Guest Contributor: Brad Boswell of Boswell Consulting
Once again it was a busy week here in the capital. We have now completed week three of a 60-day legislative session and fast approaching the first cutoff. That means that bills that are to continue through the process must be passed out of committee and read on the House or Senate floor by February 2nd. With over a thousand bills introduced since the start of session, many will not make it past the first cutoff. Those that do, however, will move on to floor action and then additional committee hearings in the opposite Chamber and then on to the governor’s desk.
In keeping with the lengthy political agendas from stakeholders and legislators alike, this week brought hearings on a wide range of policy issues. Legislative committees heard testimonies on everything from eliminating the death penalty and removing the state ban on rent control to preparing for nuclear war.
The chambers also had floor votes on a number of notable bills. Legislation that would reduce car tab fees for residents of Pierce, Snohomish, and King counties was passed off the House floor. Over in the Senate, legislators passed a bill aimed at increasing immigrant students’ access to financial aid for college and banning bump stock gun modification. These bills will now move to the other chamber committees and start the process over.
The capital campus also saw substantial citizen activity throughout the week including the annual March for Life pro-life event which took place on Monday and hundreds of people lined up on Thursday to watch a House hearing on the proposed gun control bill.
The Senate is expected to push out its latest version of the Carbon Tax this coming week and there has been significant activity around electrification and alternative fuels this session. Please look below for the range of legislation currently in play.
Upcoming Hearings
Transportation (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 1/29 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2340 – Public Hearing – Extending the sales and use tax exemption for certain alternative fuel vehicles.
- HB 2653 – Public Hearing – Modifying the alternative fuel vehicle sales and use tax exemptions for the purposes of expanding the exemptions and amending related provisions.
Energy, Environment & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 1/30 @ 10:00am
- SB 6080 – Public Hearing – Concerning the electrification of transportation.
- SB 6563 – Public Hearing – Reestablishing the sustainable aviation biofuels work group.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 1/30 @ 10:00am
- HB 2580 – Exec Session – Promoting renewable natural gas.
- HB 2749 – Exec Session – 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 2897 – Exec Session – Concerning electric utility plans for distributed energy resources and transportation electrification.
- HB 2931 – Public Hearing – Increasing energy efficiency.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 1/31 @ 8:00am
- HB 2580 – Exec Session – Promoting renewable natural gas.
- HB 2749 – Exec Session – 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 2897 – Exec Session – Concerning electric utility plans for distributed energy resources and transportation electrification.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
- HB 2814 – Exec Session – Studying state policies and programs that impact the affordability of retail electric bills in Washington state.
- HB 2931 – Exec Session – Increasing energy efficiency.
Transportation (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 1/31 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2782 – Public Hearing – Concerning electric-assisted bicycles.
Environment (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 2/1 @ 8:00am
- HB 2328 – Exec Session – Reducing emissions by making changes to the clean car standards and clean car program.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 2/1 @ 1:30pm
- HB 2402 – Exec Session – Concerning the energy independence act.
- HB 2580 – Exec Session – Promoting renewable natural gas.
- HB 2749 – Exec Session – 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 2897 – Exec Session – Concerning electric utility plans for distributed energy resources and transportation electrification.
- HB 2280 – Exec Session – Concerning community solar gardens.
- HB 2283 – Exec Session – Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future.
- HB 2814 – Exec Session – Studying state policies and programs that impact the affordability of retail electric bills in Washington state.
- HB 2931 – Exec Session – Increasing energy efficiency.
Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4, JACB – 2/1 @ 3:30pm
- SSB 6081 – Public Hearing – Concerning distributed generation.
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 | |
| SHB 2319 | Concerning energy conservation programs under the energy independence act. | H TEDDPS | Doglio | |
| HB 2328 | Reducing emissions by making changes to the clean car standards and clean car program. | H Environment | Morris | |
| SHB 2338 | Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. | H Trans | 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 | |
| SHB 2510 | Concerning net metering. | 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 | |
| SSB 6081 | Concerning distributed generation. | S Ways & Means | Palumbo |