| Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With the beginning of week 6 of legislative session, I have drafted and submitted seven bills and introduced numerous budget requests that benefit our communities. In this issue, I’ll provide an update on my bills, discuss the Working Families Tax Credit, and invite you to my upcoming townhall. Please consider clicking here or on the image below to view my video on staying engaged this session. I have also launched my official Facebook page. I hope you will find these resources useful!  Legislative Update House Bill 1313 would lower Medicare income requirements to create parity between Medicaid and Medicare. People should not have to make the difficult decision between paying rent and visiting the doctor. This bill would expand affordability to roughly 50,000 people who need help. I am proud to share that this bill passed the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on February 3rd. It is an extra special treat to share that this legislation is the result of my and colleague’s advocacy in previous years. It’s time to address the Medicare affordability cliff. Click here or on the image below to view my testimony.  House Bill 1345 is the first piece of legislation I passed out of the House! This is a simple bill because it makes it possible for the Department of Corrections to not charge incarcerated individuals for extended family visitation. Seeing family is an invaluable resource for incarcerated persons trying to turn their lives around. This is an opportunity to maintain strong relationships with family so that upon reentry, individuals can succeed. House Bill 1541 would require increased representation of people with direct lived experience from underrepresented communities on a taskforce, workgroup, or advisory committee. When people with direct lived experience are not involved in decisions that impact their lives, it leads to policies that fail to address the root causes of an issue or can lead to unintended consequences. I am hopeful this will lead to a government that is more representative, accountable, and responsive to the citizens it serves. This bill is the result of three years of hard work, and I’m excited to share it passed the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on February 10th! House Bill 1618 deals with the gut-wrenching topic of childhood sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse victims are all too often denied both criminal and civil justice because the statute of limitations has run out. Trauma significantly affects the way a human brain works, and it can take a long time for survivors, especially children, to be ready to speak their truth and share their stories. This bill will make a significant difference in the lives of survivors by giving them the time they need to process, come forward, and start living a life they deserve. On February 3rd, this bill passed the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary to the House Appropriations committee. The Working Families Tax Credit Goes Live  This fantastic program is finally up and running! The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children. Help us spread the word and make sure everyone who qualifies can receive this tax credit. This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, visit WorkingFamiliesCredit.wa.gov. You’re Invited To My First Townhall!  Join your 46th District legislators for a live virtual town hall on Thursday March 16th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Sen. Javier Valdez, Rep. Gerry Pollet, and I will share our legislative priorities and answer your questions on the issues important to you. To best accommodate you, please let us know in our survey if you’ll need translation services to Spanish or ASL, or any other accommodations. You can also submit questions ahead of time by scanning the QR code or following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVXCFBW. Live questions can also be submitted during the event by commenting on Facebook or YouTube. I look forward to seeing you there! Share Your Thoughts with Me I’m so excited to welcome constituents back to Olympia! If you come down to Olympia, please schedule a time for us to meet by emailing our office, so you can share your priorities with me. My staff and I are also happy to meet remotely if you are not quite comfortable in a public setting or simply don’t have time to make it to Olympia. In service,
Rep. Darya Farivar State Representative 46th Legislative District |
