Four high-profile pieces of legislation introduced by Representative Roger Freeman have had a public hearing and passed out of committee – the first important step in the legislative process.
Here is a look at each of the bills:
HB 1719 would end the misclassification of drayage truck operators – drivers who carry loads from ports to nearby distribution points – as “independent contractors.” The bill would makes drayage drivers employees of the port that they work for, ensuring they are protected by important labor, safety, and environmental laws.
HB 1774 would require the University of Washington and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to develop metrics for measuring safety, permanency and well-being of kids served by the child welfare system. This data-driven approach will help identify ways to better serve the most vulnerable in our society.
HB 1821 would expand the circumstances in which a court can issue a “good cause exemption” to avoid filing a parental termination for a child who has been placed into foster care. It would allow parents who complying with required substance abuse treatment or who have been unserved by DSHS to avoid having their kid moved permanently into the foster care system.
Most importantly, HB 1868 is in direct response to tragic circumstances of local firefighter Wynn Loiland, who was catastrophically injured when struck by an out of control car while responding to a rollover accident on I-5. The legislation would ensure that police officers and firefighters who are permanently disabled in the line of duty are never denied the health insurance coverage they deserve for protecting our society.
All four bills are now in the Rules Committee, which decides when legislation goes to the floor of the House for a vote.