Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The 2023 legislative session is now coming down the final stretch. Currently, we are back on the House floor full-time, voting on the bills the Senate has already passed. Once we hit the “opposite house” cutoff next Wednesday, we will have ten days to resolve any differences in the versions of bills that passed the House and Senate before “Sine Die,” the last day of session on April 23rd.
This newsletter outlines some of the bills the House has passed in two very important areas, reproductive health and the environment. Read on to learn more about how we are working to protect reproductive freedom from attacks from out-of-state actors, as well as legislation to help protect us from the worst impacts of climate change.
Protecting & Preserving Reproductive Health Care
Washington state residents have a right to reproductive and gender-affirming care. Even though we have protected that right here, other states are trying to punish anyone who pursues or provides support for an abortion – even those who live in our state.
In the past six years, more than 40 bills have been introduced here in the Washington State Legislature seeking to overturn the right to abortion, although none of those measures have been enacted into law. By contrast, we are now standing strong to keep reproductive care available, accessible, and affordable for every resident in the state, moving a package of bills that will stand up against extremists and states looking to take away your rights.
House Bill 1155 (My Health, My Data Act) blocks websites and apps from collecting and sharing health data. It also prohibits the sale of Washingtonian’s health data, the use of “geofences” to send unsolicited messages to persons at health facilities and requires companies that collect personal health data to create, maintain, and publish a privacy policy for consumer health data.
House Bill 1340 ensures that Washington’s providers cannot be disciplined in our state because they provide reproductive or gender affirming care in accordance with Washington state law, regardless of where their patients reside.
House Bill 1469 (Shield Law) protects patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care in Washington from retribution by other states.
Protecting Washingtonians from the Adverse Effects of Climate Change
With the devastating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation threatening the lives and livelihoods of all who call this state home, it’s never been more important to ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect our state from these adverse impacts. These two bills will help protect us further from the effects of climate disruption:
House Bill 1170 requires the Washington Department of Ecology to update the Integrated Climate Change Response Strategy every four years in coordination with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. By continuously evaluating the latest science and adapting our plans for dealing with climate events, we can minimize the impacts on our communities. Washington is a state of scientists and innovators. We should utilize our talent to plan for the future.
House Bill 1329 prevents utilities or landlords from shutting off utilities during extreme heat events. In June of 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced a “heat dome.” This extreme heat event shattered heat records across the region with the temperature rising to 108 degrees. One radio station in Maple Valley recorded a temperature of 118 degrees. The Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington set the state’s all-time heat record at 120 degrees. Sadly, in a region where most homes do not have air conditioning, these temperatures turned deadly. Extreme weather events already disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. We should not be taking away a vital lifeline just because someone missed paying a utility bill.
As always, please reach out if you have questions, comments, or ideas. Look forward to another legislative update from me soon.
All best wishes,
Roger Goodman
Representative, 45th District
Washington State Legislature