Two weeks down, many more to go: Here’s a look at the bills WA lawmakers considered last week
After a flurry of committee meetings, the second week of the state Legislature is in the books.
Last week, lawmakers heard several bills that address issues ranging from police accountability to increasing “missing middle” housing in the state.
While the legislative session still has weeks to go before it adjourns, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, told reporters Wednesday that some bills could make it to the floor this week, although she did not specify which bills they might be.
Lawmakers have until Feb. 17 to pass their bills out of committee, so the next few weeks will focus on getting proposed legislation out of committee and onto the debate floor.
Here are some of the proposals that were introduced or had public hearings this week:
House Bill 1240: Sure to be controversial, this legislation introduced by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, at the request of the Attorney General and the governor, would ban assault weapons in Washington state. While the law does not regulate possession of an assault weapon, it does prohibit the “manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, or offer for sale of any assault weapon” in the state. The bill had a public hearing on Jan. 17 in the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, and is scheduled for an executive session on Jan. 27.
House Bill 1363: A bipartisan proposal sponsored by Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, and Rep. Eric Robertson, R-Sumner, would restore the reasonable suspicion threshold for police to pursue drivers they believe have committed crimes. The bill would rollback legislation passed in 2021 that prevents police officers from engaging in vehicle pursuits in certain instances, but still allowed officers to pursue suspects if they have reasonable suspicion to believe a driver is under the influence, or if there is probable cause that a driver had committed violent or sexual crimes.
Companion Senate Bill 5352 is sponsored by Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, and has bipartisan co-signers on the legislation as well.
House Bill 1340: In an effort to protect reproductive rights in the state, lawmakers introduced legislation that would prevent doctors from being disciplined for providing reproductive or gender affirming care for patients, even if those patients come from other states. The House version of the bill is sponsored by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, while Senate Bill 5400 is being sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline. The House bill has a public hearing scheduled for Jan. 24 in the Health Care and Wellness Committee, but the Senate version has yet to be scheduled.
House Bill 1110: This bill would increase “missing middle” housing such as duplexes and triplexes by allowing the construction of more units on residential lots in cities with populations over 6,000. Four units would be allowed on residential plots, but six could be allowed if two of the units are considered “affordable.” Six units per lot also would be allowed in residential zones if they are within a half mile of major transit areas. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, and is co-sponsored by Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia. The public hearing for the legislation was on Jan. 17.
Companion Senate Bill 5190 is sponsored by Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, and will have its first public hearing on Jan. 25 in the Senate Housing Committee.
Senate Bill 5125: Sponsored by Trudeau at the request of the state treasurer, this bill would create the “Washington Future Fund Program.” The program directs appropriations from the state general fund to deposit $4,000 into an interest-earning account for babies born into poverty in Washington. Those funds will gather interest and claimants ages 18-35 can use the money “for the purpose of education, purchasing a home, or starting a business in Washington.” The legislation was heard in the Senate Human Services Committee on Jan. 16.
Senate Bill 5002: Sponsored by Lovick, this legislation would lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from .08 to .05 while operating a vehicle. Washington would join Utah as the strictest states in the nation for BAC limits should the bill pass. The bipartisan-supported measure had a public hearing on Jan. 16, was passed out of the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Jan. 19 and referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.
Senate Bill 5032: Sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, this bill would change the 10-year lookback period for a DUI sentence to 15 years to review prior DUI convictions. This would increase the penalty from a gross misdemeanor to a felony conviction for anyone who has three or more prior DUIs. Additionally, the legislation would create a sentencing alternative for a felony driving under the influence conviction, as long as the offender does not have a prior felony DUI conviction, and has not been convicted of vehicular assault or vehicular homicide. The bill had its first public hearing on Jan. 16, and was passed unanimously out of the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Jan. 19. It now goes to the Senate Transportation Committee.
