportation (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/6 @ 4:00pm
SB 5548 - Public Hearing - Addressing vehicle service fees. (Remote Testimony Available).
Ways & Means (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/6 @ 4:00pm
SSB 5045 - Public Hearing - Incentivizing rental of accessory dwelling units to low-income households. (Remote Testimony Available).
Finance (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 2/7 @ 8:00am
HB 1560 - Public Hearing - Providing property tax relief by expanding eligibility for the senior citizen and disabled veterans' property tax exemption program. (Remote Testimony Available).
Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs (Senate) - SHR 3 and Virtual JACB - 2/7 @ 8:00am
SB 5412 - Exec Session - Reducing local governments' land use permitting workloads.
SB 5466 - Exec Session - Promoting transit-oriented development.
SB 5651 - Public Hearing - Concerning equity and environmental justice in the growth management act. (Remote Testimony Available).
Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 2/7 @ 10:30am
HB 1661 - Public Hearing - Establishing a pilot project for mobile mental health crisis intervention. (Remote Testimony Available).
Labor & Commerce (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/7 @ 10:30am
SB 5217 - Exec Session - Concerning the state's ability to regulate certain industries and risk classes to prevent musculoskeletal injuries and disorders.
Local Government (House) - HHR E and Virtual JLOB - 2/7 @ 10:30am
HB 1628 - Public Hearing - Increasing the supply of affordable housing by modifying the state and local real estate excise tax. (Remote Testimony Available).
State Government & Elections (Senate) - SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/7 @ 1:30pm
SB 5418 - Public Hearing - Expanding the definition of public work. (Remote Testimony Available).
Environment & Energy (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 2/7 @ 4:00pm
HB 1735 - Public Hearing - Adding net ecological gain as a voluntary element of comprehensive plans under the growth management act. (Remote Testimony Available).
Housing (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 2/7 @ 4:00pm
HB 1110 - Exec Session - Increasing middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.
HB 1252 - Exec Session - Concerning impact fee deferrals.
HB 1293 - Exec Session - Streamlining development regulations.
HB 1611 - Exec Session - Concerning local government permitting.
HB 1636 - Public Hearing - Concerning foreclosure protections for homeowners in common interest communities. (Remote Testimony Available).
Local Government (House) - HHR E and Virtual JLOB - 2/8 @ 8:00am
HB 1351 - Exec Session - Prohibiting the imposition of minimum parking requirements except under certain circumstances.
Housing (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/8 @ 1:30pm
SB 5060 - Exec Session - Requiring the registration of rental and vacant housing units.
SB 5190 - Exec Session - Increasing middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.
SB 5197 - Exec Session - Addressing landlord-tenant relations by providing technical changes to eviction notice forms and modifying certain eviction processes.
SB 5386 - Exec Session - Reducing administrative complexity by increasing transparency of revenue flows for activities funded by document recording fees.
SB 5674 - Public Hearing - Defining affordable housing for purposes of using surplus public property for public benefit. (Remote Testimony Available).
Transportation (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 2/8 @ 4:00pm
HB 1428 - Public Hearing - Concerning pedestrians crossing and moving along roadways. (Remote Testimony Available).
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (House) - HHR D and Virtual JLOB - 2/9 @ 8:00am
HB 1132 - Exec Session - Concerning oversight and training requirements for limited authority Washington peace officers and agencies.
HB 1363 - Exec Session - Concerning vehicular pursuits.
HB 1413 - Exec Session - Concerning flexible work for general and limited authority Washington peace officers.
HB 1579 - Exec Session - Establishing a mechanism for independent prosecutions within the office of the attorney general of criminal conduct arising from police use of force.
Environment & Energy (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 2/9 @ 8:00am
HB 1329 - Exec Session - Preventing utility shutoffs for nonpayment during extreme heat.
Housing (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 2/9 @ 8:00am
HB 1343 - Exec Session - Providing local governments with options to grant rent relief and preserve affordable housing in their communities.
HB 1388 - Exec Session - Protecting tenants by prohibiting predatory residential rent practices and by applying the consumer protection act to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.
HB 1389 - Exec Session - Concerning residential rent increases under the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.
HB 1569 - Exec Session - Protecting unit owners in common interest communities.
Law & Justice (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/9 @ 8:00am
SB 5258 - Exec Session - Increasing the supply and affordability of condominium units and townhouses as an option for homeownership.
SB 5467 - Exec Session - Encouraging treatment for possession of certain counterfeit drugs or controlled substances
SB 5624 - Exec Session - Implementing the recommendations of the substance use recovery services advisory committee.
Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs (Senate) - SHR 3 and Virtual JACB - 2/9 @ 10:30am
SB 5203 - Exec Session - Improving the state's response to climate change by updating the state's planning framework.
SB 5290 - Exec Session - Concerning consolidating local permit review processes.
SB 5312 - Exec Session - Creating a residential property assessed clean energy and resiliency program.
SB 5334 - Exec Session - Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing programs.
SB 5456 - Exec Session - Prohibiting the imposition of minimum parking requirements except under certain circumstances.
SB 5636 - Public Hearing - Concerning forest practices in cities. (Remote Testimony Available).
Capital Budget (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 2/9 @ 1:30pm
HB 1250 - Public Hearing - Modifying the low-income home rehabilitation program. (Remote Testimony Available).
Finance (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 2/9 @ 1:30pm
HB 1000 - Exec Session - Providing sales tax relief by expanding the working families' tax credit.
HB 1075 - Exec Session - Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older.
HB 1477 - Exec Session - Making changes to the working families' tax credit.
Ways & Means (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/9 @ 4:00pm
SSB 5268 - Public Hearing - Addressing equity and efficiencies in public works procurement including modifying small works roster requirements. (Remote Testimony Available).
SB 5301 - Public Hearing - Concerning housing programs administered by the department of commerce. (Remote Testimony Available).
Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/10 @ 8:00am
SB 5366 - Exec Session - Preventing utility shutoffs for nonpayment during extreme heat.
State Government & Elections (Senate) - SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/10 @ 8:00am
SB 5418 - Exec Session - Expanding the definition of public work.
State Government & Tribal Relations (House) - HHR E and Virtual JLOB - 2/10 @ 8:00am
HB 1541 - Exec Session - Establishing the nothing about us without us act.
Housing (Senate) - SHR 4 and Virtual JACB - 2/10 @ 10:30am
SB 5435 - Exec Session - Concerning residential rent increases under the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.
SB 5609 - Exec Session - Establishing housing approval requirements that will eliminate Washington's housing shortage.
SB 5707 - Public Hearing - Establishing a housing court pilot program. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)
Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 2/10 @ 10:30am
HB 1661 - Exec Session - Establishing a pilot project for mobile mental health crisis intervention.
Local Government (House) - HHR E and Virtual JLOB - 2/10 @ 10:30am
HB 1628 - Exec Session - Increasing the supply of affordable housing by modifying the state and local real estate excise tax.