Legislative Update | Another cutoff trims remaining bills to consider

— from Governor Inslee’s Office —

Legislators had until Wednesday to pass policy legislation out of the house where it was introduced, and a number of a governor-request bills cleared the latest hurdle in the short 60-day legislative session.

A proposal to ban high capacity magazines for firearms in the state was not passed in either chamber by Wednesday, but on Thursday new legislation was introduced in the House Finance Committee that would ban high capacity magazines, among other provisions, including a buy-back program.

Governor-request legislation on zero-emission vehicles (SB 5811), carbon emissions from ridesharing services (HB 2310), and regulating greenhouse gas emissions based on the most up-to-date climate science (HB 2311), all remain active this session.

A proposed clean fuel standard, already passed by the House, is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology on Tuesday morning. The legislation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels in line with the state’s established commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

Governor-request legislation to implement recommendations to improve state developmental disability service institutions was passed unanimously in the Senate and now goes to the House. The recommendations were made to the Legislature by the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a joint project of the University of Washington and Washington State University.

Homeless families needing access to the Working Connections Child Care program could get help this session as well. Governor-request legislation that would extend the grace period for providing the required documentation to stay in the program from four months to 12 months was voted out of committee in the Senate Friday. The bill has already passed the House.

Also in the Senate is the House-approved version of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. It requires that domestic workers such as nannies, gardeners and house cleaners be paid the minimum wage and overtime, and be provided breaks for meals and rest. It also requires workers receive adequate notification prior to the termination of their employment and protects workers from employer retribution for exercising their rights.

The Legislature’s next calendar cutoff is next Friday, February 28, when policy bills must be passed out of committee. Fiscal and transportation bills must clear their committees by March 2. The 60-day session is scheduled to run through March 12.