Week Two
January 17th, MLK Day marked the start of the second week of the legislative session. Both chambers started the week by honoring late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by adopting resolutions on the floor. On Monday Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate gathered for media availability where they answered questions about their priorities and various bills moving through the legislative process. This week was again full of virtual committee hearings and executive sessions and also included floor action on some priority bills.
Legislators continue to prioritize legislation that would delay implementation of Washington State’s WA Cares long term care payroll tax. HB 1732 that would delay implementation by 18 months and HB 1733 that would establish voluntary exemptions, passed the House. Both bills have been referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee and are scheduled for public hearings on Monday, January 24th and the executive action the next day. Employers throughout the state continue to watch closely as they struggle with the decision on whether or not to collect the tax in anticipation of legislative action.
This week we also saw hearings on “middle housing” proposals including HB 1782/SB 5670 which is Governor request legislation and HB 1981 sponsored by Rep. Gerry Pollet. All of the proposals were heard in their respective chambers on January 18th. All of these proposals have the same goal of creating additional middle housing in areas typically designated for single-family homes. While there is broad support for the proposals, local jurisdictions expressed concerns with applying the same standards to all cities that meet the criteria. Sponsors of the bill are working with various stakeholders, at this point it is unclear which proposal will be the vehicle, but this issue will continue to be a priority for the legislature.
On Wednesday, the Senate State Government and Elections Committee heard SB 5560, which aims to promote transparency in the redistricting process. The bill would require the Commission to release the final plan to the public at least three days before they vote. The bill is sponsored by Senator Jamie Pedersen (D-43) in response to last year when the commission failed to meet their deadline.
Both Republicans and Democrats continue to express interest in passing a transportation revenue package this session, however it could be challenging to reach an agreement in the short 60-day session. Democrats are expected to release their proposal later this session. New Senate Transportation Chair Marko Liias (D-21) has expressed the possibility of using dollars from the state’s operating budget yet it remains unclear if the House will be supportive of that approach.
Next week committee hearings and executive sessions will continue. As a reminder this is a 60-day session and all bills that are not considered necessary to implement the budget must be out of their house of origin policy committee by February 3rd in order to stay alive.
This week, the House held hearings on EITE related to the Climate Commitment Act, while the Senate focused on recycling and navigating the decarbonization policies for both buildings and utilities.
Hearings of Interest:
House Environment & Energy – 1/25/2022 8:00 AM
Public Hearing:
- HB 1896 – Providing for responsible environmental management of batteries. (Remote testimony.)
- HB 1822 – Improving Puget Sound water quality. (Remote testimony.)
Possible Executive Session:
- HB 1694 – Concerning logistical processes for the regulation of priority chemicals in consumer products.
House Environment & Energy – 1/27/2022 1:30 PM
Public Hearing:
- HB 2002 – Concerning the siting of energy infrastructure necessary for the fulfillment of the state’s decarbonization goals. (Remote testimony.)
- HB 1964 – Concerning the decommissioning of alternative energy facilities. (Remote testimony.)
Possible Executive Session:
- HB 1812 – Modernizing the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals.
House Environment & Energy – 1/28/2022 10:00 AM
Public Hearing:
- HB 1869 – Encouraging salmon recovery through voluntary stewardship. (Remote testimony.)
- HB 1606 – Concerning the correction of culverts. (Remote testimony.)
- HB 1766 – Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. (Remote testimony.)
Senate Environment, Energy & Technology – 1/26/2022 8:00 AM
Public Hearing:
- SB 5842 – Concerning state laws that address climate change. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.) (Remote testimony.)
- SB 5732 – Concerning green roofs on large commercial and multifamily buildings. (Remote testimony.)
- SB 5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable hydrogen in Washington state. (Remote testimony.)
- SB 5715 – Modifying the definition of broadband or broadband service. (Remote testimony.)
Important Dates:
Feb 3 – House of Origin Policy Cutoff
Feb 7 – House of Origin Fiscal Cutoff
Feb 15 – House of Origin Floor Cutoff
Feb 24 – Opposite House Policy Cutoff
Feb 28 – Opposite House Fiscal Cutoff
March 4 – Opposite House Floor Cutoff
Clean Tech Alliance Bill Status
| Bill # | Abbrev. Title | Short Description | Status | Sponsor |
| HB 1036 | Transportation fuel/carbon | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. | H Env & Energy | Fitzgibbon |
| HB 1046 | Community solar programs | Concerning community solar programs. | H Env & Energy | Bateman |
| SHB 1081 (ESSB 5084) | State gen. obligation bonds | Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts. | H Rules C | Tharinger |
| SHB 1084 (SB 5093) | Building decarbonization | Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. | H Approps | Ramel |
| HB 1093 (SB 5091) | Operating budget, 2nd supp. | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby |
| SHB 1103 (SB 5366) | Building materials | Improving environmental and social outcomes with the production of building materials. | H Approps | Duerr |
| HB 1125 | Energy investments | Incentivizing 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 & Energy | Shewmake |
| HB 1130 | Energy supply/consumers | Concerning consumer affordability and reliability in energy supply. | H Env & Energy | Dye |
| 2SHB 1173 | State lands development auth | Concerning state lands development authorities. | H Rules 3C | Berry |
| HB 1280 | Greenhouse gas/facilities | Concerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities. | H Passed 3rd | Ramel |
| SHB 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 Approps | Frame |
| HB 1513 | Carbon emissions | Improving 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 & Energy | Lekanoff |
| HB 1534 | Carbon pollution tax | Establishing a carbon pollution tax that recognizes the nature of energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries. | H Env & Energy | Shewmake |
| SHB 1732 | Long-term care/delay | Delaying the implementation of the long-term services and supports trust program by 18 months. | S Ways & Means | Sullivan |
| ESHB 1733 | Long-term care/exemptions | Establishing voluntary exemptions to the long-term services and supports trust program for certain populations. | S Ways & Means | Paul |
| HB 1766 (SB 5668) | Gas companies | Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. | H Env & Energy | Ramel |
| HB 1767 (SB 5666) | Targeted electrification | Concerning the authority of publicly owned electric utilities to engage in targeted electrification through the adoption of plans that establish a finding that utility outreach and investment in the conversion of its customers’ end use equipment from fossil fuels to electricity will provide net benefits to the utility. | H ENVIDP | Ramel |
| HB 1768 | Energy conservation projects | Updating definitions applicable to energy conservation projects involving public entities. | H Exec Action | Duerr |
| HB 1770 (SB 5669) | Energy codes | Strengthening energy codes. | H Exec Action | Duerr |
| HB 1774 (SB 5722) | Greenhouse gases/buildings | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. | H Env & Energy | Hackney |
| HB 1781 (SB 5651) | Capital budget, supplemental | Concerning the capital budget. | H Cap Budget | Tharinger |
| HB 1812 | Energy facility site council | Modernizing the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals. | H Env & Energy | Fitzgibbon |
| HB 1964 | Alternative energy decomm. | Concerning the decommissioning of alternative energy facilities. | H Env & Energy | Corry |
| HB 1988 (SB 5744) | Clean tech. tax deferrals | Concerning tax deferrals for investment projects in clean technology manufacturing, clean alternative fuels production, and renewable energy storage. | H Finance | Shewmake |
| HB 2002 | Energy infrastructure siting | Concerning the siting of energy infrastructure necessary for the fulfillment of the state’s decarbonization goals. | H Env & Energy | Fitzgibbon |
| SB 5091 (HB 1093) | Operating budget, 2nd supp. | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | S Ways & Means | Rolfes |
| SB 5093 (SHB 1084) | Building decarbonization | Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. | S Environment, E | Liias |
| SB 5168 | Electric utility advisory | Concerning renewable and nonemitting resources analysis and advisory opinions. | S Environment, E | Short |
| SB 5206 | Energy facility evaluation | Eliminating 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, E | Warnick |
| SB 5231 (E3SHB 1091) | Transportation fuel/carbon | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. | S Environment, E | Stanford |
| SB 5244 | Nuclear reactor production | Encouraging the production of advanced nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and components through the invest in Washington act. | S Environment, E | Brown |
| SB 5256 (SHB 1204) | Transp. electrification | Concerning the electrification of transportation. | S Environment, E | Liias |
| SB 5308 | Hybrid vehicle fees | Reducing certain transportation electrification fees on hybrid vehicles. | S Transportation | Short |
| SB 5373 | Carbon pollution | Concerning carbon pollution. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5415 | Energy facil site eval cncl | Concerning the energy facility site evaluation council. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5493 | Residential renewable energy | Reopening the renewable energy system incentive program for residential-scale systems. | S Environment, En | Wilson |
| SB 5651 (HB 1781) | Capital budget, supplemental | Concerning the capital budget. | S Ways & Means | Frockt |
| SB 5666 (HB 1767) | Targeted electrification | Concerning the authority of publicly owned electric utilities to engage in targeted electrification through the adoption of plans that establish a finding that utility outreach and investment in the conversion of its customers’ end use equipment from fossil fuels to electricity will provide net benefits to the utility. | S Environment, E | Liias |
| SB 5668 (HB 1766) | Gas companies | Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5669 (HB 1770) | Energy codes | Strengthening energy codes. | S Environment, En | Liias |
| SB 5678 | Energy project orders | Concerning energy transformation, nonemitting electric generation, and renewable resource project analysis and declaratory orders. | S Environment, En | Short |
| SB 5722 (HB 1774) | Greenhouse gases/buildings | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. | S Environment, E | Nguyen |
| SB 5744 (HB 1988) | Clean tech. tax deferrals | Concerning tax deferrals for investment projects in clean technology manufacturing, clean alternative fuels production, and renewable energy storage. | S Environment, E | Nguyen |
| SB 5835 | Workers’ compensation | Concerning workers’ compensation. | S Labor, Comm & | Saldana |
| SB 5910 | Hydrogen | Accelerating the availability and use of renewable hydrogen in Washington state. | S Environment, E | Carlyle |