Dear friends and neighbors,
As we near this session’s halfway mark, our bills are successfully moving through the legislative process.
So far, seven bills have passed out of House committees and will be (hopefully) making their way to the House floor.
- House Bill 1924: Promoting the integration of fusion technology within state clean energy policies (Environmental Protection)
- House Bill 1925: Expanding the Veterans Service Officer program to increase veteran support statewide (Veterans Assistance)
- House Bill 1936: Concerning tax incentives for farmers (Agriculture)
- House Bill 2023: Improving meaningful access to elections by increasing language assistance (Voting Rights)
- House Bill 2236: Expanding and strengthening career and technical education core plus programs (Health Care / Education)
- House Bill 2390: Concerning penalties related to eluding police vehicles and resisting arrest (Public Safety)
- House Bill 1768: Exempting certain sales of electricity to qualifying green businesses from the public utilities tax (Environmental Protection)
For this month’s newsletter, I would like to highlight two priorities that help our students and veterans.
Veteran Service Officers
House Bill 1925 serves to expand Washington State’s Veteran Service Officer (VSO) program.
First, the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Veteran Service Officer Program will be required to prioritize funding for counties without a VSO, and counties where veteran benefits lag the national average.
Second, the bill also requires the WDVA to reach out to new veterans and retirees about their benefits and services.
VSOs are critical to helping our veterans receive benefits on a range of crucial services from health care and education to housing and employment assistance. Our VSOs are professionals committed to serving those who served – and we must do everything we can to ensure every veteran across every county has access to these professionals.
Veterans are part of the fiber of our communities and make our region what it is. Island County has the highest percentage of veterans than any other county in the state. The 10th district has more veterans than any other district.
House Bill 1925 is a critical program that honors and recognizes the valuable contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans. I will always fight for every veteran across every corner of our state because they have fought and sacrificed for all of us.
Allied Core Plus Health Program
(Credit: LSS Photography)
House Bill 2236 expands and strengthens career and technical education in our high schools by creating the Core Plus Allied Health Care program. The Core Plus program uses hands-on curriculum for professional development and career learning.
With more than 5,500 students participating in today’s Core Plus programs (Aerospace, Construction, Maritime), Core Plus is highly successful, meets long-term workforce needs, and develops our students who love to learn through hands-on instruction.
The Allied Health Care program will initially focus on long-term care, medical assistance/certified nursing assistance, and physical therapy/sports medicine.
This program will help create a new generation of young adults excited to serve in critical healthcare roles – and this is a win for our students and a path toward alleviating some of our healthcare workforce issues.
In collaboration and consultation with allied health profession employers and labor organizations, this is a huge leap towards preparing every child for high-demand, meaningful work. I am proud to have sponsored this bill and look forward to working with my colleagues to get it over the finish line this session.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue my life-long dedication to public service. As a veteran having attended the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated from Naval Nuclear Power School, trained at a naval nuclear reactor plant, and served in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as a public affairs officer, I am honored to serve you here in the Washington State Legislature.
Always at Your Service,
Rep. Clyde Shavers