South Sound Chamber of Commerce Legislative Coalition Bill Report - 1/11/2021

Building decarbonization

H Env & Energy

Ramel

Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.

As currently drafted, the bill sets state policy to go to full electrification. Although it "allows" the use of gas appliances, language in the bill makes use of those appliances cost prohibitive. Also does not let gas companies expand gas lines outside of current service areas which will impact new construction.

Transportation fuel/carbon

H Env & Energy

Fitzgibbon

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.

Establishes a Clean Fuels Standard (aka Low Carbon Fuels Standard) in Washington State. Low Carbon Fuel Standards in California have increased the price of fuel for businesses that rely on transportation and trucks on the road. READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/1091%20HBA%20ENVI%2021.pdf?q=20210111150801

Building decarbonization

S Environment, En

Liias

Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.

Senate version of Governor's Clean Buildings, Health Homes bill that would restrict the use of gas in homes for heating and water, reducing customers choice options and focuses more on electrification than greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Employment training program

H Coll & Wkf Dev

Leavitt

Concerning the Washington customized employment training program.

COVID-19 grants/B&O tax

H Finance

Walen

Providing a business and occupation tax exemption for qualifying grants related to COVID-19 relief.

This will be an important bill for businesses that received monies from the federal Government or the state Government to help during the COVID pandemic. Ensuring that they do not have to pay B&O taxes on those dollars received.

B&O tax credit/COVID-19

H Finance

MacEwen

Providing a business and occupation tax credit to address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the state.

Another version of a bill to protect business from paying taxes on monies received from government that were intended to help them weather the pandemic.

Equitable access to credit

H ConsPro&Bus

Maycumber

Creating the Washington equitable access to credit act.

Unemployment benefit charges

H Labor & Workpla

MacEwen

Support

Concerning relief of benefit charges when discharge is a result of a gubernatorial declaration of emergency or related executive order.

Lengthens the time allows for relief from benefit charges to April 22 in order to accommodate all COVID related layoffs to help reduce employer specific UI taxes.

Paid leave coverage

H Labor & Workpla

Berry

Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program.

Expands benefits in new Paid Family Leave Program -- not agreed to by the business members of the Paid Family Leave Advisory Committee

Capital budget 2021-2023

H Cap Budget

Tharinger

Concerning the capital budget.

Family/med leave continuity

H Labor & Workpla

Berry

High

Oppose

Clarifying the continuity of employee family and medical leave rights.

Emergency assistance/tax

H Finance

Walen

Concerning the taxation of governmental financial assistance programs addressing the impacts of conditions giving rise to a gubernatorial or presidential emergency proclamation by creating state business and occupation tax and state public utility tax exemptions, a sales and use tax exemption for the receipt of such financial assistance, and clarifying the sales and use tax obligations for goods and services purchased by recipients of such financial assistance.

READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/1095%20HBA%20FIN%2021.pdf?q=20210111153913

Worker protections

H Labor & Workpla

Sells

High

Oppose

Increasing worker protections.

Imposes additional and increased penalties against employers for violations of safety and health standards.

Unemployment insurance

H Labor & Workpla

Sells

High

Concerns

Concerning unemployment insurance.

Investments/B&O tax

H Finance

Cody

Concerning investment income tax deductions.

Removes existing tax deductions for investment income.

Child care/unemployment

S EL/K-12

Wilson

Concerning working connections child care eligibility and unemployment benefits.

Consumer protection act

S Law & Justice

Rolfes

Concerning the consumer protection improvement act.

This bill appears to allow small businesses the ability to better utilize the services of the attorney general's offices but also increases penalties under the consumer protection act that causes concerns.

Worker comp claim agreements

S Labor, Comm & T

Conway

Concerning workers' compensation claim resolution settlement agreements.

Currently reviewing this bill to determine impact.

Unemployment insurance

S Labor, Comm & T

Keiser

Concerning unemployment insurance.

The purpose of this bill is to help reduce the impact of unemployment insurance tax rates while still ensuring a healthy UI trust fund. Data is still needed to determine if the solutions will reduce rates for employers. Employers have concerns over benefit increases included in the bill when the trust fund is in trouble. READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5061%20SBA%20LCTA%2021.pdf?q=20210111151647

Data

S Environment, En

Carlyle

Concerning the management, oversight, and use of data.

Unemployment/voluntary

S Labor, Comm & T

Saldaña

High

Oppose

Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.

Worker protections

S Labor, Comm & T

Keiser

High

Oppose

Increasing worker protections.

Increases penalties for safety standard violations and

Capital gains tax

S Ways & Means

Robinson

Concerning an excise tax on gains from the sale or exchange of certain capital assets.

Paid leave coverage

S Labor, Comm & T

Robinson

High

Oppose

Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program.

Increases benefits in the Paid Family and Medical Leave program - which increases costs. These changes are not agreed to by the business members of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Advisory Committee

Reopening/public health

S State Govt & El

Braun

Concerning safely reopening Washington.

Workers' comp COL adjustment

S Labor, Comm & T

King

High

Support

Suspending workers' compensation cost-of-living adjustments for fiscal year 2022, changing the basis of certain future adjustments to the consumer price index, and capping the rate of increase for future adjustments.

Rent relief & housing

H Finance

Kloba

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

Housing/local tax revenue

H Finance

Ryu

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

Comprehensive planning

H Env & Energy

Duerr

Concerns

Improving the state's climate response through updates to the state's comprehensive planning framework.

Unused public buildings

H Cap Budget

Walsh

Creating a grant program for converting unused public buildings to housing for homeless persons.

Comp. planning/salmon

H Env & Energy

Lekanoff

Promoting salmon recovery through revisions to the state's comprehensive planning framework.

Housing benefit districts

H Local Govt

Ryu

Concerning housing benefit districts.

Growth mngmt board standing

Hoff

Concerning standing before the growth management hearings board.

Building communities fund

Ortiz-Self

Concerning the building communities fund program.

Housing supply

Bateman

Increasing housing supply through the growth management act and housing density tax incentives for local governments.

Affordable housing funding

S Housing & Local

Lovelett

Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing programs.

READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5012%20SBA%20HLG%2021.pdf?q=20210111151237

Condominium construction

S Law & Justice

Padden

Reducing barriers to condominium construction.

Accessory dwelling units/tax

S Housing & Local

Kuderer

Limiting the property tax exemption for improvements to single-family dwellings to the construction of accessory dwelling units.

READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5033%20SBA%20HLG%2021.pdf?q=20210111151346

Development paperwork

S Environment, En

Fortunato

Reducing unnecessary paperwork to promote development.

GMA actions effective date

S Housing & Local

Salomon

Concerning the effective date of certain actions taken under the growth management act.

READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5042%20SBA%20HLG%2021.pdf?q=20210111151604

Homelessness/shelter

S Housing & Local

Fortunato

Addressing homelessness.

Motor vehicle sales tax

H Approps

MacEwen

Dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles for transportation.

Transportation fuel/carbon

H Env & Energy

Fitzgibbon

High

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.

Establishes a Low Carbon Fuel Standard in Washington State similar to California. Concerns about the increase in transportation costs for businesses that rely on transportation and trucks on the road.

Transp. budget 2021-2023

H Transportation

Fey

Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.

Supp. transportation budget

H Transportation

Fey

Making 2019-2021 supplemental transportation appropriations.

Road maintenance/planning

H Transportation

McCaslin

Elevating road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning.

Vehicle taxes & fees

S Transportation

Fortunato

Limiting state and local taxes, fees, and other charges relating to vehicles.

HB 1093 (SB 5091)

Operating budget, 2nd supp.

H Approps

Ormsby

Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.

HB 1094 (SB 5092)

Operating budget 2021-2023

H Approps

Ormsby

Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.

This is the Governor's Budget proposal that increases state spending by $1.7 billion. To fund this spending level, the budget imposes a capital gains tax.

SB 5091 (HB 1093)

Operating budget, 2nd supp.

S Ways & Means

Rolfes

Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.

READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5091%20SBA%20WM%2021.pdf?q=20210111144017

SB 5092 (HB 1094)

Operating budget 2021-2023

S Ways & Means

Rolfes

Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.

Senate version of Governor's budget that increases spending by $1.7 billion and imposes a state capital gains tax. READ FULL BILL SUMMARY/REPORT HERE - http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5092%20SBA%20WM%2021.pdf?q=20210111144047