Guest Contributor: Brad Boswell of Boswell Consulting
Week two was another busy one in Olympia: over 1000 bills have been introduced (in addition to the hundreds that are still alive from the 2017 session) and committees and floor votes are now in full swing. A short session means that we are already halfway to the first calendar cutoff so legislators and stakeholders must act fast to get their bills out of committee if they’re to proceed.
The week started off fast with public hearings on several highly publicized issues—trigger modification devices on firearms, the Attorney General’s plan to address the opioid crisis, and voting rights. Tuesday’s hearing on SB 6203—the governor’s bill which would place a $20/ton tax on carbon emissions—garnered substantial attention from stakeholders on both sides and an appearance from Inslee himself.
The latter half of the week brought a number of other big-ticket items thru committee including legislation to protect consumers personal and financial data, reduce food waste, and ensure statewide net neutrality. Notably, gender pay equity Legislation passed on the House floor 69-28 and will now move to the Senate for a vote.
Finally, both chambers worked late Thursday night to pass the long-negotiated Capital Budget and accompanying Hirst water rights and bond bill. Although some districts’ well water access issues will not be solved by the compromise, legislators were strongly incentivized to pass the capital budget in order to move forward with construction projects that have been tied up in funding and keep to a strict 60-day session. This will also allow the Clean Energy Fund to proceed with projects.
Upcoming Hearings
Environment (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 1/22 @ 1:30pm
- HB 2338 – Exec Session – Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels.
Energy, Environment & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 1/23 @ 10:00am
- SB 6253 – Public Hearing – Establishing a clean, efficient, renewable energy standard.
- SB 6285 – Public Hearing – Creating the hazardous substance tax stabilization act.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 1/23 @ 10:00am
- HB 1233 – Public Hearing – Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future.
- HB 2402 – Public Hearing – Concerning the energy independence act.
- HB 2749 – Public Hearing – Allowing a local sales and use tax as a credit against the state sales tax for rural high-speed internet infrastructure without increasing the total sales and use tax rate.
- HB 2283 – Exec Session – Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future.
- HB 2319 – Exec Session – Concerning energy conservation programs under the energy independence act.
- HB 2510 – Exec Session – Concerning net metering.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
Finance (House) – HHR A, JLOB – 1/23 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2339 – Exec Session – Encouraging the purchase of all electric truck tractor vehicles.
Energy, Environment & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 1/24 @ 8:00am
- SB 6424 – Public Hearing – Authorizing an alternative form of regulation of electrical and natural gas companies.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 1/24 @ 8:00am
- HB 2580 – Public Hearing – Promoting renewable natural gas.
- HB 1233 – Exec Session – Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future.
- HB 2283 – Exec Session – Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future.
- HB 2319 – Exec Session – Concerning energy conservation programs under the energy independence act.
- HB 2510 – Exec Session – Concerning net metering.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 1/25 @ 1:30pm
- HB 2814 – Public Hearing – Studying state policies and programs that impact the affordability of retail electric bills in Washington state.
- HB 1233 – Exec Session – Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future.
- HB 2283 – Exec Session – Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future.
- HB 2319 – Exec Session – Concerning energy conservation programs under the energy independence act.
- HB 2510 – Exec Session – Concerning net metering.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
Bill Status
High Priority Bills
| Bill # | Title | Status | Sponsor | Position |
| HB 1335 | Concerning the electrification of transportation infrastructure. | H Tech & Econ De | Tarleton | |
| HB 1372 | Updating the framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Washington based upon best available climate science. | H Environment | Farrell | |
| HB 1458 | Concerning electric energy performance baselines. | H Tech & Econ De | Fitzgibbon | |
| HB 1497 | Providing sales and use tax exemptions, in the form of a remittance of tax paid, to encourage coal-fired electric generation plants to convert to natural gas-fired plants or biomass energy facilities. | H Finance | Walsh | |
| ESHB 1809 | Concerning tax credits for clean alternative fuel commercial vehicles. | C 116 L 17 | Fey | |
| SHB 1894 (SB 5630) |
Reinstating tax preferences for certain high-technology research and development. | H Finance | Sullivan | |
| HB 1963 | Concerning electric utility meter-based performance programs. | H Tech & Econ De | Doglio | |
| HB 1964 | Concerning clean energy financing. | H Local Govt | Doglio | |
| HB 2280 (SB 6130) |
Concerning community solar gardens. | H Tech & Econ D | Morris | |
| HB 2283 | Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future. | H Tech & Econ D | DeBolt | |
| HB 2299 (SB 6032) |
Making supplemental operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby | |
| HB 2319 | Concerning energy conservation programs under the energy independence act. | H Tech & Econ D | Doglio | |
| HB 2328 | Reducing emissions by making changes to the clean car standards and clean car program. | H Environment | Morris | |
| HB 2338 | Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. | H Environment | Fitzgibbon | |
| HB 2339 | Encouraging the purchase of all electric truck tractor vehicles. | H Finance | Condotta | |
| HB 2340 | Extending the sales and use tax exemption for certain alternative fuel vehicles. | H Trans | Condotta | |
| HB 2347 | Requiring electric utilities to provide reports on the lowest cost, lowest risk options for a transition to a zero-carbon electric grid. | H Tech & Econ D | Smith | |
| HB 2510 | Concerning net metering. | H Tech & Econ D | Morris | |
| HB 2580 (SB 6449) |
Promoting renewable natural gas. | H Tech & Econ D | Morris | |
| HB 2653 | Modifying the alternative fuel vehicle sales and use tax exemptions for the purposes of expanding the exemptions and amending related provisions. | H Trans | Fey | |
| SHJM 4008 | Requesting that the Bonneville Power Administration consider a rate design for the Eastern Intertie that eliminates or reduces the transmission rate associated with that part of the Eastern Intertie known as the Montana Intertie. | H Rules 3C | Morris | |
| SB 5467 | Including nuclear energy in the definition of a “qualified alternative energy resource” for the purposes of RCW 19.29A.090. | S Energy, Environ | Brown | |
| SB 5468 | Including nuclear energy in the principles that guide development and implementation of the state’s energy strategy. | S Energy, Environ | Brown | |
| SB 5509 (HB 1646) |
Promoting an equitable clean energy economy by creating a carbon tax that allows investment in clean energy, clean air, healthy forests, and Washington’s communities. | S Energy, Environ | Carlyle | |
| SB 5630 (SHB 1894) |
Reinstating tax preferences for certain high-technology research and development. | S Ways & Means | Braun | |
| SB 5716 | Addressing electric vehicle charging infrastructure. | S Transportation | Chase | |
| SB 6080 | Concerning the electrification of transportation. | S Energy, Enviro | Palumbo | |
| SB 6081 | Concerning distributed generation. | S Energy, Enviro | Palumbo |