Protecting Consumers throughout Washington

Friday was the first big deadline of this legislative session! At this point, all public policy bills that will continue moving through the legislative process have already been passed out of their policy committees, advancing to a fiscal committee if applicable, and consideration on the House Floor.  

I am proud to announce that my HB 1120 has already passed off the House Floor and is now being considered in the Senate. Another, HB 1136 (requiring employers to reimburse employees for necessary expenditures and losses) has passed out of committee and is up for consideration on the Floor. As of now, 13 of my bills have made it past this first hurdle. You can follow my bills to learn more or share your feedback here.  

The most important part of my job as a legislator is making myself and the legislative process accessible to you. Each week, I share 30 Seconds with the 30th, a short video reviewing what we accomplished in the last week and what we’re working on this week. I work for you—so please never hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, ideas, or stories.  

As a working mom of two young kids, I know how important it is to have safe enforcement mechanisms for alcohol service. During the pandemic, the legislature allowed for the delivery of adult beverages to your home. While this enabled restaurants and others to deliver alcohol, in some cases, it’s also became an easier way for people who are underage to get their hands on alcohol—without the same prevention mechanisms as a bar.  

I’ve sponsored HB 1375 to require delivery drivers to have the same class 12 permit as a bartender to deliver alcohol in an effort to train drivers and ensure accountability for safer and healthier communities. 

In Washington State, a class 12 permit is required for managers, bartenders, and servers engaging in alcohol sales. This training includes education on how to spot a fake ID and emphasizes the potential legal consequences for servers and businesses if a minor is served alcohol. We should expect the same level of integrity, education, and enforcement from companies who deliver alcohol straight to our doorsteps. 

We know that credit company practices can be unfair, predatory, and even life-ruining. Obstacles that consumers face can lead to difficulties seeking new credit, moving into a new home, or landing a new job. It might surprise you that the modern credit card is only about 40 years old. As more people use credit cards and other forms of credit every day, it’s becoming more and more important that we set legal boundaries to protect consumers and ensure fair treatment.  

HB 1311 addresses credit repair services performed by credit organizations by adding prohibited acts to the Credit Services Organization Act, requiring that credit service organizations redact personal information of a consumer in written communications, and requiring credit service organization to provide consumers with disclosures about their ability to file complaints with the Attorney General. I’ve sponsored this legislation to hold credit companies accountable to better consumer protections and disclosures—and better support consumers in Washington.  

When tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour went on sale, thousands of “Swifties” faced huge swings in the tickets’ prices due to resellers’ price gauging, and unimaginable wait times on Ticketmaster. The vertical integration of venue and promotion companies has consequentially formed monopolies with little concern for the fans hoping to see their favorite musicians perform live.  

This year, I’ve introduced the “TSWIFT” Consumer Protection Act, HB 1648, to make it more transparent and fairer for fans to purchase concert tickets. The Ticketmaster meltdown made it clear that we need greater consumer protection around ticket sales, and this bill would require ticket resellers to obtain a ticket sales licenses to do business in Washington. This would ensure that when folks visit ticket sites, they get the full and most transparent information possible—and have a greater chance at scoring a ticket by deterring mass resellers who may hike the prices up. In addition to placing limits on ticket resellers, this bill prohibits speculative ticket sales, expands the prohibition on using bots or software to purchase tickets, and ensures ticket transferability. As the bill reads, “The legislature believes ticket sellers should be ‘fearless’ in providing integrity, fairness, and transparency with consumers, and therefore, the legislature refuses to ‘shake it off.’”  

Mark your calendar–every Tuesday morning from 7-9am, I host “constituent office hours” at Ebony and Ivory Coffee (33930 Weyerhaeuser Way S, Federal Way, WA 98001) and you’re invited to join me! I’d love to hear about your stories, interests, legislative priorities, challenges, and what’s most important to you and your family.  

If you’d like to get in touch but can’t make it on Tuesdays, please feel free to email me (Kristine.Reeves@leg.wa.gov) or my legislative assistant Thalia (pronounced Ta-lee-uh), Thalia.Corona@leg.wa.gov, to find a time to stop by our office in Olympia. I hope to hear from you soon!