Feb 19, 2021  -  Business

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.

The SSCCLC testified this week on HB 1521, Rep. Debra Entenman’s bill to provide streamlined sales tax relief to cities that are manufacturing and distribution centers.  SSCCLC members also met with Rep. Entenman prior to the bill’s hearing.  SHB 1521 passed out of the House Finance Committee and is moving towards the House floor for a vote.  This bill did pass last year but was vetoed as the Governor and budget writers became concerned about COVID impacts.  Now we know that revenue is okay so the push is on to provide this necessary relief.

The House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on SHB 1084 this week – a far reaching decarbonization bill that threatens the ability to utilize natural gas and propane in buildings, regardless of energy efficiency.  The bill has not been scheduled for a vote yet.  Meanwhile, Senator Reuven Carlyle held a work session on a revamped version of his “cap and invest” bill SSB 5216.  There is intense pressure to address climate change more aggressively this year but so far no major bill in this arena has made it to the floor of either house for a vote.

One climate change bill that is moving is 2SHB 1091 – which would create a state low carbon fuel standard.  The bill had a hearing in House Transportation this week with most business organizations opposing.  Concerns about fuel costs and the impact on transportation funding were the most cited reasons for opposition.  The House has passed this bill two years in a row.  It is expected to pass again but the Senate still does not seem to have much support for the idea.

On the transportation front, today Senator Curtis King, the Republican ranking minority members on the Senate Transportation Committee, unveiled his transportation proposal.  This makes the fourth transportation proposal to be released – we hope the last!  Senator King does not include a low carbon fuel standard, or carbon taxes.  He does raise the gas tax by 3 cents along with other fees.    It is a much scaled down funding package that focuses on specific major projects and is funded for 8 years.  Senator King’s proposal also shifts sales tax from the sale of motor vehicles from the operating budget to the transportation budget.

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.

Below is the list of bills SSCCLC is tracking that are still alive (so far).  This list will get much shorter after Monday.

You can see on this list that there are several concerning bills on the Labor front that are moving:

SSB 5115 would create a rebuttable workers’ compensation presumption for COVID and other contagious diseases for “front line employees.”  The potential costs of this bill to employer workers’ compensation costs are a huge concern.

SHB 1076, is the “qui tam” bill that would allow an individual to sue an employer on behalf of a state agency.  Businesses oppose this bill because it would effectively anyone to file suit based on claims, whether they had standing or not and whether they claim was valid or not.  These types of claims are generally used to threaten employers into forced settlements.

Bills are also moving that would allow employees to file wage liens against employers, expand the reasons for collecting UI if an employee voluntarily quits their job and expanding the definition of “family” in our state’s paid family and medical leave law.

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

SB 5162 - Exec Session - Concerning unanticipated revenue. (Medium)

SSB 5194 - Exec Session - Providing for equity and access in the community and technical colleges. (Support/Medium)

SSB 5241 - Exec Session - Promoting economic inclusion. (Medium)

SSB 5287 - Exec Session - Concerning affordable housing incentives. (Medium)

Transportation (House) - Virtual, - 2/22 @ 1:30pm

HB 1137 - Exec Session - Elevating road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning. (Medium)

HB 1529 - Exec Session - Modifying requirements in order to pay for debt service obligations when toll revenues are not sufficient to cover legal obligations. (Medium)

CLIMATE CHANGE/CARBON TAX

 

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

SB 5126

Climate commitment act

Concerning the Washington climate commitment act.

S Environment, E

Carlyle

Concerns

High

SSB 5141

Env. justice task force recs

Implementing the recommendations of the environmental justice task force.

S Ways & Means

Saldaña

Concerns

Medium

SB 5373

Carbon pollution

Concerning carbon pollution.

S Environment, E

Lovelett

Concerns

High

CTE

 

Bill #

Abbrev. Title

Short Description

Status

Sponsor

Position

Priority

SHB 1033

Employment training program

Concerning the Washington customized employment training program.

H Exec Action

Leavitt

Support

High

SHB 1504

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

SB 5215

College grant award maximum

Increasing the maximum Washington college grant award at independent institutions of higher education.

S Ways & Means

Conway

Support

Medium

SSB 5288

Opportunity scholarship prog

Increasing access to the Washington opportunity scholarship program.

S Rules 2

Liias

Support

Medium

GENERAL BUSINESS PRIORITIES

 

Bill #

Abbrev. Title

Short Description

Status

Sponsor

Position

Priority

2SHB 1015

Equitable access to credit

Creating the Washington equitable access to credit act.

H Approps

Maycumber

Support

High

SHB 1073

Paid leave coverage

Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program.

H Approps

Berry

Oppose

High

SHB 1076

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

HB 1087

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

SHB 1095

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

HB 1111

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

HB 1245

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

SHB 1279

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

HB 1299

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

SHB 1474

Unemployment employer viol.

Strengthening penalty and audit tools for employer violations in unemployment insurance.

H Rules R

Chopp

Oppose

High

HB 1486

Unemployment/voluntary

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

H Rules R

Berry

Oppose

High

SHB 1487

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

HB 1496

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

SB 5023

Child care/unemployment

Concerning working connections child care eligibility and unemployment benefits.

S Ways & Means

Wilson

 

Medium

SSB 5025

Consumer protection act

Concerning the consumer protection improvement act.

S 2nd Reading

Rolfes

Oppose

High

SB 5046

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

2SSB 5062

Data

Concerning the management, oversight, and use of data.

S Rules 2

Carlyle

Neutral

High

SSB 5064

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

SSB 5096

Capital gains tax

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

S Rules 2

Robinson

Oppose

High

SSB 5097

Paid leave coverage

Expanding coverage of the paid family and medical leave program.

S 2nd Reading

Robinson

Oppose

High

SSB 5137

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

SB 5156

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

SB 5162

Unanticipated revenue

Concerning unanticipated revenue.

S Ways & Means

Rolfes

 

Medium

SSB 5191

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

SSB 5241

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

SB 5398

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

SB 5451

Operating budget

Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations and 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.

S Ways & Means

Wilson

 

High

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

 

Bill #

Abbrev. Title

Short Description

Status

Sponsor

Position

Priority

HB 1035

Rent relief & housing

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

H Finance

Kloba

 

Medium

SHB 1070

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

SHB 1117

Comp. planning/salmon

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

H Approps

Lekanoff

 

High

SHB 1128

Housing benefit districts

Concerning housing benefit districts.

H Finance

Ryu

Support

High

HB 1154

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

SHB 1220

Emergency shelters & housing

Supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations.

H Exec Action

Peterson

 

Medium

SHB 1232

GMA/affordable housing plans

Planning for affordable housing under the growth management act.

H Rules R

Barkis

Support

Medium

SHB 1236

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

SHB 1241

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

SHB 1512

Lodging-related assessments

Concerning lodging-related assessments under chapter 35.87A RCW.

H FINDPS

Ryu

 

Medium

HB 1526

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

HB 1541

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

SSB 5012

Affordable housing funding

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

S Ways & Means

Lovelett

 

High

ESSB 5024

Condominium construction

Reducing barriers to condominium construction.

H Civil R & Judi

Padden

Support

High

SSB 5033

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

SB 5042

GMA actions effective date

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

S 2nd Reading

Salomon

Concerns

High

SSB 5160

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

SSB 5235

Housing options & limits

Increasing housing unit inventory by removing arbitrary limits on housing options.

S 2nd Reading

Liias

 

High

SSB 5269

Increased building capacity

Including the value of increased residential building capacity in the property tax levy limit calculation.

S Ways & Means

Das

 

Medium

SSB 5287

Afford. housing incentives

Concerning affordable housing incentives.

S Ways & Means

Das

 

Medium

SB 5312

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

SB 5463

Residential prop valuation

Exempting a portion of the valuation of residential property from property taxation.

 

Wilson

 

Medium

OTHER CHAMBER BILLS

 

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

HB 1243

Local infra. project areas

Addressing local infrastructure project areas.

H Finance

Wicks

 

Medium

SHB 1365

Schools/computers & devices

Procuring and supporting appropriate computers and devices for public school students and instructional staff.

H Approps

Gregerson

Neutral

High

SSB 5034

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

2SSB 5214

Economic assistance programs

Concerning economic assistance programs.

S WMDP2S

Nguyen

 

Medium

SB 5216

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

SSB 5268

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

STREAMLINED SALES TAX

 

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

TRADE, AEROSPACE & MFG

 

Bill #

Abbrev. Title

Short Description

Status

Sponsor

Position

Priority

SHB 1170

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

SB 5422

Excise tax/aerospace, etc.

Concerning excise tax reform to preserve aerospace and other manufacturing jobs in Washington.

S Ways & Means

Braun

Support

High

TRANSPORTATION

 

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

HB 1137

Road maintenance/planning

Elevating road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning.

H Transportation

McCaslin

 

Medium

HB 1522

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

HB 1529

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

SB 5028

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

SB 5232

Toll revenue bonding

Limiting bonding toll revenues on certain state highway facilities.

S Transportation

King

Oppose

High

SB 5359

Motor vehicle sales tax

Dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles to transportation improvements.

S Ways & Means

Braun

Support

Medium

SB 5444

Electric vehicles/per mile

Implementing a per mile charge on electric and hybrid vehicles.

S Transportation

Saldaña

 

Medium

SB 5449

Motor vehicle sales tax

Dedicating the state sales tax on motor vehicles to transportation improvements.

S Ways & Means

King

Support

High

Uncategorized Bills

No bills.

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