Here is the current list of bills being considered for this session. Each person's voice is important and needs to be voiced! I have included thee calendar for bills in this short session. To download this list click here.
FAN and Earth Ministries Legislative Bills Update 1/30/24
Contact your State Representatives and make your choices known!
Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) Expansion (HB 1075/SB 5249) would expand the age range of eligible households without children from 25-65 years to 18+ years.
Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Pilot Projects (HB 1045) would establish pilot programs to provide extra cash to people experiencing economic insecurity.
Extreme Wealth Tax (HB 1473/SB 5486) would ensure that the very wealthiest in our state pay more of their fair share through a 1% tax on financial property such as stocks and bonds, exempting their first one quarter billion dollars.
WA Future Fund (“Baby Bonds,” HB 1094/SB 5125) would counteract generational poverty by investing funds for every child born under Apple Care, to use as an adult for home ownership, education, or entrepreneurship.
Washington Gift Card Accountability Act (HB 2095/SB 5988) would apply the value of major corporate retail gift cards which are unused after three years, to the State General Fund instead of the corporations. Protections enable customers to recover the value of gift cards, which never expire in WA.
Employment Standards for Grocery Workers (SB 6007) would retain grocery worker jobs and protect from layoffs caused by corporate mergers.
Healthy Free School Meals for All (HB 2058/SB 5964) would increase the number of children receiving free nutritious school breakfasts and lunches by adding all elementary school students.
Ensure Families on TANF Keep 100% of their Child Support Payments (HB 1652).
Cumulative Risk Burden Pollution Act (CURB) (HB 2070/SB 5990) would require monitoring currently- unaddressed pollutants affecting health and mandate that permit applications that add cumulative pollution be denied or conditionally approved.
Re-WRAP WA Recycling and Packaging Act updated (HB 2049/SB 6005) would create graduated fees for packaging manufacturers based on how reusable, compostable, or recyclable their products are. Funds recycling services and shifts recycling costs onto manufacturers.
Clean School Buses (HB 1368/SB 5431 + $60.5m Budget ask) would fund the transition of WA’s 10,000+ diesel school buses to electricity, helping both climate change and children’s health.
Hold Oil Companies Accountable and Address Gas Prices. (HB 2232/SB 6052) would require oil industry transparency and accountability.
Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers (HB 1095/SB 5109) would create a permanent separate unemployment system for undocumented workers to access benefits their labor already accrues.
Keep Our Care Act (HB 1263/SB 5241) would ensure that health entity consolidations improve rather than harm access to affordable, quality health care in a community, including gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare.
Traffic Safety for All (HB 1513/SB 5572) would end stops for non-moving traffic violations, to reduce disproportionate impacts on communities of color.
AG Investigations and Reforms (HB 1445) would empower the Attorney General’s office to take action on systemic civil rights violations at law enforcement agencies.
Independent Prosecutor (HB 1579) would create a state office to ensure fair and transparent prosecutions.
Nothing About Us Without Us (HB 1541/SB 5616) would ensure meaningful participation from people with direct lived experience on statutorily created or mandated state committees.
Support indigenous communities in WA (HB 1332) by implementing Since Time Immemorial curriculum (HB 1332) and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & People Task Force funding requests.
Increase Security Grants funding for non-profits and faith communities ($3 million budget ask) Prevent gun violence via permit-to-purchase (HB 1902/SB 6004), lost/stolen firearms (HB 1903), dealer responsibility (HB 2118), limit bulk purchases (HB 2054), and community intervention bills.
Calendar
January 8, 2024: First Day of Session
January 31, 2024: Last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) in house of origin, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.
February 5, 2024: Last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in house of origin.
February 8, 9:00 am-3:00 pm - Interfaith Advocacy Day: FAITH ACTION NETWORK’s Interfaith Advocacy Day brings the voices of compassion and justice to our elected leaders.
February 13, 2024: Last day to consider (pass) bills in house of origin (5 p.m.)
February 21, 2024: Last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from opposite house, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.
February 26, 2024: Last day to read in opposite house committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.
March 1, 2024: * Last day to consider (pass) opposite house bills (5 p.m.) (except initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session).
March 7, 2024: Last day allowed for regular session under state constitution.
*After 5:00pm on the 54th day, only initiatives, alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, matters that affect state revenue, messages pertaining to amendments, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session may be considered.
