- Ranae Hanson is the Clerk of the Environmental Stewardship Working Group. Contact the clerk of the Environmental Stewardship Working Group.
- The Environmental Stewardship Working Group meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 7:30 – 8:30 PM (Pacific time)
- Sign up for emails from the Environmental Stewardship Working Group.
Environmental Stewardship + Successful Bills for 2026
SB 6355: Concerning the Electric Transmission System
This bill has passed! It will make improvements in the Electric Transmission System in Washington State so that clean energy can be used more effectively in the grid. It also establishes a tribal clean energy partnership work group to identify and evaluate opportunities for tribal participation in the development and ownership of clean energy facilities and infrastructure.
SB 5998 The Operational Budget
We watched this bill for impacts to CCA funds. We were not successful in preventing CCA funds from being used for other purposes, but our voice of concern for those funds was heard along with the concerns of many other groups.
Gender Justice
SB 6081: Protecting Privacy of Sex Designation Info sheet
This bill is now session law! It exempts sex designation information as part of vital records and records managed by the Department of Licensing from public disclosure. Protecting Washingtonians from unauthorized disclosure of sex designation information and historic sex designation changes in official government records.
HB 1604/ SB 5490: Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law.
This bill is now session law! It protects people in local jails from unnecessary and invasive strip searches.
Indigenous Issues – All dead for this year
HB 1982: Vacating convictions involving the exercise of treaty rights by Indian tribal members. Dead for this year.
5570/1894, “Supporting public school instruction in tribal sovereignty and federally recognized Indian tribes.” Dead for this year.
Tribal Concerns support bill 2117/5838, “Adding a tribal member to the board of natural resources.” Dead for this year.
Environmental Bills that are dead or finished for this year
HB 1607/ SB 5502: Bottles and Cans Recycling Refund Act (Bottle Bill)
Increases recycling and reduces litter by creating a deposit/refund system. Beverage brands must create an organization to fund implementation of the program and meet certain redemption and reuse rates as well as fund convenient drop-off locations.
HB 2421/ SB 6119: Concerning 6PPD and regrettable 6PPD substitutes in tires
These compounds in tires harm salmon. We chose this bill to continue our attempts to protect salmon.
HB 2233/SB 5965 The Bag Bill, a support bill for us
Dead for this year. Will probably be back next year.
Would ensure that the environmental review process fully considers a project’s potential adverse impacts
to communities that already face high levels of pollution. These communities bear disproportionate
burdens of pollution, such as increased health disparities. Would require DOE review process to include an environmental justice element and environmental checklist.
OPPOSE HB 2103/ SB 6004: Broaden Green Energy to Include Nuclear — sign on CON
Happily, this bill is dead for this year.
Would allow cities, utilities, and others to contract for electricity from nuclear power at uncapped rates and obligates them to pay even if the projects produce no energy or are never completed. Similar provisions caused the 1982 WPPSS default and recently cost South Carolinians $9 billion for a failed reactor project.
See Environmental Stewardship resources here.
