The House Hot Sheet for Week 4 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Monday
Monday morning kicks off Week 4 of the Legislative Session, with time scheduled for possible floor action. In the afternoon, the Community Safety, Justice & Reentry Committee will meet for possible executive session on HB 1999, prime sponsored by Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), to provide greater protection of minors by criminalizing fabricated intimate images of someone under the age of 18.
Also in the afternoon, the Education Committee is meeting for executive action on a variety of bills, including HB 1228 from Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Mukilteo), establishing grant programs to expand dual language education programs and tribal language programs, E2SHB 1565, also sponsored by Rep. Ortiz-Self, to establish a teacher residency program, and HB 2239 prime sponsored by Rep. Joe Timmons (D-Bellingham) to encourage instruction on skills that promote social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness.
In the Regulated Substances & Gaming Committee, votes are scheduled for HB 2194, legislation drafted by Rep. Shelley Kloba (D-Kirkland) to legalize the home cultivation of cannabis and HB 2320 to regulate high THC cannabis products, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline).
Ending the day, the Appropriations Committee has executive action scheduled for a variety of bills, including SHB 1368, prime sponsored by Rep. Tana Senn (D-Mercer Island), to fund the purchase of zero emission school buses in overburdened communities and HB 2180, Rep. Lisa Callan’s (D-Issaquah) proposal to raise the special education enrollment funding cap.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning kicks off with executive session in the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee. First is HB 1877 to improve coordination and recognition with the Indian behavioral health system, prime sponsored by Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D-Anacortes). Also possibly receiving a vote is HB 1992, from Rep. Timmons, to add a superior court judge in Whatcom County. The Labor Committee will meet for votes on HB 2266, requiring employers to provide reasonable and clean accommodations for employees who menstruate or to express milk, prime sponsored by Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), as well as HB 2382, from Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), to provide greater access to death benefits for Transportation Network Company drivers.
In the afternoon, the Consumer Protection & Business Committee will meet to consider Rep. Cindy Ryu’s (D-Shoreline) HB 2153 to establish new felony and gross misdemeanor crimes for trafficking, possessing, selling, or offering to sell catalytic converters. At the same time, the Health Care & Wellness Committee will meet to consider HB 2247 from Rep. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia), a new bill to address workforce in the behavioral health system creating a psychological associate credential and reducing requirements that limited other clinical social workers, mental health counselors, substance use disorder, and other professionals. The committee will also vote on HB 2467, a new bill expanding the WA Cares program to allow people who leave Washington to elect to continue participation in the program, offered by Rep. Nicole Macri (D-Seattle).
Also up for possible executive action in the early afternoon is HB 2309, offered by Rep. Steve Bergquist (D-Renton) and HB 2374, from Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-Seattle), two different bills that would offer free community college and technical college to students in the beginning of their college years.
Later in the afternoon, the Community Safety, Justice & Reentry Committee will meet to consider voting on HB 2196, legislation sponsored by Rep. Brandy Donaghy (D-Everett), that would lower the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.08 to 0.05. Also under consideration is executive action in the Education Committee on E2SHB 1479, offered by Rep. Callan, concerning restraint or isolation of students in public schools and educational programs. The Housing Committee will meet to vote on HB 2270, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan (D-Parkland), to create a Department of Housing to coordinate the state’s response to the housing and homelessness crisis.
Wednesday
Wednesday marks Day 24 of the Legislative Session and is Policy Cutoff Day. While most committees have completed their work, the Health Care & Wellness Committee will meet for executive action on bills addressing the state’s response to substance use disorder, including HB 2319, to expand the state’s efforts to address substance use disorder, prime sponsored by Rep. Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline).
The Labor Committee will also meet to consider executive action on HB 2266, Rep. Stonier’s bill requiring employers to provide reasonable and clean accommodations for employees who menstruate or to express milk and Rep. Berry’s expansion of death benefit access for TNC drivers, HB 2382.
Toward the end of the day, the Appropriations Committee will meet for a public hearing on bills, including SHB 2022 from Rep. Julia Reed (D-Seattle). The bill, a response to a crane incident that led to death and injury in Seattle, sets new requirements to ensure better safety for crane operations.
Thursday
With fiscal cutoff looming next week, fiscal committees will work through the week, starting with a Capital Budget hearing Thursday morning on HB 2372, from Rep. Lekanoff, which allows the state to transfer public property to Washington federally recognized tribes to build facilities for alcohol and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and aftercare programs.
The Appropriations Committee will meet to hear HB 2112, sponsored by Rep. Greg Nance (D-Bainbridge Island), to require opioid and fentanyl education and provide more access to fentanyl testing strips and naloxone at all public and private institutions of higher education. Also up for a public hearing is HB 1062, prime sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds), to restrict deception by law enforcement officers during interrogations, HB 2007 also from Rep. Peterson to expand time limit exemptions for cash assistance programs, and HB 1905 from Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-Tacoma), to expand the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to include other protected classes beyond gender.
Also in the morning, the Transportation Committee will meet for a series of work sessions to receive updates on the Move Ahead Washington transportation package, fish passage barrier corrections, and the Washington State Ferries procurement and conversions.
Friday and Saturday
Friday and Saturday the Appropriations Committee plans to meet to consider executive action on bills heard the past week, including Rep. Reed’s HB 2022 concerning construction crane safety, HB 1062 from Rep. Peterson to limit deception by law enforcement officers, HB 1905 from Rep. Mena to expand the Equal Pay Opportunities Act, HB 2112 from Rep. Nance on opioid and fentanyl prevention, education, and awareness at institutions of higher education, and HB 2214, sponsored by Rep. Vandana Slatter (D-Bellevue), to allow for automatic qualification of the Washington College Grant if a student is a beneficiary of a public assistance program.