Week Four
We are now four weeks into session with only five more weeks to go. Thursday, February 3rd was the House of Origin Policy Committee cutoff – where all bills needed to be out of their original policy committee in order to stay alive this session. Following Thursday’s cutoff, the focus has now shifted to fiscal committees as we approach the House of Origin Fiscal Committee cutoff on Monday, February 7th. Fiscal committees are meeting over the weekend to hear and take action on bills before Monday.
House and Senate Democratic leaders came together for their weekly media availability on Monday, January 31st to discuss the 2022 legislative session and take questions from reporters. On Wednesday, House and Senate Republican leadership came together for their weekly media availability where they discussed a recent data incident and answered questions from reporters. On Thursday, February 3rd, House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox discussed his top priorities; the Chair of the House Education Committee Rep. Santos and Ranking Member Rep. Ybarra discuss K-12 education priorities. You can watch that interview here.
This week, the Senate Ways and Means Committee held a work session where the bipartisan Tax Structure Work Group reported their findings on Washington’s tax structure (watch that here). To learn more about the workgroup, click here. The Ways and Means Committee also held a public hearing on SB 5426 which establishes a 1% wealth tax on intangible financial assets of more than $1 billion.
On Wednesday afternoon both House and Senate took action on the floor to pass bills out of their respective chambers. On Wednesday, the House unanimously passed HB 1957 sponsored by Rep. Alicia Rule (D-42), which will create a program to assist small businesses after a natural disaster. The Senate passed SB 5615 sponsored by Sen. John Lovick (D-40), which will declare pickleball as the Washington state sport.
Priority bills continue to move quickly through the legislative process, including two bills that clarify sections of the police reform package that passed in 2021. HB 1719 sponsored by Rep. Bronoske (D-38) clarifies that the prohibition on .50 caliber weapons and HB 1735 sponsored by Rep. Jesse Johnson (D-30) clarifies peace officers can use force in behavioral health and other related circumstances both passed the House last week and have already been scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Thursday, February 8th.
Two bills related to the Governor’s emergency powers saw action this week. First the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee heard HB 1772 sponsored by Rep. Corry which increases legislative involvement in the gubernatorial emergency powers. In the Senate a similar bill, SB 5909, sponsored by Sen. Emily Randall (D-26) passed out of committee on Wednesday, February 2nd with a near unanimous vote.
Following the fiscal cutoff both chambers will head to the floor to pass bills until the House of Origin cutoff on February 15th. We expect the House and Senate Transportation Chairs to release a package sometime next week and then hold a hearing soon after. We also expect to see House and Senate supplemental budget proposals the week of February 21st.
We will continue to monitor as these bills continue to move through the legislative process:
SB 5910 – Accelerating the availability and use of renewable hydrogen in Washington state
This legislation, sponsored by Senator Carlyle, establishes the Office of Renewable Fuels as well as the Renewable Fuels Accelerator Account. It also aims to assist in securing federal funding for clean hydrogen in our state, and authorizes municipal and public utility districts to produce, use, sell, and distribute renewable and electrolytic hydrogen. After passing the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee with a do pass recommendation on Wednesday, February 2nd, public hearing was held in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Saturday, February 5th. Executive action is scheduled for Monday, February 7th.
HB 1896 – Providing for responsible environmental management of batteries
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Harris-Talley, intends to create a stewardship program around batteries and guidelines around disposal. During executive session in the House Environment & Energy Committee on Thursday, February 3rd, the bill received a do pass recommendation on the 1st substitute, and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee. Public hearing was held there on Saturday, February 5th, and executive session is scheduled for Monday, February 7th.
SB 5842 – Concerning state laws that address climate change
The Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee gave a do pass recommendation on the proposed 1st substitute on Wednesday, February 2nd. The bill has now been referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee, with public hearing held on Friday, February 4th. Executive session is scheduled for Monday, February 7th.
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 & Upcoming Events Report
| Bill # | Abbrev. Title | Short Description | Status | Sponsor |
| HB 1036 (Dead) | Transportation fuel/carbon | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. | H Env & Energy | Fitzgibbon |
| HB 1046 (Dead) | 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 X | 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 1094 (ESSB 5092) | Operating budget | Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. | H Rules X | Ormsby |
| SHB 1103 (SB 5366) | Building materials | Improving environmental and social outcomes with the production of building materials. | H Approps | Duerr |
| HB 1125 (Dead) | 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 (Dead) | Energy supply/consumers | Concerning consumer affordability and reliability in energy supply. | H Env & Energy | Dye |
| SHB 1135 (SSB 5165) | Transp. budget 2021-2023 | Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium. | H Rules X | Fey |
| 2SHB 1173 | State lands development auth | Concerning state lands development authorities. | H Rules 3C | Berry |
| SHB 1204 (SB 5256) | Transp. electrification | Concerning the electrification of transportation. | H Rules X | Macri |
| HB 1280 | Greenhouse gas/facilities | Concerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities. | S Environment, En | 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 (Dead) | 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 (Dead) | Carbon pollution tax | Establishing a carbon pollution tax that recognizes the nature of energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries. | H Env & Energy | Shewmake |
| HB 1766 (Dead) (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 Rules R | Ramel |
| SHB 1768 | Energy conservation projects | Updating definitions applicable to energy conservation projects involving public entities. | H Rules R | Duerr |
| SHB 1770 (SB 5669) | Energy codes | Strengthening energy codes. | H Rules R | Duerr |
| HB 1774 (Dead) (SSB 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 |
| SHB 1812 | Energy facility site council | Modernizing the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals. | H Approps | Fitzgibbon |
| HB 1964 | Alternative energy decomm. | Concerning the decommissioning of alternative energy facilities. | H Rules R | Corry |
| HB 1988 (SSB 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 (Dead) | Energy infrastructure siting | Concerning the siting of energy infrastructure necessary for the fulfillment of the state’s decarbonization goals. | H Env & Energy | Fitzgibbon |
| ESSB 5083 (SHB 1080) | Capital budget 2021-2023 | Concerning the capital budget. | S Rules X | Frockt |
| SB 5091 (HB 1093) | Operating budget, 2nd supp. | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | S Ways & Means | Rolfes |
| SB 5093 (Dead) (SHB 1084) | Building decarbonization | Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. | S Environment, E | Liias |
| SB 5168 (Dead) | Electric utility advisory | Concerning renewable and nonemitting resources analysis and advisory opinions. | S Environment, E | Short |
| SB 5206 (Dead) | 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 (Dead) (E3SHB 1091) | Transportation fuel/carbon | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. | S Environment, E | Stanford |
| SB 5244 (Dead) | 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 (Dead) (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 (Dead) | Carbon pollution | Concerning carbon pollution. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5415 (Dead) | Energy facil site eval cncl | Concerning the energy facility site evaluation council. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5493 (Dead) | 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 (Dead) (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 (Dead) (HB 1766) | Gas companies | Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. | S Environment, E | Lovelett |
| SB 5669 (Dead) (SHB 1770) | Energy codes | Strengthening energy codes. | S Environment, En | Liias |
| SSB 5678 | Energy project orders | Concerning energy transformation, nonemitting electric generation, and renewable resource project analysis and declaratory orders. | S Ways & Means | Short |
| SSB 5722 (HB 1774) | Greenhouse gases/buildings | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. | S Ways & Means | Nguyen |
| SSB 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 Ways & Means | Nguyen |
| SSB 5835 | Workers’ comp marriage study | Concerning workers’ compensation. | S Rules 2 | Saldana |
| SB 5908 | Clean car authority | Creating the clean car authority as a new state government agency. | S Transportation | Liias |
| SSB 5910 | Hydrogen | Accelerating the availability and use of renewable hydrogen in Washington state. | S Ways & Means | Carlyle |