2024 Legislative Update: Week 5

This past week we officially passed the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session. Monday, February 5th marked the second cutoff of session – House of Origin Fiscal Cutoff. By this date all bills referred to fiscal committees (Appropriations, Finance and Capital Budget Committees in the House and Ways & Means in the Senate, and both Transportation Committees) had to pass out of that committee or they are now considered dead.

Following fiscal cutoff, focus quickly shifted to floor action. Starting Tuesday, both chambers convened for floor sessions where they debate, potentially amend, and vote on bills that are pulled from Rules. This will continue to be the focus until house of origin floor cutoff on Tuesday, February 13th. After the house of origin floor cutoff, bills that are still in play will go to the opposite chamber where they will be referred to committees for consideration. Bills will have just over a week to be heard and pass out of their opposite house policy committees by policy cutoff on February 21st.

This week the Senate was slated to bring SB 5770, state and local property tax reform, up for a vote, but decided against after two Senators decided to remove their names from the list of co- sponsors this week. The bill would have raised the 1% property tax cap to 3%, or the level of inflation, whichever is lower. County and City leaders across the State have been advocating for the 1% property tax cap lift since they argue the 1% rate has not kept up with the rising cost of providing public services.

In addition to the flurry around cutoffs, there will also be increased activity around the budget in the coming week. On Wednesday, February 14th the Economic & Revenue Forecast Council will release the quarterly revenue forecast. The forecast is important as it helps guide legislators in terms of money available, which informs how much funding they have to work with in crafting their proposed budgets. Typically, the first budget is released shortly after the revenue forecast comes out. It is anticipated the budgets will likely be released the week of February 19th. For a reminder about the budget and terminology check out A Citizen’s Guide to the Washington State Budget. The legislature will then spend the remainder of session negotiating a final budget.

Upcoming Events Report

Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 2/14 @ 8:00am
HB 1976 – Public Hearing – Changing the incentive structure for tier 1 and tier 2 buildings. (Remote Testimony Available).

Labor & Workplace Standards (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 2/14 @ 8:00am
SSB 5935 – Public Hearing – Concerning noncompetition covenants. (Remote Testimony Available).

Local Government (House) – HHR E and Virtual JLOB – 2/14 @ 8:00am
ESSB 5334 – Public Hearing – Providing a local government option for the funding of essential affordable housing programs. (Remote Testimony Available).
SSB 5834 – Public Hearing – Concerning urban growth areas. (Remote Testimony Available).

Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 2/14 @ 10:30am
ESSB 5299 – Public Hearing – Concerning law enforcement officer protection. (Remote Testimony Available).
ESSB 5424 – Public Hearing – Concerning flexible work for general and limited authority Washington peace officers. (Remote Testimony Available).
SB 6181 – Public Hearing – Concerning law enforcement officer definition. (Remote Testimony Available).
SSB 6301 – Public Hearing – Concerning basic law enforcement academy. (Remote Testimony Available).

Housing (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 2/14 @ 10:30am
ESSB 5796 – Public Hearing – Concerning common interest communities. (Remote Testimony Available).
SB 5792 – Public Hearing – Concerning the definition of multiunit residential buildings. (Remote Testimony Available).

Housing (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 2/14 @ 10:30am
2SHB 2270 – Public Hearing – Creating a Washington state department of housing (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)
ESHB 2321 – Public Hearing – Modifying middle housing requirements and the definitions of transit stop. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)

Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 2/15 @ 8:00am
SSB 5917 – Public Hearing – Concerning criminal penalties for bias-motivated defacement of private or public property. (Remote Testimony Available).

Labor & Commerce (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 2/15 @ 8:00am
HB 1898 – Public Hearing – Concerning unemployment insurance benefit charging. (Remote Testimony Available).
SHB 2097 – Public Hearing – Assisting workers in recovering wages owed. (Remote Testimony Available).

Law & Justice (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 2/15 @ 8:00am
HB 1054 – Exec Session – Addressing the authority of owners’ associations in common interest communities to regulate or limit occupancy by unrelated persons.
HB 1530 – Exec Session – Expanding eligibility for employment of certain law enforcement and prosecutor office positions.
3SHB 1579 – Public Hearing – Establishing a mechanism for independent prosecutions within the office of the attorney general of criminal conduct arising from police use of force. (Remote Testimony Available).

Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs (Senate) – SHR 3 and Virtual JACB – 2/15 @ 10:30am
SHB 2252 – Public Hearing – Allowing small business establishments in residential zones. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)
SHB 2428 – Public Hearing – Allowing cities to voluntarily share certain sales and use tax revenue. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)
ESHB 1998 – Exec Session – Concerning co-living housing.

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 2/15 @ 1:30pm
E2SHB 1956 – Public Hearing – Addressing fentanyl and other substance use prevention
education. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)

Appropriations (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 2/15 @ 4:00pm
SB 6308 – Public Hearing – Extending timelines for implementation of the 988 system. (Remote Testimony Available).

Transportation (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 2/15 @ 4:00pm
SSB 5812 – Public Hearing – Concerning the response to electric vehicle fires. (Remote Testimony Available).

Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 2/15 @ 4:00pm
SB 5949 – Public Hearing – Concerning the capital budget. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)

Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 2/16 @ 8:00am
ESHB 1589 – Exec Session – Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.

State Government & Elections (Senate) – SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 2/16 @ 8:00am
2E2SHB 1541 – Public Hearing – Establishing the nothing about us without us act. (Remote Testimony Available).
ESHB 1932 – Public Hearing – Shifting general elections for local governments to even numbered years to increase voter participation. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)

Labor & Workplace Standards (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 2/16 @ 10:30am
SSB 5935 – Exec Session – Concerning noncompetition covenants.
ESSB 5793 – Public Hearing – Concerning paid sick leave. (Remote Testimony Available).

Local Government (House) – HHR E and Virtual JLOB – 2/16 @ 10:30am
ESSB 6291 – Public Hearing – Streamlining the state building code council operating procedures by establishing criteria for statewide amendments to the state building code. (Remote Testimony Available).
ESSB 6061 – Public Hearing – Concerning exemptions for housing development under the state environmental policy act. (Remote Testimony Available).