(The Center Square) – Lawmakers in the Washington State House of Representatives passed several bills off the chamber floor Thursday, including some with heavy bipartisan or even unanimous support.
Friday marks the date when bills must pass through a policy committee in their house of origin or they are likely dead for the year.
Here is a breakdown of what House legislators approved:
House Bill 1540 expands Washington’s Students Experiencing Homelessness program, which also includes foster youth after high school graduation, to include a tribal college.
Rep. Joe Timmons, D-Bellingham, is the prime sponsor.
“Unfortunately, basic needs insecurity is impacting students at our post-secondary institutions around the state,” he said. “This includes housing insecurity and food insecurity and students unfortunately experiencing homelessness.”
Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, voiced opposition.
“We’re in a big crisis in this state,” he noted. “We are putting kids into four-year institutions and saddling them with more debt, then asking the state of Washington to pay for more programs at a time when we’re facing a $10 billion budget deficit.”
The bill passed on a 62-33 vote.
Substitute House Bill 1543 would increase compliance pathways for the State Energy Performance Standard.
It passed on a 96-0 vote, but not before two Republicans expressed frustrations with the legislation.
“Does this help Washingtonians live better, be healthier and still keep the affordability necessary to be successful and prosper your family in this state?” asked Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy. “That should be our focus.”
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, also spoke ahead of the vote.
“I am going to vote yes, but it’s important to point out that what we’re doing is acknowledging that the policy underlying is not good,” said Walsh, who is also the chair of the Washington State Republican Party. “We pass flawed policy that’s not fully baked and not well thought out and then we have to come back later and fix it.”
House Bill 1130, sponsored by Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, would require the Department of Social and Health Services Developmental Disabilities Administration to prioritize specified populations when enrolling eligible clients in community-based services waiver slots.
It passed on a 90-7 vote.
Substitute House Bill 1325 to expand enforcement options for certain fish and wildlife violations passed 97-0.
House Bill 1347 would establish that licensed cannabis producers and processors must submit samples of their products to independent, third-party testing laboratories that meet the accreditation requirements set by the state Department of Agriculture.
It passed on a 95-2 vote.
Sponsored by Rep. Julia Reed, D-Seattle, House Bill 1616 would add Washington State Ferries to the list of places where the misdemeanor crime of unlawful transit conduct can occur.
“This is about helping our ferry workers feel protected within their jobs,” Reed said. “They are experiencing a great deal of abuse on the job. I certainly empathize with passengers about the ferry system struggles, but there is no excuse for assaulting a worker on the job.”
HB 1616 passed 97-0.
Substitute House Bill 1720 to expand medication assistance to residents in community-based settings passed on a 97-0 vote.
House Bill 1484 would support exceptional sentences for those convicted of rape resulting in a pregnancy.
Rep. Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond, sponsored the bill.
“When rape results in pregnancy, the effects are not just physical, they are lifelong,” the freshman legislator said. “It’s a truly horrific act that affects survivors physically, psychologically and emotionally. Yet under current law, survivors who are 18 or older lack the same legal protection as those under 18. This bill ends that injustice. It ensures that justice is not determined by age, but the magnitude of the crime itself.”
HB 1484 passed on a 97-0 vote.
House Bill 1156, sponsored by Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, would enable volunteer firefighters whose firefighting agency has joined the Washington State Deferred Compensation Program to participate in the program.
It passed 97-0.
The 105-day legislative session is set to end on April 27.
