NEWSLETTER: COVID tests, WA CARES Fix, Update on my Bills and more!
January 22, 2022
Dear friends and neighbors,
It’s just been two weeks, but things are happening very quickly this legislative session. We are on a race against the clock because we only have sixty days to get our work done and there is a lot to report, so let’s get to it!
FREE COVID Tests!
This is great news: the Department of Health just launched a website where Washington residents can order free, rapid COVID-19 tests delivered to their homes.
While the ordering website is only available in English and Spanish, additional languages are in development. Also, language assistance is available for anyone with limited English or internet access by dialing 1-800-525-0127 and pressing #.
Each household can only place one order per residential address and each order comes with up to five rapid tests. DOH has limited supply as demand for testing nationwide has surged in the past few weeks, but they will replenish as supply into the state increases.
If/when there are no tests available on the Say Yes! COVID Test website, people can still submit their information (name/address), and they will be put in the queue for their tests to be shipped once they are back in stock.
Listening to your concerns, House passes reforms to make WA CARES better for your family
Most people don’t have a plan for how they can age in place in their own homes or handle basic long term care needs. This leads to people spending down their savings to qualify for Medicaid, which is paid for by the state through your tax dollars. Some people rely on unpaid family members for basic needs, or just go without care at all. We cannot accept this broken system that bankrupts people and leaves seniors and individuals with disabilities without the care they need.
The solution is WA Cares, the next step for a true social safety net that protects working families like yours.
This week we passed two bills to improve the WA Cares Fund by extending the rollout, delaying premiums for working families, and offering voluntary exemptions for certain people, including disabled veterans and military spouses.
House Bill 1733 enables military spouses, disabled veterans, border state residents, and non-immigrant visa holders to voluntarily exempt themselves from premiums for the WA Cares program. Active-duty service members were never subject to the premiums, so it just makes sense to give their spouses the option of exempting themselves as well.
House Bill 1732 extends the rollout of the Long-Term Care Trust program by 18 months. During this extension, businesses will not have to collect premiums. With this additional time, lawmakers will expand the program, allowing people closer to retirement to collect the benefits. It also allows for the refunding of prematurely collected premiums.
No matter how young you are today, you may eventually need some long-term care or changes to your home so you can age in place. These reforms give those nearing retirement a chance to qualify for the program and get the care they need, when they need it.
Video Update: Adult Family Homes & Temporary License Plates
Many of the bills we write come from stories we are told by you, the people we represent. These two pieces of legislation I introduced are perfect examples of that:
HB 1789 would exempt non-profit-owned adult family homes specifically serving folks with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities from property taxes. (Public hearing in Finance on January 17, watch it here)
HB 1790 would make temporary license plates more like actual plates that would be displayed front and back, just like regular plates, instead of taped to a window, which makes them difficult to see. (Public hearing in Transportation on January 18, watch it here)
Click on the image below to watch my video update and see how I heard about the need for these measures.
The internet is still an issue
Last year, we invested a record-breaking $411 million to build broadband and gave more authority for public broadband to fill the gaps that corporations won’t. We also invested in community digital navigators that serve as resources to help people get online. All of this is on top of truly historic broadband investments in the federal infrastructure bill.
To close the digital divide, we need all three legs of the stool: access, devices, and skills.
That’s why the Digital Equity Act was introduced this session. It would create four new programs and codify the Digital Equity Forum to help everyone take advantage of the internet. It’s crucial we pass the Digital Equity Act to broaden access to the internet, appropriate devices, and the skills to operate online safely and effectively so that all people in Washington can fully participate in our society, democracy, and economy.
Police Accountability Implementation and Clarification
Last year the Legislature passed a package of bills designed to improve trust between law enforcement and the community and to uphold the policing profession. These laws work together to establish clear expectations for the behavior of police officers: to define what is acceptable use of force; what tactics and equipment are permitted; and to make sure that misconduct is held accountable.
Since this legislation went into effect a few months ago, we have heard concerns and confusion from police, from mental health professionals and from the public that these new laws might be restricting what police can do, especially in trying to help people suffering from mental health crisis.
Members from the House Public Safety Committee have spent the last few months meeting with law enforcement leaders, rank and file officers, designated crisis responders, mental and behavioral health professionals, firefighters, EMTs, cities, and counties to gather feedback and ensure that our officers have the clarity necessary to do their jobs. As a result of these discussions, House Democrats have introduced two bills to clarify portions of the new laws.
HB 1735 clarifies that officers can use force, subject to the newly established reasonable care standard, in behavioral health circumstances, for involuntary treatment commitments, in instances of child welfare, and other related circumstances. While the new use of force standard never made any changes to these statutes, some law enforcement agencies contend that it prevents them from assisting designated crisis responders and mental and behavioral health specialists with involuntary treatments and other community caretaking functions. Regrettably, this has caused some law enforcement agencies to stop responding to community caretaking calls altogether. HB 1735 ensures that officers have the certainty they need to respond to community caretaking calls.
The second bill, HB 1719, amends the ban on .50 caliber firearms to only apply to .50 caliber rifles and not less lethal ammunition that may be greater than .50 caliber or the devices that fire them. Some law enforcement agencies had discontinued use of these devices because they feared they might violate the ban on .50 caliber firearms. However, the new standard of reasonable care explicitly calls for using less-lethal devices before employing deadly force if at all possible. With these tweaks to the law, I am confident that our dedicated law enforcement professionals will be able to prioritize de-escalation and less lethal alternatives to deadly force while providing everyone in our community with the public safety they expect and deserve.
Keep in Touch!
Thank you for reading my newsletter. If you need more information on any of the issues discussed here, or on any other legislative matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Erika, my previous Legislative Assistant, has taken another position, but we now have Hunter Cooper, who is also a rock star (in fact, he was my LA a few years ago) and he’ll make sure your calls and emails reach me.
