Week in review for legislative bills

— from Governor Jay Inslee’s Office —

With less than 10 days left of the regular session, dozens of bills came across Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk this week for action. He took action on 36 of them Wednesday and 34 on Friday. Among the bills he signed this week is one that extends the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault crimes and makes it easier for victims of sexual assault and abuse to seek justice. You can see a current list of signed bills on the governor’s website.

Several of the governor’s priority bills continue to move forward including his clean energy bills, orca and salmon recovery legislation, behavioral health reforms, broadband expansion and opioid treatment.

One highly-watched bill heading soon to the governor’s desk would establish daylight saving time in Washington. The change requires federal approval to implement. In March, the governor wrote to Premier John Horgan of British Columbia in support of the change. The bill passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. 

The Senate also passed a vaccine bill late Wednesday night in a close vote that generated national news. The bill eliminates the personal exemption for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and comes on the heels of one of the worst measles outbreaks in Washington state with 74 people infected with measles.