Guest Contributor Brad Boswell of Boswell Consulting
Week six here in Olympia is now wrapped up, putting us over half way through the 2018 60-day legislative session. This was a big week for everyone as February 14th marked a significant calendar cutoff. Bills that were not passed out of their house of origin by 5:00 pm on Wednesday will go no further in the legislative process. (This excludes bills that have a significant fiscal impact and are not generally subject to deadlines.) Out of the several thousand bills introduced since the start of session, 567 are still considered alive.
Moving in to next week, these lucky pieces of legislation will now move over to the opposite house for public hearing in their specific policy committee. The next seven days will be critical-not to mention a feverish scramble-as these several hundred bills have only until Friday, February 23rd to be heard and passed out of committee. We are also expected to see House and Senate versions of the 2018 Supplemental Budget early next week. Negotiations between the two chambers will commence once these are issued.
Also of note, the Governor’s carbon tax bill, SB 6203 had a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means fiscal committee on Thursday. A wide variety-and notable crowd-of business, environmental, governmental, and individual stakeholders congregated to express their support, opposition, and suggestions for the legislation. Though the bill has garnered substantial attention and debate, it is still a long way from becoming law.
UPCOMING HEARINGS
Local Government (Senate) – SHR 4, JACB – 2/20 @ 1:30pm
- E2SHB 1622 – Public Hearing – Concerning the state building code council.
Appropriations (House) – HHR A, JLOB – 2/20 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2299 – Public Hearing – Making supplemental operating appropriations.
Transportation (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 2/20 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2469 – Public Hearing – Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium.*.
Transportation (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 2/20 @ 3:30pm
- SB 6106 – Public Hearing – Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)
Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4, JACB – 2/20 @ 3:30pm
- SB 6032 – Public Hearing – Making supplemental operating appropriations. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)
- SB 6095 – Exec Session – Concerning the capital budget.
Energy, Environment & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 2/21 @ 8:00am
- E3SHB 1144 – Public Hearing – Amending state greenhouse gas emission limits for consistency with the most recent assessment of climate change science.
- ESHB 1233 – Public Hearing – Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future.
- ESHB 2327 – Public Hearing – Concerning appliance efficiency standards.
- ESHB 2757 – Public Hearing – Modernizing fuel content standards and references.
- ESHB 2839 – Public Hearing – Authorizing an alternative form of regulation of electrical and natural gas companies.
Local Government (House) – HHR D, JLOB – 2/21 @ 8:00am
- SB 6207 – Exec Session – Clarifying the authority of port districts to offer programs relating to air quality improvement equipment and fuel programs that provide emission reductions for engines, vehicles, and vessels.
Appropriations (House) – HHR A, JLOB – 2/21 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2299 – Exec Session – Making supplemental operating appropriations.
Transportation (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 2/21 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2469 – Exec Session – Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium.
Transportation (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 2/21 @ 3:30pm
- SB 6106 – Exec Session – Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium.
Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4, JACB – 2/21 @ 3:30pm
- SB 6032 – Exec Session – Making supplemental operating appropriations.
Technology & Economic Development (House) – HHR C, JLOB – 2/22 @ 1:30pm
- SB 6563 – Exec Session – Reestablishing the sustainable aviation biofuels work group.
- ESSB 6081 – Public Hearing – Concerning net metering.
- ESSB 6081 – Exec Session – Concerning net metering.
Capital Budget (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 2/22 @ 3:30pm
- HB 2395 – Public Hearing – Concerning the capital budget.
HIGH PRIORITY BILLS
| Bill # | Title | Status | Sponsor | Position |
| SHB 1894 (SB 5630) |
Reinstating tax preferences for certain high-technology research and development. | H Finance | Sullivan | |
| HB 2299 (SB 6032) |
Making supplemental operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby | |
| HB 2340 | Extending the sales and use tax exemption for certain alternative fuel vehicles. | H Trans | Condotta | |
| SHB 2580 (SSB 6449) |
Promoting renewable natural gas. | H Rules R | 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 Rules R | Fey | |
| SB 5630 (SHB 1894) |
Reinstating tax preferences for certain high-technology research and development. | S Ways & Means | Braun | |
| ESSB 6081 | Concerning distributed generation. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Concerning net metering. ) | H Tech & Econ De | Palumbo |