2025 Legislative Update: Week 2
The second week of the legislative session began with Martin Luther Jr Day celebrations in the House and Senate. The Legislature honored the life and legacy of the civil rights leader during their Floor sessions with bipartisan remarks and the passage of HR 4602 in the House and SR 8605 in the Senate. The MLK holiday has historically been a day when the campus is filled with Lobby Days and groups visiting the Capitol.
As we enter the third week of the legislative session, committees continue to hold hearings and move bills out of committee. New bills continue to be “dropped” in the Hopper. At this point, over 1,300 bills and resolutions have been introduced. The first cutoff for bills to move out of their policy committees will be on February 21st. Bills must be voted out of the policy committee in their house of origin by that date or they will be considered dead unless they are deemed Necessary to Implement the Budget (more on NTIB later). While that date is a couple of weeks away, legislators and advocates are already feeling the pressure as most committees have already planned what they will hear in week 4, so bills that aren’t in the queue are starting to feel the pressure to get scheduled for a hearing and voted out of committee. Many bills will not make it past the first cutoff.
Looking Ahead
This week will see more public hearings and movement of bills out of committee. Follow where we are in the process by consulting the 2025 Session Cutoff Calendar.
Upcoming Key Dates:
- February 21st – House of Origin Policy Cutoff
- February 28th – House of Origin Fiscal Cutoff
- March 12th – House of Origin Floor Cutoff
- April 2nd – Opposite House Policy Cutoff
- April 8th – Opposite House Fiscal Cutoff
- April 16th – Opposite House Floor Cutoff
- April 27th – Sine Die
TVW Highlights
TVW produces several shows during session that dig into the issues before the legislature. One of those shows is Inside Olympia, where during the first week of session we heard about the budget deficit from the Senate Ways and Means Chair June Robinson D-38th-D, and the ranking Republican on that committee, Chris Gildon R-25th. Last week, Austin Jenkins interviews House Finance Chair April Berg D-44th and Ranking Republican Ed Orcutt R-20th about possible new options for tax revenue.
Click here to watch this week’s TVW Legislative Review. Episodes are posted every day during session and are just 10 minutes long, providing highlights of the day in Olympia.
State of the Judiciary
Last Wednesday, newly elected Chief Justice Debra L Stevens gave her “State of the Judiciary” address during a joint session of the legislature. The State of the Judiciary address provides lawmakers and the people of Washington with an overview of the status, progress, key initiatives and significant challenges of Washington’s judicial branch. As members of co-equal branches of government, lawmakers work together with judicial leaders — through legislation and funding — to maintain the fairness and effectiveness of the state judicial system.
Upcoming Events Report
Housing (House) – HHR C and Virtual JLOB – 1/27 @ 1:30pm
HB 1443 – Public Hearing – Concerning mobile dwellings. (Remote Testimony Available).
HB 1096 – Exec Session – Increasing housing options through lot splitting.
Local Government (Senate) – SHR 3 and Virtual JACB – 1/27 @ 1:30pm
SB 5285 – Public Hearing – Incentivizing cities and counties to increase employment of commissioned law enforcement officers. (Remote Testimony Available).
Transportation (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/27 @ 4:00pm
SB 5374 – Public Hearing – Including tribal representation in certain transportation activities. (Remote Testimony Available).
Agriculture & Natural Resources (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/28 @ 10:30am
HB 1208 – Public Hearing – Extending a program to streamline the environmental permitting process for salmon recovery projects. (Remote Testimony Available).
Local Government (House) – HHR E and Virtual JLOB – 1/28 @ 10:30am
HB 1160 – Public Hearing – Concerning local government design review. (Remote Testimony Available).
Environment & Energy (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/28 @ 4:00pm
HB 1409 – Public Hearing – Concerning the clean fuels program. (Remote Testimony Available).
HB 1543 – Public Hearing – Increasing compliance pathways for the clean buildings performance standard. (Remote Testimony Available).
Housing (House) – HHR C and Virtual JLOB – 1/28 @ 4:00pm
HB 1491 – Public Hearing – Promoting transit-oriented housing development. (Remote Testimony Available).
HB 1195 – Exec Session – Concerning compliance with siting, development permit processes and standards, and requirements for permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, or indoor emergency shelters.
HB 1235 – Exec Session – Ensuring compliance with the housing element requirements of the growth management act.
Ways & Means (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/28 @ 4:00pm
SB 5314 – Public Hearing – Modifying the capital gains tax. (Remote Testimony Available).
Civil Rights & Judiciary (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/29 @ 8:00am
HB 1403 – Public Hearing – Simplifying condominium construction statutes. (Remote Testimony Available).
Labor & Workplace Standards (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 1/29 @ 8:00am
HB 1332 – Public Hearing – Concerning transportation network companies. (Remote Testimony Available).
Local Government (House) – HHR E and Virtual JLOB – 1/29 @ 8:00am
HB 1438 – Public Hearing – Ensuring efficient approval of certain housing permit applications. (Remote Testimony Available).
Housing (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/29 @ 10:30am
SB 5313 – Public Hearing – Adding to the list of provisions prohibited from rental agreements. (Remote Testimony Available).
SB 5148 – Exec Session – Ensuring compliance with the housing element requirements of the growth management act.
SB 5184 – Exec Session – Concerning minimum parking requirements.
SB 5332 – Public Hearing – Concerning mobile dwellings. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.) (Remote Testimony Available).
Housing (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/31 @ 10:30am
SB 5313 – Exec Session – Adding to the list of provisions prohibited from rental agreements.
SB 5332 – Exec Session – Concerning mobile dwellings.
SB 5469 – Public Hearing – Prohibiting algorithmic rent fixing and noncompete agreements in the rental housing market. (Remote Testimony Available).
Labor & Workplace Standards (House) – HHR D and Virtual JLOB – 1/31 @ 10:30am
HB 1045 – Exec Session – Expanding the definition of uniformed personnel to all law enforcement officers employed by a city, town, or county.
HB 1155 – Exec Session – Prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying nonsolicitation agreements.
HB 1213 – Exec Session – Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program.
Local Government (House) – HHR E and Virtual JLOB – 1/31 @ 10:30am
HB 1135 – Exec Session – Ensuring that local government planning complies with the growth management act.
