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Dear friends and neighbors,
Today is the 30th day of this 60-day legislative session. Last week was the first policy cutoff and yesterday was the fiscal cutoff. What this means is that any policy bills that didn’t make it out of their committees by last Wednesday are dead, unless they are directly related to the budgets. And bills that were not passed by the budget committees yesterday are also considered dead.
Fortunately, my bills that were scheduled for executive action in the Appropriations Committee yesterday made it out without a hitch!
However, a couple of my bills didn’t make their way after leaving their policy committees: the Higher Education Survivor bill (HB 2242) to support survivors and help keep our college campuses safer, and the ASL shortage workgroup (HB 2221), but we hope to introduce them again next session.
Today we start around the clock floor action to get as many bills as possible out of the House so they can be considered in the Senate. Likewise, that chamber will be voting on bills that will then be taken up by House committees next week.
Remember, you can follow House and Senate floor debates and votes on TVW!
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Town Hall coming up!
My seatmates, Sen, Karen Keiser, Rep. Mia Gregerson, and I will hold a town hall meeting on Saturday, February 17 at 2 PM at Highline College located at 2400 S 240th St, Des Moines, WA 98198.
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Capitol Ideas Podcast
On January 19, I stopped by the Capitol Ideas studio and had a great conversation with the creator of this podcast, Dan Frizzell. We talked about the work we’ve done regarding sexual assault kits, as well as some of my priorities this year, including supporting survivors in college campuses, the crime of fertility fraud, fabricated (AI) intimate images, hearing aid devices, and what it’s like to preside over the House Floor. Click here or on the image below to listen.
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UPDATE ON MY BILLS
HB 2103 / SB 5955: MITIGATING HARM AND IMPROVING EQUITY IN LARGE PORT DISTRICTS
As I shared in my January 21 newsletter, these identical bills would direct a small portion of Port of Seattle revenue to address the significant noise pollution that burdens communities around the airport. We hope to match a portion of state dollars with Port dollars to begin to fix failed port packages. The bill that is moving through the legislative process is the Senate version, sponsored by my seatmate, Sen. Karen Keiser. It passed the Senate Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs Committee on January 30 and passed the Senate Committee on Ways & Means yesterday. I am excited to see this bill receive such great support and hope we can get it all the way to the governor’s desk. ——————————- |
HB 1637: FORECLOSURE SURPLUS FUNDS AND OTHER UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Losing a home to foreclosure is devastating and falling into a predatory scam while going through this traumatic experience adds insult to injury.
When trying to recover surplus funds/unclaimed property remaining after a home is foreclosed, homeowners are charged fees by companies that provide those services. With dodgy or dishonest companies seeking to capitalize on the homeowners’ hard-earned equity, those fees can be excessive. Before 2022, a 5 percent cap on these fees protected homeowners from predatory practices. However, the repeal of the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (RRUPA) created an opportunity for scammers to target vulnerable homeowners, potentially stripping them of their remaining equity. I introduced this legislation last year and, while it did not pass, a part of it, reinstating the 5 percent cap for foreclosures, was amended into another bill that did become law. This year, with unanimous passage of HB 1637 in the House on January 24, we are also reinstating the 5 percent cap on unclaimed property. Typical unclaimed property includes bank accounts, insurance proceeds, securities, safe deposit box contents, and uncashed checks. With these two caps back in place, we are protecting Washingtonians from financial exploitation during a difficult time. My bill is now in the Senate and has been referred to the Law & Justice Committee. ——————————- |
HB 1939: ADOPTING THE SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT
I wrote about this bill in my previous newsletter; today I am pleased to let you know that it passed the House unanimously on January 29 and has been referred to the Health & Long Term Care Committee in the Senate. Watch my floor remarks here or by clicking on the image below.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health conditions have intensified with quarantine guidelines. Poor mental health and lack of mental health support can produce lifelong effects on individuals, families, and communities. With a shortage of mental health and behavioral health workforce, the need for competent workers is crucial to support Washingtonians in need.
My measure will streamline a process to allow out of state social workers to provide needed services by entering a compact. It will also remove licensing and employment barriers for active military members or military spouses who may be constantly on the move.
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HB 1999: AI INTIMATE OR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT IMAGES
This legislation passed the Community Safety, Justice & Reentry Committee on a unanimous vote on January 29 and is now in the Rules Committee.
With the proliferation and availability of AI (artificial intelligence) programs and applications, we have to establish ways to hold people accountable. In recent local news, high school students became victims of leaked fabricated nude images that were altered using AI. These experiences can cause lifelong trauma on those targeted and they disproportionately affect women. My bill will create criminal offenses for possession, viewing, dealing in, and disclosing fabricated depictions of minors and adults engaging in sexually explicated conduct. It is important to provide victims of fabricated intimate images a pathway to justice, HB 1999 does just that by creating an avenue for victims to seek civil cause action and remedies. Bloomberg Law interviewed me on this bill and they ran the story yesterday. The article points out that with my legislation, Washington joins Indiana and Tennessee in pushing for measures to safeguard people against fake AI generated content. California, Texas, Florida, New York, and six other states have already enacted similar statutes. I am proud that we’re taking a stand to ensure everyone has the right to control their digital image! ——————————- |
HB 2076: CRIMES INVOLVING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
This bill unanimously passed the House Committee on Community Safety, Justice & Reentry on January 29, and passage by the Appropriations Committee yesterday means my bill continues its journey. Did you know Washington is a hub for human trafficking? Every year 500 to 700 minors are forced into some sort of sex trafficking. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is having a hard time cracking down on trafficking crimes because current law is cumbersome and makes it difficult to prosecute perpetrators. Over the past decade, fewer than 100 individuals have been prosecuted in Oregon and Washington for sex trafficking crimes. We can do better. My legislation will help us get there by updating existing trafficking statues to make prosecution easier and to get justice for victims. ——————————- |
HB 2088: EXTENDING LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR 988 RESPONDERS
I am happy to report that my bill passed the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee on January 26 with a near-unanimous vote and has been placed in second reading, which means it’ll go on the floor list soon! HB 2088 is a continuation of the work that the 988 system had previously set forth. As you know, the 988 lifeline provides a trauma-informed clinical response to mental and behavioral health crises. This legislation focuses on the ‘someone to respond’ aspect of 988. Mobile and community-based rapid response teams are a crucial part of the 988 system where teams are dispatched to stabilize individuals and are equipped with skills such as crisis intervention and de-escalation. These teams are even able to transport individuals to crisis stabilization centers if needed. HB 2088 will expand liability to these crucial teams when they are providing needed behavioral health services in the community. ——————————- |
HB 2197: GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION UNDER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The House Health Care & Wellness Committee gave its full support to my bill on January 30 and it also passed the Appropriations Committee yesterday.
Community and public safety are a priority in Washington state, and this includes finding ways to reduce firearm injuries. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens, and 70 percent of gun deaths are suicide.
HB 2197 will direct the Health Care Authority to seek federal funding from Medicaid and Medicare services to fund hospital and community-based intervention programs aimed at firearm injury intervention. My legislation is about keeping communities safe, expanding interventions, connecting victims to needed resources, and creating training guidelines to improve outcomes. I discuss more about my bill in this video update:
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Visiting the Capitol during Legislative Session
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Keep in Touch!
I so appreciate your taking the time to read my newsletters! I hope you find them informative and they hep you track what we’re doing in Olympia. If you need more information on any of the issues discussed here or on any legislative matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
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