OLYMPIA—Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, remembers the enormous toll Whatcom County communities faced in the aftermath of the fall 2021 floods in the Nooksack River Valley. While people in the affected communities rallied together, they did contend with significant damage to roads, loss of life, and families and businesses were uprooted.
“That’s why I introduced House Bill 1978, which is designed to help in times of crisis,” said Rule. “This piece of legislation will make it easier for our helpers to work together in a natural disaster, both in planning and when the actual disaster occurs. It supports collaborative planning efforts for the next emergency and puts an end to bureaucratic red tape.”
HB 1978 passed the House unanimously on Feb. 6, and passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 27.