These are the House Democratic Caucus priorities for the 2025 Legislative Session. Explanation of the progress bars are described below.
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Strong Communities & Affordable Housing
Expanding support for children exposed to violence (HB 1028)
Strengthens the state’s response to children exposed to violence
Caring for our pets in crisis (HB 1046)
Protects people from being sued if they break into a car to rescue a child, pet, or vulnerable person in danger, as long as they follow certain rules like calling the police first
Addressing hate crime (HB 1052)
Brings more accountability to hate crime offenses, promoting fairness, dignity, and a justice system that works for everyone
Expanding opportunities to finance housing construction (HB 1075)
Allows public housing authorities to partner with private developers to finance housing projects, without imposing certain rent restrictions
Protecting communities against sexually violent predators (HB 1133)
Strengthens public safety measures to protect communities from sexually violent predators
Preventing cruelty to animals (HB 1149)
Expands the crimes of Animal Fighting and Animal Cruelty
Permit to purchase firearms (HB 1163)
Safeguarding families, children, and communities from gun violence through commonsense protections that keep guns out of dangerous hands
Strengthening the Child Welfare Housing Assistance Program (HB 1177)
Help ensure that housing instability does not prevent family reunification or contribute to unnecessary foster care placements
Rent Stabilization (HB 1217)
Providing predictability and stability in rental increases by capping returning renter rent increases at 7 percent
Cutting red tape through a voluntary self-certification process to build ADUs (HB 1353)
Fast-tracks the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by cutting red tape in the permitting process
Simplifying condominium construction statutes (HB 1403)
Increases the supply of affordable housing by simplifying condominium construction laws to make development more predictable and potentially less expensive
Creating housing in more walkable community hubs around public transportation through Transit-Oriented Development (HB 1491)
Increases housing and mixed-use development around transit stops, including both market rate and permanently affordable housing. We need more housing in walkable community hubs around public transportation.
Covenant Homeownership (HB 1696)
Expanding eligibility for down payment and closing cost assistance for first-time homebuyers historically harmed by housing-related discrimination
A smart use of existing commercial buildings (HB 1757)
Allows existing commercial buildings in primarily residential zones to be more easily converted to housing
Strategic Grants for Law Enforcement Improvement (HB 2015)
Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) will administer competitive grants for local and tribal law enforcement agencies, with funding tied to clear accountability metrics
Jobs, Economic Growth, and a Secure Future For All
Pioneering clean energy (HB 1018)
Adds fusion energy to the types of clean energy facilities eligible for streamlined state certification
Adopting the cosmetology licensure compact (HB 1023)
Helps military spouses be able to use their out of state cosmetology license when they move to Washington so they can start working more quickly
Joining the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (HB 1114)
Adds Washington State to the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, allowing licensed respiratory therapists to practice in other member states without needing separate licenses.
Improving parity between individual care providers and other standard home care aides (HB 1142)
Aligns training and certification requirements for long-term care workers providing in-home care for family members regardless of the care provider
Strengthens the maritime industry workforce pipeline (HB 1167)
Directing the statewide career and technical education task force to consider educational opportunities for careers in maritime professions
Early learning facilities grant and loan program (HB 1314)
Makes is easier to build early learning facilities, which are critical to working families and employers in our state
Isolated workers (HB 1524)
Establishes protections shielding isolated workers such as housekeepers, security guards, and janitors, from sexual harassment and assault on the job
Access to radiology diagnostic procedures (HB 1546)
Increases access to diagnostic procedures for patients in areas where there is a shortage of radiologists
Expanding tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges (HB 1556)
Tuition assistance for students who have completed high school and want to continue their education at a community or technical college
Encouraging local government partner promise scholarship programs within the opportunity scholarship program (HB 1587)
Increases access to college for students
AI Collective Bargaining (HB 1622)
Strengthens workers voice and bargaining rights over implementation of AI in the workplace
Teacher residency and apprenticeship programs (HB 1651)
Helps address the teacher shortage by ensuring there are lots of options for pathways to become a teacher, especially for those with limited resources
Well-being programs for certain health care professionals (HB 1718)
Addresses stress and burnout of health care professionals, ensuring they are cared for so that they can care for others
Expanding the definition of “interested party” (HB 1821)
Strengthens prevailing wage protections for workers
Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings (HB 1875)
Ensures workers don’t have to risk losing income or their job to attend crucial immigration hearings
The Mosquito Fleet Act (HB 1923)
Bolstering transportation options with passenger-only ferries
Funding Schools with Improved Outcomes
Supporting remote testing options for students enrolled in online school programs (HB 1079)
Makes testing more accessible and equitable for students for whom in-person testing poses significant challenges
Dual credit programs for Career and Technical Education (HB 1273)
Improves access to dual credit programs, particularly career and technical education
Creating safe and supportive school environments (HB 1296)
Corrects confusion and conflicting language in law and improves the parent’s bill of rights initiative so that all students have a safe and supportive learning environment where they can thrive
School construction funding (HB 1796)
Allows school districts to front-fund school construction projects so that they are completed sooner, which reduces inflation costs and serves students more quickly
Concerning the effective delivery and administration of basic education services to justice-involved students (HB 1827)
Improves educational outcomes for justice-involved students
Lower Costs and Economic Security
Providing greater protection and reduced costs for service contracts (HB 1006)
Provides consumers greater protection and reduced costs for service contracts for expensive items families rely on.
Allowing people to retire safely and with dignity (HB 1069)
Allows collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits
Concerning wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities (HB 1173)
Ensures workers in high hazard facilities have more fair and equitable wages.
Improving salary collective bargaining for ferry workers (1264)
Improves the Washington State Ferries salary survey and shares it with bargaining parties
Exempting delivery services from medical deductibles (HB 1291)
Ensures that essential maternity services are covered when families need them most, promoting healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and stronger financial security for parents
Concerning access to personnel records (HB 1308)
Ensures workers have access to their personnel records in a timely manner
Wholesale power purchase (HB 1329)
This gives utilities more flexibility in planning for cold spells or extreme heat events, resulting in lower energy bills for consumers
The Right to Repair Act (HB 1483)
The Right to Repair ensures Washington residents have the freedom to repair their own devices without unnecessary costs or restrictions
Student support to finish postsecondary education (HB 1540)
Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college
Relationships between health carriers and contracting providers (HB 1589)
Helps small, independent medical providers stay independent by requiring health plans to negotiate in good faith
Creating a health care entity registry (HB 1686)
Increases transparency of the health care delivery system to help start to address cost and access.
Increasing access to prescription hormone therapy (HB 1971)
Requires prescription hormone medications to be available for a 12 month refill