GENERAL UPDATE
The 2021 Legislature passed its first major cut off date on Monday. February 15 was the date bills had to be out of their original policy committees or else they are considered “dead” for session. Monday, February 22nd is the date bills are supposed to be out of the fiscal committees (Appropriations, Capital Budget, Transportation or Ways & Means) in order to be considered “alive”. Of course in the legislative world, nothing is every really dead until they adjourn sine die. We expect to see bills that impact climate change, police reform or COVID relief/recovery be possibly brought back to life. In addition, anything that spends money or creates a tax could possibly be alive until the budgets are passed.
Now that we have Senator King’s budget, we expect to see work on a transportation package start in earnest to see if agreements can be found. With such significant funding differences, we expect discussions to continue until late in the session.
You can see on this list that there are several concerning bills on the Labor front that are moving:
Finally, SSB 5096, the capital gains tax, moved out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday. The only change made as the bill moved out of committee was to reduce the tax rate from 9% to 7% and increase the threshold from $50,000 to $250,000. SSB 5096 is in Senate Rules and is expected to move to a full vote of the Senate.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Ways & Means (Senate) - Virtual, - 2/22 @ 9:30am
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
SHB 1084 (SB 5093) |
Building decarbonization |
Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. |
H Approps |
Ramel |
Oppose |
High |
2SHB 1091 (SB 5231) |
Transportation fuel/carbon |
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. |
H Transportation |
Fitzgibbon |
Oppose |
High |
Climate commitment act |
Concerning the Washington climate commitment act. |
S Environment, E |
Carlyle |
Concerns |
High |
|
Env. justice task force recs |
Implementing the recommendations of the environmental justice task force. |
S Ways & Means |
Saldaña |
Concerns |
Medium |
|
Carbon pollution |
Concerning carbon pollution. |
S Environment, E |
Lovelett |
Concerns |
High |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
Employment training program |
Concerning the Washington customized employment training program. |
H Exec Action |
Leavitt |
Support |
High |
|
Workforce ed. investment act |
Modifying the workforce education investment act. |
H Approps |
Chopp |
Concerns |
High |
|
SSB 5194 (HB 1318) |
Comm. & technical colleges |
Providing for equity and access in the community and technical colleges. |
S Ways & Means |
Liias |
Support |
Medium |
College grant award maximum |
Increasing the maximum Washington college grant award at independent institutions of higher education. |
S Ways & Means |
Conway |
Support |
Medium |
|
Opportunity scholarship prog |
Increasing access to the Washington opportunity scholarship program. |
S Rules 2 |
Liias |
Support |
Medium |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
Equitable access to credit |
Creating the Washington equitable access to credit act. |
H Approps |
Maycumber |
Support |
High |
|
Paid leave coverage |
Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program. |
H Approps |
Berry |
Oppose |
High |
|
Workplace violations/qui tam |
Allowing whistleblowers to bring actions on behalf of the state for violations of workplace protections. |
H Approps |
Hansen |
Oppose |
High |
|
HB 1080 (SB 5083) |
Capital budget 2021-2023 |
Concerning the capital budget. -- Sec 3095 -- $4 million for Wood Stove Changeouts |
H Cap Budget |
Tharinger |
|
High |
Family/med leave continuity |
Clarifying the continuity of employee family and medical leave rights. |
S Labor, Comm & T |
Berry |
Neutral |
Medium |
|
HB 1093 (SB 5091) |
Operating budget, 2nd supp. |
Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. |
H Approps |
Ormsby |
|
High |
HB 1094 (SB 5092) |
Operating budget 2021-2023 |
Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. |
H Approps |
Ormsby |
|
High |
Emergency assistance/tax |
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. |
Del to Gov |
Walen |
Support |
High |
|
SHB 1097 (SB 5090) |
Worker protections |
Increasing worker protections. |
H Exec Action |
Sells |
Oppose |
High |
Investments/B&O tax |
Concerning investment income tax deductions. |
H Finance |
Cody |
Concerns |
Medium |
|
HB 1201 (SSB 5149) |
Found. public health funding |
Funding foundational public health services. |
H Finance |
Riccelli |
Oppose |
High |
SHB 1206 (SB 5218) |
Temporary workers |
Protecting temporary workers. |
H 2nd Reading |
Berry |
Oppose |
High |
2SHB 1213 (2SSB 5237) |
Child care & early dev. exp. |
Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs. |
H APPDP2S |
Senn |
|
High |
State estate tax, repealing |
Repealing the state estate tax. |
H Finance |
Orcutt |
Support |
High |
|
SHB 1264 (SB 5274) |
Equity impact statement |
Establishing an equity impact statement for legislative proposals. |
H Approps |
Thai |
|
Medium |
Main street program |
Modifying the Washington main street program tax incentive to respond to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
S Business, Finan |
Rule |
Support |
High |
|
Hospitality industry/B&O tax |
Providing business and occupation tax relief to the hospitality industry. |
H Finance |
Vick |
Support |
Medium |
|
HB 1332 (SB 5402) |
Property tax deferral/COVID |
Concerning property tax deferral during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
H Exec Action |
Sullivan |
|
Medium |
ESHB 1368 (SB 5344) |
Federal funding/COVID-19 |
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through state actions supported by federal funding. |
Del to Gov |
Ormsby |
|
High |
HB 1406 (SB 5426) |
Wealth tax |
Improving the equity of Washington state's tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets. |
H Finance |
Frame |
Concerns |
High |
Unemployment employer viol. |
Strengthening penalty and audit tools for employer violations in unemployment insurance. |
H Rules R |
Chopp |
Oppose |
High |
|
Unemployment/voluntary |
Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work. |
H Rules R |
Berry |
Oppose |
High |
|
Unemployment ins. system |
Concerning unemployment insurance systems enhancements, including creating a reserve force of unemployment claim adjudicators, effective and equitable claims processing, and transparent performance metrics. |
H Rules R |
Bronoske |
|
High |
|
SHB 1492 (SSB 5425) |
Unempl. extended benefits |
Concerning extended benefits in the unemployment insurance system. |
H Rules R |
Sells |
|
High |
SHB 1493 (SSB 5427) |
Job search monitoring |
Concerning job search monitoring. |
H Rules R |
Sells |
|
High |
High valued assets tax |
Creating a more progressive tax system in Washington by enacting an excise tax on sales and extraordinary profits of high valued assets. |
H Finance |
Senn |
Oppose |
High |
|
Child care/unemployment |
Concerning working connections child care eligibility and unemployment benefits. |
S Ways & Means |
Wilson |
|
Medium |
|
Consumer protection act |
Concerning the consumer protection improvement act. |
S 2nd Reading |
Rolfes |
Oppose |
High |
|
Worker comp claim agreements |
Concerning workers' compensation claim resolution settlement agreements. |
H Labor & Workpla |
Conway |
Support |
Medium |
|
ESSB 5061 (HB 1098) |
Unemployment insurance |
Concerning unemployment insurance. |
C 2 L 21 |
Keiser |
Support |
High |
Data |
Concerning the management, oversight, and use of data. |
S Rules 2 |
Carlyle |
Neutral |
High |
|
Unemployment/voluntary |
Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work. |
S 2nd Reading |
Saldaña |
Oppose |
High |
|
SB 5091 (HB 1093) |
Operating budget, 2nd supp. |
Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. |
S Ways & Means |
Rolfes |
|
High |
SB 5092 (HB 1094) |
Operating budget 2021-2023 |
Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. |
S Ways & Means |
Rolfes |
|
High |
Capital gains tax |
Concerning an excise tax on gains from the sale or exchange of certain capital assets. |
S Rules 2 |
Robinson |
Oppose |
High |
|
Paid leave coverage |
Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program. |
S 2nd Reading |
Robinson |
Oppose |
High |
|
Workers' comp COL adjustment |
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. |
S 2nd Reading |
King |
Support |
High |
|
SSB 5149 (HB 1201) |
Found. public health funding |
Funding foundational public health services. |
S Ways & Means |
Robinson |
Oppose |
High |
Budget stabilization approps |
Making expenditures from the budget stabilization account to address issues of homelessness, home security, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses. |
S Ways & Means |
Rolfes |
Concerns |
High |
|
Unanticipated revenue |
Concerning unanticipated revenue. |
S Ways & Means |
Rolfes |
|
Medium |
|
Business practices/emergency |
Regulating unfair business practices and prohibiting predatory price increases during states of emergency. |
S Rules 2 |
Darneille |
Concerns |
High |
|
2SSB 5237 (2SHB 1213) |
Child care & early dev. exp. |
Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs. |
S WMDP2S |
Wilson |
|
High |
Economic inclusion |
Promoting economic inclusion. |
S Ways & Means |
Dhingra |
|
Medium |
|
SB 5344 (ESHB 1368) |
Federal funding/COVID-19 |
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through state actions supported by federal funding. |
S Ways & Means |
Rolfes |
|
High |
SSB 5355 (HB 1369) |
Wage liens |
Establishing wage liens. |
S Rules 2 |
Conway |
Oppose |
High |
Small businesses/excise tax |
Providing small business excise tax relief to address the financial hardship caused by COVID-19. |
S Ways & Means |
Wellman |
|
Medium |
|
SSB 5425 (SHB 1492) |
Unempl. extended benefits |
Concerning extended benefits in the unemployment insurance system. |
S Rules 2 |
Stanford |
Concerns |
High |
SB 5426 (HB 1406) |
Wealth tax |
Improving the equity of Washington state's tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets. |
S Ways & Means |
Hunt |
Concerns |
High |
SSB 5427 (SHB 1493) |
Job search monitoring |
Concerning job search monitoring. |
S Rules 2 |
King |
Neutral |
High |
Operating budget |
Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations and 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. |
S Ways & Means |
Wilson |
|
High |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
Rent relief & housing |
Providing local governments with options to grant rent relief and preserve affordable housing in their communities. |
H Finance |
Kloba |
|
Medium |
|
Housing/local tax revenue |
Modifying allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing and related services to include the acquisition and construction of affordable housing and facilities. |
H Rules R |
Ryu |
|
Medium |
|
Comp. planning/salmon |
Promoting salmon recovery through revisions to the state's comprehensive planning framework. |
H Approps |
Lekanoff |
|
High |
|
Housing benefit districts |
Concerning housing benefit districts. |
H Finance |
Ryu |
Support |
High |
|
Building communities fund |
Concerning the building communities fund program. |
H Cap Budget |
Ortiz-Self |
|
Medium |
|
SHB 1157 (SSB 5390) |
Housing supply |
Increasing housing supply through the growth management act and housing density tax incentives for local governments. |
H Finance |
Bateman |
|
High |
Emergency shelters & housing |
Supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations. |
H Exec Action |
Peterson |
|
Medium |
|
GMA/affordable housing plans |
Planning for affordable housing under the growth management act. |
H Rules R |
Barkis |
Support |
Medium |
|
Residential tenants |
Protecting residential tenants from the beginning to end of their tenancies by penalizing the inclusion of unlawful lease provisions and limiting the reasons for eviction, refusal to continue, and termination. |
H Rules R |
Macri |
Concerns |
Medium |
|
Growth management act plans |
Planning under the growth management act. |
H Rules R |
Duerr |
Concerns |
High |
|
SHB 1298 (SB 5221) |
Accessory dwelling units |
Concerning regulation of accessory dwelling units located outside of urban growth areas. |
H Rules R |
Vick |
|
Medium |
Lodging-related assessments |
Concerning lodging-related assessments under chapter 35.87A RCW. |
H FINDPS |
Ryu |
|
Medium |
|
Local revenue/homelessness |
Authorizing local option revenue for homelessness services, subject to specified conditions, including prohibiting supervised injection sites and requiring local restrictions on camping on public property. |
H Finance |
Stokesbary |
|
High |
|
Local revenue/homelessness |
Authorizing local option revenue for homelessness services, subject to specified conditions, including prohibiting supervised injection sites and requiring local restrictions on camping on public property. |
H Finance |
Stokesbary |
|
Medium |
|
Affordable housing funding |
Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing programs. |
S Ways & Means |
Lovelett |
|
High |
|
Condominium construction |
Reducing barriers to condominium construction. |
H Civil R & Judi |
Padden |
Support |
High |
|
Accessory dwelling units/tax |
Limiting the property tax exemption for improvements to single-family dwellings to the construction of accessory dwelling units. |
S Ways & Means |
Kuderer |
|
Medium |
|
GMA actions effective date |
Concerning the effective date of certain actions taken under the growth management act. |
S 2nd Reading |
Salomon |
Concerns |
High |
|
Landlord-tenant relations |
Addressing landlord-tenant relations by providing certain tenant protections during and after public health emergencies, providing for legal representation in eviction cases, and authorizing landlord access to state rental assistance programs. |
S Ways & Means |
Kuderer |
|
Medium |
|
Housing options & limits |
Increasing housing unit inventory by removing arbitrary limits on housing options. |
S 2nd Reading |
Liias |
|
High |
|
Increased building capacity |
Including the value of increased residential building capacity in the property tax levy limit calculation. |
S Ways & Means |
Das |
|
Medium |
|
Afford. housing incentives |
Concerning affordable housing incentives. |
S Ways & Means |
Das |
|
Medium |
|
Transit-oriented development |
Facilitating transit-oriented development and increasing housing inventory. |
H Env & Energy |
Mullet |
Support |
High |
|
SSB 5390 (SHB 1157) |
Housing supply |
Increasing housing supply through the growth management act and housing density tax incentives for local governments. |
S Ways & Means |
Liias |
Support |
High |
Residential prop valuation |
Exempting a portion of the valuation of residential property from property taxation. |
|
Wilson |
|
Medium |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
SHB 1189 (2SSB 5211) |
Tax increment financing |
Authorizing tax increment financing for local governments. |
H FINDPS |
Duerr |
Support |
High |
Local infra. project areas |
Addressing local infrastructure project areas. |
H Finance |
Wicks |
|
Medium |
|
Schools/computers & devices |
Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and instructional staff. |
H Approps |
Gregerson |
Neutral |
High |
|
Nonprofit corporations |
Concerning nonprofit corporations. |
H Civil R & Judi |
Pedersen |
Concerns |
High |
|
2SSB 5211 (SHB 1189) |
Tax increment financing |
Authorizing tax increment financing for local governments. |
S Rules 2 |
Frockt |
Support |
High |
Economic assistance programs |
Concerning economic assistance programs. |
S WMDP2S |
Nguyen |
|
Medium |
|
Tax preferences |
Concerning additional transparency and accountability for tax preferences. |
S Ways & Means |
Carlyle |
Concerns |
High |
|
SB 5262 (HB 1459) |
Data center tax incentive |
Broadening the eligibility requirements and extending the expiration date for the data center tax incentive. |
S Ways & Means |
Liias |
Support |
High |
Dev. disability services |
Transforming services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by increasing the capabilities of community residential settings and redesigning the long-term nature of intermediate care facilities. |
S Ways & Means |
Keiser |
|
Medium |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
SHB 1521 (SB 5446) |
Warehousing & manuf. jobs |
Supporting warehousing and manufacturing job centers. |
H FINDPS |
Entenman |
Support |
High |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
Manufacturing |
Building economic strength through manufacturing. |
H Exec Action |
Boehnke |
|
Medium |
|
HB 1473 (SB 5414) |
Data centers/tax preference |
Providing a tax preference for data centers in counties with a certain population. |
H Finance |
Jacobsen |
Support |
High |
Excise tax/aerospace, etc. |
Concerning excise tax reform to preserve aerospace and other manufacturing jobs in Washington. |
S Ways & Means |
Braun |
Support |
High |
Bill # |
Abbrev. Title |
Short Description |
Status |
Sponsor |
Position |
Priority |
2SHB 1091 (SB 5231) |
Transportation fuel/carbon |
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. |
H Transportation |
Fitzgibbon |
Oppose |
High |
HB 1135 (SB 5165) |
Transp. budget 2021-2023 |
Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium. |
H Transportation |
Fey |
|
High |
HB 1136 (SB 5166) |
Supp. transportation budget |
Making 2019-2021 supplemental transportation appropriations. |
H Transportation |
Fey |
|
High |
Road maintenance/planning |
Elevating road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning. |
H Transportation |
McCaslin |
|
Medium |
|
Engineering services/B&O tax |
Lowering the cost of state-funded transportation projects by eliminating business and occupation tax pyramiding on engineering services. |
H Finance |
Barkis |
Support |
High |
|
Toll revenues/debt service |
Modifying requirements in order to pay for debt service obligations when toll revenues are not sufficient to cover legal obligations. |
H Transportation |
Barkis |
|
Medium |
|
Vehicle taxes & fees |
Limiting state and local taxes, fees, and other charges relating to vehicles. |
S Transportation |
Fortunato |
|
Medium |
|
SB 5165 (HB 1135) |
Transp. budget 2021-2023 |
Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium. |
S Transportation |
Hobbs |
|
High |
SB 5166 (HB 1136) |
Supp. transportation budget |
Making 2019-2021 supplemental transportation appropriations. |
S Transportation |
Hobbs |
|
High |
Toll revenue bonding |
Limiting bonding toll revenues on certain state highway facilities. |
S Transportation |
King |
Oppose |
High |
|
Motor vehicle sales tax |
Dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles to transportation improvements. |
S Ways & Means |
Braun |
Support |
Medium |
|
Electric vehicles/per mile |
Implementing a per mile charge on electric and hybrid vehicles. |
S Transportation |
Saldaña |
|
Medium |
|
Motor vehicle sales tax |
Dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles to transportation improvements. |
S Ways & Means |
King |
Support |
High |
No bills.