Feb. 5 marked the House of Origin Fiscal Committee cutoff, which required all bills to be moved out of their fiscal committees to remain alive for the session. Following this deadline, legislators have spent all of their time on the floor of their respective chambers debating and passing bills. Legislators will remain on the floor until the House of Origin cutoff which is on Feb. 13. Starting on Feb. 14, legislators will return to their committees to continue working on bills that came over from the opposite chamber. 

Key Issues

  • Unemployment Benefits for Striking Employees – HB 1893 was pulled from Rules and is currently on the House floor calendar. The business community and the House Republicans are working on drafting amendments should the bill come to the floor.
  • Ending Small Business Exemption for Paid Family and Medical Leave – HB 1959 extends parts of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program to employers with fewer than 50 employees. The bill did not advance out of the House Appropriations Committee and will not be moving forward this session. 
  • Expanding Paid Sick Leave – SB 5793 seeks to expand the state’s paid sick leave law to include caring for individuals unrelated to the employee, such as those in non-traditional families, and to cover gig economy drivers. Despite concerns about increasing employer costs and weakening current laws, the bill passed the Senate, 28-21, and now moves to the House for further consideration.
  • State & Local Property Tax Increase – Under existing law, property tax hikes not requiring voter approval are capped at 1% per year.  SB 5770 would enable municipal authorities throughout the state to raise property taxes by as much as 3% annually without the need for voter consent. The bill has not been pulled to the floor for debate. 
  • Housing Affordability Crisis – HB 1998 proposes co-living housing solutions to address the housing affordability and shortage crisis in Washington. It mandates cities and counties to allow co-living housing on lots within urban growth areas capable of hosting six multi-family units, aiming to provide more affordable housing options. The bill passed the House unanimously and heads to the Senate for consideration.
  • AI Task Force – SB 5838 passed out of the Senate, 31-18. The bill creates an Artificial Intelligence Task Force to assess uses, develop guiding principles, and make recommendations for the regulation of generative artificial intelligence. The bill will now move to the House for further consideration. 

We’re Also Keeping an Eye on…

Ballot Initiatives: All six initiatives were certified by the Secretary of State’s office. Initiatives are exempt from cutoff dates. 

    • I-2117 would repeal the two-year-old Climate Commitment Act, which imposes annual limits on greenhouse gas emissions for major emitters and requires them to buy allowances at state auctions for each metric ton of their pollution. Last year, these auctions generated $1.8 billion, earmarked for renewable energy initiatives. Critics argue the act leads to increased prices for fuel, food, and energy.
    • I-2109 would repeal the capital gains excise tax imposed on sales and exchanges of long-term capital assets by individuals with capital gains over $250,000. 
    • I-2113 would restore vehicular pursuit laws.
    • I-2081would establish a parents’ bill of rights.
    • I-2111 would codify Washington state’s longstanding tradition of prohibiting state and local personal income taxes.
    • I-2124 enables working individuals to choose not to participate in the WA Cares Fund.

Important Dates

Feb. 13 – House of Origin Floor Cutoff

Feb. 21 – Opposite House Policy Cutoff

Feb. 26 – Opposite House Fiscal Cutoff

March 1 – Opposite House Floor Cutoff

March 7 – Sine Die

Helpful Links for Session: The Washington State Legislative Website, Find My Legislator, Legislative Committees, Bill Searcher, Washington State Legislative Roster, Sign up for Legislative Email Updates, Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars, Participating in the Process (Email or Testimony)


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