Friends and neighbors,
We’re one quarter of the way through the 2024 legislative session, and a lot has happened. In this newsletter, I’d like to share an update on legislation I’m supporting, and additional resources on how to engage with the legislature this year. I hope you find it useful!
Fire Prevention Systems for Kennels
Many of us have loyal companions with boundless energy and hearts of gold. Our dogs and cats greet us every day with a wagging tail, leaving paw prints on our hearts. Unfortunately, when we leave our furry companions at a kennel, there is a chance a fire can strike. Without adequate fire prevention measures, they are in real danger.
For some in and around our district, this exact scenario occurred when two dog resorts owned by the same company experienced severe fires within 9 months of each other and resulted in a fatality. To ensure this never happens again, I’ve proposed HB 2403 mandating fire alarms or fire sprinklers be installed at all kennels. Caged pets depend on us for their safety. We owe them swift intervention and proactive measures to prevent even a moment of needless distress. To learn more about this issue, click here or on the image below for a recent King5 article about this bill.
Providing Justice for Child Sex Abuse Survivors
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys in the United States suffer childhood sexual abuse, leaving lasting trauma. Abuse impacts the brain, so this often goes unreported until after legal deadlines. House Bill 1618 proposes abolishing the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse civil lawsuits and aims to:
- Support survivors seeking justice after years of silence.
- Identify hidden predators.
- Shift financial burden from victims to perpetrators.
- Raise public awareness of abuse prevalence and its impacts.
This bill empowers survivors and protects children by recognizing the long-term effects of abuse and improving accountability for perpetrators.
Diversionary Opportunities for Misdemeanors
Imagine judges empowered to direct people battling behavioral health issues into treatment and support with meaningful accountability measures that are tailored to them. My bill, House Bill 1994, would allow just that.
Many individuals coming into the system on misdemeanors are stuck in a cycle of homelessness, behavioral health crisis, and incarceration. They need treatment, not incarceration. This bill lets judges offer that path, pairing behavioral health services with accountability measures to meet their basic needs.
This legislation helps push individuals to address their issues head-on, rather than waiting for their sentence to end and going right back into the same situation. We need to break the cycle, not fuel it, and we can do this by providing the option for judges to meet people where they are at.
House Bill 1994 was passed out committee on January 18th. To watch my committee testimony, click here.
ASL on TVW
Don’t miss out! American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is now available in a picture-in-picture format for select committee hearings throughout the 2024 legislative session on TVW and TVW.org. This exciting development is a collaboration between the Washington state House, Senate, and TVW, making government proceedings more accessible than ever for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Here’s how to find ASL interpretation:
- Visit the legislative website homepage: leg.wa.gov
- Look for the blue hand waving icon: Committees offering picture-in-picture ASL interpretation will have this icon next to the video link in the fourth column from the left under “Scheduled hearings and floor sessions.”
- Click on the video link: You’ll be able to watch the hearing with the ASL interpreter conveniently displayed in a picture-in-picture window.
For more information:
- Washington State Legislature’s accessibility accommodations: https://bit.ly/AccessibilityInfo
- TVW website: https://tvw.org/
Spread the word! Share this information with your friends and family who are deaf or hard-of-hearing so they can stay informed about the important work happening in the Washington State Legislature. Let’s celebrate this step towards a more inclusive and accessible government!
Bonus tip: For even more convenience, you can download the TVW app, which also provides picture-in-picture ASL interpretation for supported hearings.
In service,
Darya Farivar
WA State Representative
46th Legislative District
Pronouns: she/her/hers