2021 Washington State Legislative Report- Week 12

Week Twelve

Monday, April 5th marks the 85th day of the 105-day legislative session. Friday, April 2nd was the opposite house fiscal cutoff where all bills that are still in play needed to be voted out of their opposite house fiscal committee to stay alive. This week was full of long fiscal committee hearings and executive sessions with little floor action, other than passing their respective budget proposals. Both the House and Senate passed their Transportation, Capital, and Operating budget bills and now negotiations between the two chambers will begin. For updated budget proposals click here. After a long week of fiscal committees, on Saturday both bodies went back to the floor, the House passed their version of the Operating Budget and the Senate ran policy bills. 

This week the House Finance Committee took executive action on Rep. Noel Frame’s wealth tax proposal HB 1406, which establishes a 1%  tax on intangible financial assets of more than $1 billion. The bill has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration. On Monday, the House Transportation Chair, Representative Jake Fey introduced his new transportation spending plan HB 1564, which was heard on Tuesday in the House Transportation Committee. This proposal is a 2-year spending plan that allots $893 million  in additional funding to transportation in the 2021-23 biennium. 

On Monday, March 31st the Governor announced that beginning on April 15th, all Washingtonians age 16 and up will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The expanded eligibility is in part due to the recent increase in covid-19 cases. In the coming weeks a modest increase in the direct vaccine supply given to the state is expected. On April 12th, the state will reevaluate every county’s phase three status and at this point several counties, including King County, could be moving back to phase two. 

Next week both bodies will be on the floor passing policy bills until the opposite house cutoff on April 11th. To view bills that have been signed by the Governor click here. To watch a summary of the highlights from this week click here. 

Important Dates:

 Feb 15 – House of Origin Policy Cutoff

 Feb 22 – House of Origin Fiscal Cutoff

 March 9 – House of Origin Floor Cutoff

 March 26 – Opposite House Policy Cutoff

 April 2 – Opposite House Fiscal Cutoff April 11 – Opposite House Floor Cutoff April 25 – Sine Die

The low carbon fuel standard legislation from Representative Fitzgibbon, HB 1091, passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, April 1st on a party line vote. Senator Carlyle’s Cap & Invest legislation, SB 5126, is on the floor calendar. 

Decarbonization of buildings legislation brought forward by Representative Ramel HB 1084 remains in the House Appropriations Committee and is unlikely to move forward this year. The HEAL Act legislation sponsored by Senator Saldana, SB 5141, passed the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, March 31st. This legislation concerns implementing recommendations from the environmental justice task force. The bill will now head to Rules where it can be pulled to the House floor calendar.

We continue to monitor HB 1513 and HB 1534 brought forward by Representatives Lekanoff and Shewmake concerning a proposed carbon tax and bond legislative package. Neither bill is scheduled for public hearing at this time.

After passing out of the Senate Energy, Environment and Technology Committee last week, HB 1280 remains in the Senate Rules committee where it is awaiting floor action. This legislation sponsored by Representative Ramel would set requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in public facilities design. 

Sponsored by Representative Shewmake, HB 1393, related to delaying the stewardship plan and annual report for solar panel manufacturers passed the Senate on Monday, March 29th with a 45-4 vote.

Both the House and Senate capital budgets have passed, and we are working on trying to secure the House level funding for the Clean Energy Fund.

Clean Tech Alliance Bill Status & Upcoming Events Report

Bill #Abbrev. TitleShort DescriptionStatusSponsor
HB 1036 (Dead)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.H Env & EnergyFitzgibbon
HB 1046 (Dead)Community solar programsConcerning community solar programs.H Env & EnergyBateman
E2SHB 1050Fluorinated gasesReducing greenhouse gas emissions from fluorinated gases.S Rules 2Fitzgibbon
SHB 1080 (ESSB 5083)Capital budget 2021-2023Concerning the capital budget.H Passed 3rdTharinger
SHB 1081 (SSB 5084)State gen. obligation bondsConcerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts.H 2nd ReadingTharinger
SHB 1084 (SB 5093)Building decarbonizationReducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.H AppropsRamel
E3SHB 1091 (SB 5231)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.S Rules 2Fitzgibbon
HB 1093 (SB 5091)Operating budget, 2nd supp.Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.H AppropsOrmsby
SHB 1094 (ESSB 5092)Operating budgetMaking 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.H Rules ROrmsby
SHB 1103 (SB 5366)Building materialsImproving environmental and social outcomes with the production of building materials.H AppropsDuerr
HB 1125Energy investmentsIncentivizing investment in energy conservation and efficiency measures and expanding opportunities for energy rate discounts to, among other objectives, reduce the energy burden of low-income customers and vulnerable populations.H Env & EnergyShewmake
HB 1130Energy supply/consumersConcerning consumer affordability and reliability in energy supply.H Env & EnergyDye
SHB 1135 (SSB 5165)Transp. budget 2021-2023Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.H Rules RFey
SHB 1204 (SB 5256)Transp. electrificationConcerning the electrification of transportation.H Rules RMacri
HB 1280Greenhouse gas/facilitiesConcerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities.S Rules 2Ramel
HB 1393Photovoltaic module programDelaying certain implementation dates for the photovoltaic module stewardship and takeback program.H Spkr SignedShewmake
SHB 1406 (SB 5426)Wealth taxImproving the equity of Washington state’s tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets.H AppropsFrame
HB 1513Carbon emissionsImproving environmental health by reducing carbon emissions through increasing climate resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change by levying a carbon pollution tax, authorizing a climate finance bond program, and investing in clean economic growth.H Env & EnergyLekanoff
HB 1534Carbon pollution taxEstablishing a carbon pollution tax that recognizes the nature of energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries.H Env & EnergyShewmake
ESSB 5083 (SHB 1080)Capital budget 2021-2023Concerning the capital budget.H RulesFrockt
SSB 5084 (SHB 1081)State gen. obligation bondsConcerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts.S 2nd ReadingFrockt
SB 5091 (HB 1093)Operating budget, 2nd supp.Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.S Ways & MeansRolfes
ESSB 5092 (SHB 1094)Operating budgetMaking 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.H Passed 3rdRolfes
SB 5093 (SHB 1084)Building decarbonizationReducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.S Environment, ELiias
2SSB 5126Climate commitment actConcerning the Washington climate commitment act.S 2nd ReadingCarlyle
SSB 5165 (SHB 1135)Transp. budget 2021-2023Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.H Passed 3rdHobbs
SB 5168Electric utility advisoryConcerning renewable and nonemitting resources analysis and advisory opinions.S Environment, EShort
SSB 5174Wind turbine blade recyclingProviding for the recycling of wind turbine blades.S Rules XWilson
SB 5206Energy facility evaluationEliminating expedited processing of an alternative energy resource facility fueled by solar energy on certain designated lands before the energy facility site evaluation council.S Environment, EWarnick
SB 5231 (E3SHB 1091)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.S Environment, EStanford
SB 5244Nuclear reactor productionEncouraging the production of advanced nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and components through the invest in Washington act.S Environment, EBrown
SB 5256 (SHB 1204)Transp. electrificationConcerning the electrification of transportation.S Environment, ELiias
SB 5308Hybrid vehicle feesReducing certain transportation electrification fees on hybrid vehicles.S TransportationShort
SB 5373Carbon pollutionConcerning carbon pollution.S Environment, ELovelett
SB 5415Energy facil site eval cnclConcerning the energy facility site evaluation council.S Environment, ELovelett