SSCCLC 2025 Legislative & Upcoming Events Report – 1/10/25

Monday is the start of the 2025 Legislative Session.  Be ready for a bit of a roller coaster with 34 or 35 new legislators, new Governor, new AG, new Insurance Commissioner, super majorities, and a $12 billion budget shortfall. 

Since it is the start of the two year budget cycle, all bills, whether new or recycled, will receive new bill numbers.  In addition, the first year of the cycle is when the budgets are adopted.  This year you will see the budgets, plus “second supplemental” budgets to finish out the 23-25 biennium since changes will be needed to ensure the state can meet its fiscal responsibilities for the remainder of the current budget (set to end on June 30^th).

So far we have seen nearly 500 bills “pre-filed” and expect to see many more in the system over the next few weeks.  Most years we will see between 1,000 and 2,000 bills introduced.  Tracking them gets fast and furious and feedback will be needed to ensure the SSCCLC is taking action when needed. 

As with previous sessions, our Friday meetings will be our opportunity to discuss what is happening the next week.  We will focus on bills up for a hearing in the next week first to determine the action (if any) we want to take.  The action to be taken will be highlighted on the bill report under “Upcoming Events.”

You will still be able to sign in and testify remotely.  I’ve put some “homework” below so you are ready to do this.  You can practice by signing in your chambers individually to SUPPORT HB 1184 – the bill to allow exemptions for non-profits and small businesses from the state’s overtime/exempt employee law.  You will see links to bills on the attached report each week.

Attached is this week’s bill report for everyone to review.  Please let me know the answers to the following via “reply all” to the whole group so we can make sure everyone is on the same page:

1) Should the bill stay on SSCCLC’s tracking list

2) If so, should SSCCLC  “Support,” “Oppose,”  or have “Concerns” (which would mean amend language to help make it better).  If neutral — we will just make it a “Monitor” bill

3) What is the importance to SSCCLC — is the bill a “High” priority, “Medium” priority, “Low” priority, or just a monitor to see what happens because the information may be needed

4) Provide me some “why’s” regarding the position and priority as well.

Other “homework” includes

1) Go to https://leg.wa.gov/ and familiarize yourself with that site.  The site has been re-arranged so please pay attention to HOW TO SIGN IN and HOW TO TESTIFY in committees.  That way you can be ready.

2) Check out https://tvw.org/ as well since this is where you can watch committee hearings and see a lot of good info about bills moving through the Legislature

Upcoming Events

NOTE – ADD ON HB 1217 – This year’s rent control bill – SSCCLC WILL SIGN IN OPPOSED.  The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House Housing committee on Monday at 1:30 PM

Housing (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 1/13 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1096 - Public Hearing - Increasing housing options through lot splitting. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring) -SIGN IN TO SUPPORT

Appropriations (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 1/13 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1198 - Public Hearing - Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

• HB 1197 - Public Hearing - Making 2023-2025 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 1/14 @ 8:00am

• SB 5130 - Public Hearing - Eliminating child care licensing fees. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Consumer Protection & Business (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 1/14 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1006 - Public Hearing - Regulating service contracts and protection product guarantees. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Concerns/High)

Housing (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 1/14 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1108 - Public Hearing - Creating a task force on housing cost driver analysis. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring) – SIGN IN TO SUPPORT

Transportation (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 1/14 @ 4:00pm

• SB 5161 - Public Hearing - Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Labor & Workplace Standards (House) - HHR D and Virtual JLOB - 1/15 @ 8:00am

• HB 1128 - Public Hearing - Establishing a child care workforce standards board. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring) – SIGN IN OPPOSED

• HB 1155 - Public Hearing - Prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying nonsolicitation agreements. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Concerns/Medium)

• HB 1184 - Public Hearing - Creating a narrow exemption from overtime provisions for certain nonprofits and small businesses. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Support/High) – SIGN IN SUPPORT

Consumer Protection & Business (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 1/15 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1081 - Public Hearing - Establishing consumer protections for owners of solicited real estate. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Transportation (House) - HHR B and Virtual JLOB - 1/15 @ 4:00pm

• HB 1226 - Public Hearing - Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2023-2025 fiscal biennium. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

• HB 1227 - Public Hearing - Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Housing (House) - HHR C and Virtual JLOB - 1/16 @ 8:00am

• HB 1075 - Public Hearing - Expanding housing supply by supporting the ability of public housing authorities to finance affordable housing developments. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

Finance (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 1/16 @ 1:30pm

• HB 1004 - Public Hearing - Increasing the personal property tax exemption. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Support/Medium) – SIGN IN SUPPORT

• HJR 4200 - Public Hearing - Concerning the taxation of personal property. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Support/Medium) SIGN IN SUPPORT

Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs (Senate) - SHR 3 and Virtual JACB - 1/16 @ 1:30pm

• SB 5088 - Public Hearing - Authorizing counties to impose a public utility tax. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Concerns/High)

Labor & Workplace Standards (House) - HHR D and Virtual JLOB - 1/17 @ 10:30am

• HB 1002 - Public Hearing - Recognizing posttraumatic stress disorder as an occupational disease for county coroners, examiners, and investigative personnel. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Oppose/Medium)

• HB 1070 - Public Hearing - Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting correctional facility workers. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Oppose/Medium)

Local Government (House) - HHR E and Virtual JLOB - 1/17 @ 10:30am

• HB 1135 - Public Hearing - Ensuring that local government planning complies with the growth management act. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.) (Monitoring)

High Priority Bills

NOTE – ADD ON HB 1217 – This year’s rent control bill – SSCCLC WILL SIGN IN OPPOSED.  The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House Housing committee on Monday at 1:30 PM

Medium Priority Bills

Low Priority Bills

No bills.

Monitoring Bills

Other Bills

No bills.