End of Session
The 2022 legislative session has officially adjourned. In the final week legislators worked around the clock to finalize the budgets, work bills deemed necessary to implement the budget, reconcile differences between bills passed in the House and Senate, and honor legislators who will not be returning to their current role in the Legislature. The Legislature adjourned around 11:30 PM on Thursday, March 10th (click here to watch the Sine Die Ceremony).
Looking ahead to the fall elections in Washington State, 25 of the 49 Senate seats and all 98 House seats will be up for election. Candidate filing deadline is May 20th. The Primary Election will be on August 8th and the General Election is on November 8th. Many legislators have announced their retirement this session including Senators Sharon Brown (D-8th), Tim Sheldon (D-35th), Reuven Carlyle (D-36th), David Frockt (D-46th), and Representatives Bob McCaslin (R-4th), Laurie Dolan (D-22nd), Steve Kirby (D-29th), Jesse Johnson (D-30th), and Mike Sells (D-38th).
During this short sixty-day sprint, the Legislature passed over 300 bills which included the 2022 Supplemental Operating, Capital, and Transportation budgets. Since Washington State works on a two-year biennium, major spending is traditionally done during the first half of the biennium with small supplemental spending during the second. The 2022 supplemental operating budget is notable for how much spending occurred in the second half of the biennium. In 2021, the Legislature adopted a $59 billion dollar operating budget and the 2022 supplemental operating budget increased that spending by $5 billion dollars. $2 billion dollars will be transferred from the operating budget to fund new projects outlined in the $17 billion transportation spending package. Other notable spending includes $351 million for long-term care facilities, $350 million for the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Account to maintain fund solvency, $232 million for state employee wage increases and compensation changes, $100 million for assistance to businesses in hospitality industries, and $150 million to design and implement a state student loan program. You can view a full summary here.
The bipartisan 2022 supplemental capital budget makes historic investments to address the homelessness crisis in our state including more than $500 million in new funding for affordable and emergency housing. Other large investments in the supplemental capital budget include $251 million for water, $200 million for infrastructure, $100 million for Broadband, $100 million for school seismic, and $98 million for behavioral health crisis stabilization. You can view a list of highlights here. The legislature also adopted a bipartisan 2022 supplemental transportation budget on March 10th.
Finally, the legislature adopted a 16-year, $17 billion “Move Ahead Washington” transportation package. As introduced the package was funded in part by a controversial export fuel tax. Ultimately the export tax was removed from the proposal and replaced with annual transfers of $57 million from both the Public Works Assistance Account and General Fund. Large spending items in the package include $3 billion for transit, $1.2 billion for the I-5 Columbia River Bridge, $1.3 billion for active transportation, and $512 million for electrification.
Aside from budgets and a transportation spending package, the legislature also worked on priority legislation including delaying the implementation of the Washington Cares Act by 18-months and clarifying police reform laws that passed in 2021. Workplace ergonomics, middle housing, data privacy, and minimum nurse staffing standards in hospitals were also issues that received a lot of attention however they ultimately did not pass this session.
Around midnight after Sine Die, Governor Jay Inslee was joined by House and Senate Democratic Leadership for a joint Media Availability. They discussed the 2022 supplemental budgets and accomplishments during this session. Inslee stated that he was proud of the “Big Bold Action” taken by this year to combat environmental concerns, homelessness, and salmon.
Between now and Monday, March 14th, those 300+ bills that successfully made it through the House and Senate will be delivered to Governor Inslee for him to sign into law. Governor Inslee has 20 days from the time a bill is delivered to his desk to take action. To see bills that the governor will be signing into law, click here. Bills introduced during the 2021 or 2022 session that did not make it through the that did not make it through the legislative process are now completely dead. In order for them to continue on, those ideas will need to be reintroduced as a new bill during the 2023-2024 biennium.
Bills of Interest:
HB 1864 -Concerning economic development through advanced technology leadership and security
This bill includes Representative Boehnke’s tax credit for CleanTech issues. This legislation did not pass this session and died in Rules.
HB 1682 – Concerning a compliance pathway specific to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed businesses for achieving their proportionate share of the state’s emissions reduction limits through 2050
The legislature failed to resolve how the industrial sector EITE companies will be dealt with in regards to the Climate Commitment Act. However, that issue will be front and center next year. Ongoing efforts around hydrogen, hydrogen generation ecosystems, and federal grant funding will continue through the interim. As always, we will work to protect and enhance the Clean Energy Fund. We also expect issues around building decarbonization and energy efficiency to continue both in the interim and with a variety of bills next session.
HB 1663 – Reducing Methane Emissions from Landfills
This bill passed the legislation process and was delivered to the Governor for his signature on Thursday, March 10th. Currently, it is unclear if this will continue to be an ongoing challenge or if this legislation will be enough for the Legislature to go and focus on other areas associated with climate change going forward.
HB 1799 – Concerning organic materials management
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Fitzgibbon in the House and Senator Das in the Senate, addresses the goal of reducing organic material going into landfills through focusing on compost and procurement, and labeling requirements. The bill was delivered to the Governor for signature on Thursday, March 10th. While HB 1799 passed the legislature, there was some last minute language added that may impact the ability to cite and expand composting and other organics facilities. We expect the ability to cite and expand to be an ongoing issue that will probably have some activity next year.
SB 5842 – Concerning state laws that address climate change
This legislation was pulled onto the House floor for a debate on Wednesday, March 2nd. The legislation got a concurrent vote of 36-13 in the Senate on Monday, March 7th. The bill moved to the Governor’s desk on March 11th and now awaits being signed into law.
HB 1280 – Concerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities
This legislation was introduced during the 2021 legislative session and made it to Senate Rules. The bill passed out of the Senate on Tuesday, March 1st, with a vote of 29-20. This bill was delivered to the Governor’s office on Monday, March 7th, and awaits being signed into law.
HB 1812 – Modernizing the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Fitzgibbon, has made its way through both the House and Senate this session. The bill moved back to the House and received a concurrent vote of 92-6 on Monday, March 7th. The legislation was delivered to the Governor on Thursday, March 10th, where it now awaits being signed into law.
HB 1768 – Updating definitions applicable to energy conservation projects involving public entities
This legislation intends to require the Department of Enterprise Services to issue guidelines for cost-effectiveness determinations. The bill was delivered to the Governor’s Desk on Thursday, March 10th, where it awaits his signature to become law.
HB 1770 – Strengthening energy codes
This legislation implements requirements for cities, towns, and counties to enforce the Washington State energy code for residential buildings or adopt the statewide residential reach code and requires the State Building Code Council to adopt a statewide residential reach code. This bill died this session.
SB 5722 – Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings
In its original form, this legislation requires the Department of Commerce to adopt energy management benchmarks for tier 2 covered buildings, evaluate benchmarking data, and adopt rules for performance standards. The House vehicle of this legislation, HB 1774, died after the first cutoff of this session. The Senate concurred on the bill with a vote of 28-21 on Wednesday, March 9th. On Friday, March 11th, the legislation was delivered to the governor where it now waits to be signed into law.
SB 5678 – Concerning energy transformation, nonemitting electric generation, and renewable resource project analysis and declaratory orders
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Short, would allow an investor-owned utility to petition the Utilities and Transportation Commission for a declaratory order to determine whether certain types of projects meet Clean Energy Transformation Act standards (per staff report).
This legislation moved to Rules on Tuesday, March 1st, and then was pulled onto the House floor on Friday, March 4th. This bill had bi-partisan support and was voted out of the House by a vote of 97-1. It now moves to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
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. This legislation was sent to the Governor on Wednesday, March 9th, where it now awaits being signed into law.
HB 1766 – Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Ramel, was a Governor’s Office bill. The bill was last heard on January 28th during a public hearing in front of the House Environment & Energy Committee. This legislation is now dead.
HB 1767 / SB 5666 – 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
This legislation, sponsored by Representative Ramel, was a request by the Governor’s Office. This legislation is dead but may come up again next year.
Clean Tech Alliance Bill Status 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 |
| E2SHB 1050 (Inactive) | Fluorinated gases | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fluorinated gases. | C 315 L 21 | Fitzgibbon |
| SHB 1080 (Inactive) (ESSB 5083) | Capital budget 2021-2023 | Concerning the capital budget. | C 332 L 21 | Tharinger |
| SHB 1081 (Dead) (ESSB 5084) | State gen. obligation bonds | Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts. | H Rules X | Tharinger |
| SHB 1084 (Dead) (SB 5093) | Building decarbonization | Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. | H Approps | Ramel |
| E3SHB 1091 (Inactive) (SB 5231) | Transportation fuel/carbon | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. | C 317 L 21 | Fitzgibbon |
| HB 1093 (Dead) (SB 5091) | Operating budget, 2nd supp. | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby |
| SHB 1094 (Dead) (ESSB 5092) | Operating budget | Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. | H Rules X | Ormsby |
| SHB 1103 (Dead) (SB 5366) | Building materials | Improving environmental and social outcomes with the production of building materials. | H Approps | Duerr |
| E2SHB 1117 (Dead) | Comp. planning/salmon | Promoting salmon recovery through revisions to the state’s comprehensive planning framework. | H Rules 3C | Lekanoff |
| 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 (Dead) (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. | Del to Gov | Berry |
| SHB 1204 (Dead) (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. | Del to Gov | Ramel |
| HB 1393 (Dead) (Inactive) | Photovoltaic module program | Delaying certain implementation dates for the photovoltaic module stewardship and takeback program. | C 45 L 21 | Shewmake |
| SHB 1406 (Dead) (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 |
| SHB 1732 | Long-term care/delay | Delaying the implementation of the long-term services and supports trust program by 18 months. | C 1 L 22 | Sullivan |
| ESHB 1733 | Long-term care/exemptions | Establishing voluntary exemptions to the long-term services and supports trust program for certain populations. | C 2 L 22 | Paul |
| 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 (Dead) (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 C | Ramel |
| SHB 1768 | Energy conservation projects | Updating definitions applicable to energy conservation projects involving public entities. | Del to Gov | Duerr |
| ESHB 1770 (Dead) (SB 5669) | Energy codes | Strengthening energy codes. | H Rules 3C | Duerr |
| HB 1774 (Dead) (SSB 5722) | Greenhouse gases/buildings | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. | H Env & Energy | Hackney |
| SHB 1781 (Dead) (SSB 5651) | Capital budget, supplemental | Concerning the capital budget. | H Rules R | Tharinger |
| E2SHB 1812 | Energy facility site council | Modernizing the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals. | Del to Gov | Fitzgibbon |
| SHB 1864 (Dead) | Leadership and security | Concerning economic development through advanced technology leadership and security. | H Rules R | Boehnke |
| EHB 1964 (Dead) | Alternative energy decomm. | Concerning the decommissioning of alternative energy facilities. | H Rules 3C | Corry |
| 2SHB 1988 (Dead) (SSB 5744) | Clean tech. tax deferrals | Concerning tax deferrals for investment projects in clean technology manufacturing, clean alternative fuels production, and renewable energy storage. | Del to Gov | 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 |
| SHB 2118 (Dead) (SSB 5975) | Additive transp. funding | Concerning additive transportation funding and appropriations. | H Rules R | Fey |
| SHB 2119 (Dead) (ESSB 5974) | Transportation resources | Addressing transportation resources. | H Rules R | Fey |
| ESSB 5083 (Dead) (SHB 1080) | Capital budget 2021-2023 | Concerning the capital budget. | S Rules X | Frockt |
| ESSB 5084 (Inactive) (SHB 1081) | State gen. obligation bonds | Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts. | C 331 L 21 | Frockt |
| SB 5091 (Dead) (HB 1093) | Operating budget, 2nd supp. | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | S Ways & Means | Rolfes |
| ESSB 5092 (Inactive) (SHB 1094) | Operating budget | Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. | C 334 L 21 | 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 |
| E2SSB 5126 (Inactive) | Climate commitment act | Concerning the Washington climate commitment act. | C 316 L 21 | Carlyle |
| SSB 5165 (Inactive) (SHB 1135) | Transp. budget 2021-2023 | Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium. | C 333 L 21 | Hobbs |
| SB 5168 (Dead) | Electric utility advisory | Concerning renewable and nonemitting resources analysis and advisory opinions. | S Environment, E | Short |
| SSB 5174 (Dead) (Inactive) | Wind turbine blade recycling | Providing for the recycling of wind turbine blades. | S Rules X | Wilson |
| 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 (Dead) | 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 |
| SSB 5651 (SHB 1781) | Capital budget, supplemental | Concerning the capital budget. | Del to Gov | 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) (ESHB 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. | Del to Gov | Short |
| SSB 5722 (HB 1774) | Greenhouse gases/buildings | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. | Del to Gov | Nguyen |
| SSB 5744 (Dead) (2SHB 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 (Dead) | Workers’ comp marriage study | Concerning workers’ compensation. | S Rules X | Saldaña |
| SB 5908 (Dead) | 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. | Del to Gov | Carlyle |
| SB 5968 (Dead) | Salmon populations/effect | Requiring the department of fish and wildlife to track the effect of certain specified activities on salmon populations. | S Ag/Water/Natura | Fortunato |
| ESSB 5974 (SHB 2119) | Transportation resources | Addressing transportation resources. | Del to Gov | Liias |
| SSB 5975 (Dead) (SHB 2118) | Additive transp. funding | Concerning additive transportation funding and appropriations. | Del to Gov | Liias |