Dear neighbors,
As August draws to a close and children prepare to return to school, our attention turns to the future. Before we head into autumn, the holidays, and the new year, I encourage you to keep an eye out for my informational pamphlet reviewing the 2023 legislative session. Recently finalized, we’ve sent this important document across our district to share the progress we made on the issues that matter most to you. Let me know if you didn’t receive one, and I will personally deliver you a copy.
The 2024 legislative session will be here before we know it! Even though the legislature isn’t currently in session, I want to hear your thoughts on how we can make our community safer and more inclusive. Please consider filling out this 1-minute survey about your legislative priorities.
Protecting Consumers & Businesses
Washington must remain vigilant in protecting consumers. Scammers are active in our communities, taking advantage of our most vulnerable neighbors. In 2023, we passed legislation to hold Robocall criminals accountable (HB 1051), cracked down on real estate schemes harming seniors (SB 5399, SB 5191), established standards for pet insurance (SB 5319), put limits to the use of predatory loans by pet stores to ensure that they are operating in both the animal and consumer’s best interest (HB 1424), and strengthened protections in the Consumer Protection Act.
While doing so, we created a fair and welcoming business environment to keep our economy functioning as best in the nation. All this work was done with an equity focus and a critical eye on protecting our most vulnerable residents. Looking ahead as chair of the Consumer Protection & Business Committee, I believe we can and must adapt our laws to address the challenges of cryptocurrencies, security in online banking, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.
This month, our committee will visit banks and credit unions to study these issues. Particularly, I think we need to discuss the stability of Washington banks and how they protect the assets of Washingtonians in an uncertain economic environment. I am excited to share that in the wake of these meetings, we will be working on legislation to address “layaway” type plans or “pay this in installments” that are not regulated by the Department of Financial Institutions such as junk fees, credit card surcharges, how we serve the underbanked and more
Another important area the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee will be looking at in 2024 is data analytics. We plan to host a workshop to hear from tech companies, consumer groups, the Attorney General’s Office, and others about emerging opportunities and concerns with recent advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computer technologies. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of these conversations and the steps we plan on taking in 2024 to continue to protect Washington’s consumers and businesses.
Stay In Touch
At the start of this month, Phoebe Greening has joined our office as my new legislative assistant. If you have questions about legislation, want to share your thoughts on an issue, schedule a meeting, or require assistance from a state agency, she is standing by to help you! Please continue to participate in the public process by following my checking my website for upcoming events, and sending me an email to share your thoughts anytime with me. Thank you for all you do!
In Service,
State Representative Amy Walen
48th Legislative District