The House and Senate finished their work on Sunday, April 27.
See additional items on the Human Rights Task Force tracking page.
Priority Bills: All the current priority bills have passed in their second chambers, with two exceptions, a gun control bill (SB 5219) and the “Bottle Bill,” HB 1607.
Great work, Quaker activists! You can check how your legislators voted on the bill information page, with the “roll call” link next to the record of the vote in each house. You may want to send them a thank you note if they voted the way you wanted, or some other feedback if not.
Revenue and budget: Quaker Voice supported progressive revenue options and did not take a stance on specific items in the budget, with one exception: we opposed any raiding of the Climate Commitment Act funds for actions that did not reduce greenhouse gases.
Criminal Justice Priorities
HB 1131. Concerning clemency and pardons.
Changes Clemency and Pardon Board from five to ten members, which must include persons with lived experience as an incarcerated individual or has worked with formerly incarcerated persons or successful community reentry.
- Passed the legislature.
- The Governor has acted on this bill.
SB 5219. Concerning partial confinement eligibility and alignment.
SB 5219 would provide the possibility of up to 18 months of partial confinement at the end of a sentence, which could help with adjustment to life outside and thus improved re-entry and reduction in recidivism
- Passed the Senate.
- Public hearing in the House Committee on Community Safety on March 18. Passed by the committee on March 26. Hearing held in Appropriations on April 4. Passed by Appropriations on April 7.
- Passed in the House.
- Senate concurred. Senate President signed. = “Passed the legislature”
- The Governor has acted on this bill. It’s just waiting for final signature.
Environmental Stewardship Priorities
HB 1483: Right to Repair – Has passed both houses
The Right to Repair bill requires manufacturers of digital electronics to make repair information, parts, and tools available to independent repair businesses and makes it possible to salvage working parts from nonfunctional tech. It would reduce e-waste by allowing users to repair and extend the lives of their computers, tablets, cellphones, and appliances. Consumer costs would go down; used electronics would go to people who need them. Manufacturing of new products, with associated greenhouse gas emissions and resource extraction, would be reduced. See the factsheet here.
- Current status
- Signed by Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.
- The Governor has acted on the bill.
SB 5284: Improving Washington’s Solid Waste Management Outcomes – Has passed both houses
This bill would reduce plastic waste by requiring producers of packaging to create a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) under supervision of the Department of Ecology. PROs are effective because they make producers of packaging responsible for reducing the amount of packaging produced and increasing the amount being reused, composted, or recycled. Residential recycling collection would be provided wherever residential garbage is collected. See the fact sheet here.
- This bill has passed both House and Senate.
HB 1607. Concerning recycling and waste reduction.
Requires beverage brands to form a producer responsibility organization to fund and implement a 10-cent refund value redemption program for beverage containers. Thus, its nickname is the “Bottle Bill.” It works together with HB 5284 to strengthen recycling. As a side effect, it may provide a small source of income for people who make their living scavenging.
- The bill did not pass this year. It will start over again next year, if its sponsors want.
Economic Justice Priorities
HB 1217. Improving Housing Stability
This bill limits the size of rent and fee increases, requires advance notice of increases, and establishes a landlord resource center among other provisions to address the rental crisis in Washington. Nearly 50 percent of households in Washington now spend more than 30% of household income on rent, constricting household funds available for food, education, healthcare and transportation. Arguments pro and con are summarized in the Bill Report, pages 6-9.
- Current status:
- The final version of the bill, passed by both House and Senate on April 27, limits rent increases for the same tenant to 7% plus the increase in the Consumer Price Index or 10% whichever is less.
- The Governor has acted on the bill.
SJM 8004 Concerning Universal Healthcare
This is a letter from Washington to the U.S. Congress asking for a waiver to pursue our own universal healthcare plan. The previous priority bills, HB 1445/ SB 5233 Developing Washington State Health Trust, are not moving forward this year.
- Current Status:
- SJM 8004 passed the Senate.
- A public hearing was held in the House on March 21. Passed by the committee on March 26. Referred to House Rules on March 28.
- Passed in the House.
- No further action is needed on this letter. It is ready for the appropriate official to send it to Congress.
Progressive revenue bills
A third Economic Justice priority was progressive revenue. A first round of proposals is described here. Some of those bills are now on floor calendars waiting to be brought up for a vote:
- SB 5794 (Eliminating obsolete tax preferences, clarifying legislative intent, and addressing changes in constitutional law). Passed the Senate and House; Governor has signed.
- SB 5797 (Enacting a tax on stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible assets for the benefit of public schools). This is the controversial “wealth tax.” Not passed; stopped in the House.
- SB 5798 (Concerning property tax reform). Did not make it out of the Senate.
- HB 2049 (Increasing State and Local Flexibility to Fund Schools and Public Safety). Passed the legislature; the Governor has acted.
On April 16, another set of revenue bills was introduced. These proposals were not particularly progressive and some involved policies we might oppose. Quaker Voice supported only the most progressive of these, SB 5813, which expands the capital gains tax. That bill is passed in both the Senate and the House and the Governor has acted on it.
NOT MOVING FORWARD THIS YEAR [listed in order of bill numbers]
2025 Priorities Sheet from Quaker Lobby Day
HB 1125: Judicial Discretion Act
This bill would allow incarcerated persons who have already served a long time to petition for a second look, with a re-sentence at the discretion of the original sentencing court.
- Final status: The bill was not moved to a vote on the House floor. Next session, it will be reassigned to a policy committee for a new hearing.
HB 1178: Unstacking Sentencing Enhancements
Mandatory enhancements to base sentences can add many years in prison and are typically stacked on top of each other. HB 1178 provides judicial discretion to serve enhancements concurrently. It eliminates the sentencing enhancement for drug violations committed in protected zones. These provisions would greatly reduce racial inequity.
- Final status: The bill was not moved to a vote on the House floor. Next session, it will be reassigned to a policy committee for a new hearing.
HB 1274: Resentencing without Juvenile Offenses
For a person being sentenced today, certain specified previous convictions as a juvenile are not counted (scored) in determining the length of sentence. HB 1274 would make this procedure retroactive, by reducing sentences for persons already incarcerated, by not counting offenses as a juvenile that are no longer being scored for new convictions.
- Final status: The bill was not moved to a vote on the House floor. Next session, it will be reassigned to a policy committee for a new hearing.
HB 1380 Objectively Reasonable Regulation of Use of Public Property
This bill acknowledges that a growing number of Washington state residents face displacement due to lack of affordable housing. Currently there is a “patchwork of legislation” regulating the use of public land. This legislation requires that regulation of the act of sitting, sleeping, or keeping warm, though not with the use of fire, on public land open to the public be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner and consider health and safety of all citizens. This legislation would allow individuals to sue municipalities over restricting tent encampments. Arguments pro and con are summarized in the Bill Report, pages 3-5.
- Final status: The bill was not moved to a vote on the House floor. Next session, it will be reassigned to a policy committee for a new hearing.
HB 1445/ SB 5233 Developing Washington State Health Trust
The Health Trust would ensure that all Washington residents could enroll in “nonprofit health insurance providing an essential set of health benefits including dental, vision, mental health and pharmacy. Currently many Washington residents are either uninsured or have high co-payments and deductibles leading to increased debt due to medical expenses. The health plan administered by the Washington Health Trust would correct some of the inequities of the most vulnerable, including the unhoused, the uninsured and the unemployed.
- Final status. Was not heard in its policy committee in either House or Senate.
SB 5066 / HB 1056: AG Investigations of Law Enforcement Agencies
SB 5066 grants authority to the WA State Attorney General (AG) to investigate systemic violations of the state constitution and laws by local law enforcement agencies and sue them. Currently, this investigative authority is limited to the federal Dept. of Justice, which lacks the time and resources to do this on the local level. Many other states have provided their attorneys general with this authority.
- Final status:
- Senate — passed out of Senate Law & Justice Feb 6. Referred to Senate Ways and Means. It was scheduled for executive action on Friday, February 28, but no action was taken. The bill will not move forward this year.
- House — Public hearing in House Civil Rights & Judiciary on Feb 11. Was scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary but it was removed from the schedule. This version of the bill will not be going forward this year.
SB 5098. Restricting the possession of weapons in public places where children are likely to be present.
Restricts the possession of weapons on the premises of state or local public buildings, parks or playground facilities where children are likely to be present, and county fair facilities.
- A second substitute passed the Senate.
- Public hearing was held in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary on March 18. Passed by the committee on March 26. Hearing held in Appropriations on April 4. Passed by the committee on April 7.
- Referred to House Rules Committee on April 8.
- Did not move forward on the House floor calendar. It is therefore not moving forward this year.