2021 Washington State Legislative Report- Week 13

Week Thirteen

Week 13 is now complete and the 2021 Legislative Session is winding down. Sunday, April 11th, is the final day for bills, other than those deemed necessary to implement the budget, to pass the opposite chamber from where they were introduced in order to keep advancing this session. After today there are no more cut offs, the next and final landmark is the April 25th Sine Die date. To view bills that have been signed by the Governor click here. To watch a summary of the highlights from this week click here.

This week was filled with floor action in both chambers that often went late into the night. There was action on several police accountability proposals, including Rep. Jesse Johnson’s bill reforming police tactics and equipment (HB 1054), and Sen. Pedersen’s bill on certification and hiring (SB 5051). The Senate also voted on Senator Carlyle’s cap and invest proposal (SB 5126) and Rep. Fitzgibbon’s low carbon fuel standard proposal (HB 1091). 

Transportation package negotiations took another step forward last week, with Sen. Hobbs holding a work session on his proposed Forward Washington package. There is now legislative language, SB 5482, which will be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday, April 12th. There has been no additional action on Rep. Fey’s package, HB 1564, since its initial public hearing on April 1st.

Next week the focus will be on budget negotiations, and concurrence votes. Any piece of legislation that was amended in the opposite chamber must go back to the House of Origin for concurrence before it can be signed into law.  At this point we expect the consensus operating budget to be released the week of April 19th.

Important Dates:

 Feb 15 – House of Origin Policy Cutoff

 Feb 22 – House of Origin Fiscal Cutoff

 March 9 – House of Origin Floor Cutoff

 March 26 – Opposite House Policy Cutoff

 April 2 – Opposite House Fiscal Cutoff April 11 – Opposite House Floor Cutoff April 25 – Sine Die

We had both the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (HB 1091) and the Cap & Invest (SB 5126) legislation come out of the Senate this week.  The Low Carbon Fuel Standard will return to the House for concurrence. The House is expected to not concur with the Senate changes which will cause the bill to go to a conference committee. Cap & Invest will take a couple of weeks to move through the House, and there continues to be quite a bit of question around this, especially from the environmental justice community. Public hearing on SB 5126 in the House Environment & Energy committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14th.  All of these are linked to a statewide transportation package, which further complicates these issues.

Decarbonization of buildings legislation brought forward by Representative Ramel HB 1084 remains in the House Appropriations Committee and is unlikely to move forward this year. The HEAL Act legislation sponsored by Senator Saldana, SB 5141, passed the House on Saturday, April 10th (56-41).

We continue to monitor HB 1513 and HB 1534 brought forward by Representatives Lekanoff and Shewmake concerning a proposed carbon tax and bond legislative package. While neither bill is scheduled for public hearing at this time, these proposals are not subject to cutoffs.

After passing out of the Senate Energy, Environment and Technology Committee last week, HB 1280 is on the Senate floor calendar. This legislation sponsored by Representative Ramel would set requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in public facilities design. 

Sponsored by Representative Shewmake, HB 1393, related to delaying the stewardship plan and annual report for solar panel manufacturers passed the Senate on Monday, March 29th with a 45-4 vote.  Since then, both the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate have signed the legislation, and it will now move to the Governor to be signed into law.

Clean Tech Alliance Bill Status & Upcoming Events Report

Upcoming Events

Environment & Energy (House) – Virtual, – 4/14 @ 8:00am

  1. E2SSB 5126 – Public Hearing – Concerning the Washington climate commitment act. (Remote testimony.)

Bill #Abbrev. TitleShort DescriptionStatusSponsor
HB 1036 (Dead)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.H Env & EnergyFitzgibbon
HB 1046 (Dead)Community solar programsConcerning community solar programs.H Env & EnergyBateman
E2SHB 1050Fluorinated gasesReducing greenhouse gas emissions from fluorinated gases.S Passed 3rdFitzgibbon
SHB 1080 (ESSB 5083)Capital budget 2021-2023Concerning the capital budget.S HeldTharinger
SHB 1081 (SSB 5084)State gen. obligation bondsConcerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts.H 2nd ReadingTharinger
SHB 1084 (SB 5093)Building decarbonizationReducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.H AppropsRamel
E3SHB 1091 (SB 5231)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.S Passed 3rdFitzgibbon
HB 1093 (SB 5091)Operating budget, 2nd supp.Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.H AppropsOrmsby
SHB 1094 (ESSB 5092)Operating budgetMaking 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.H Rules ROrmsby
SHB 1103 (SB 5366)Building materialsImproving environmental and social outcomes with the production of building materials.H AppropsDuerr
HB 1125Energy investmentsIncentivizing investment in energy conservation and efficiency measures and expanding opportunities for energy rate discounts to, among other objectives, reduce the energy burden of low-income customers and vulnerable populations.H Env & EnergyShewmake
HB 1130Energy supply/consumersConcerning consumer affordability and reliability in energy supply.H Env & EnergyDye
SHB 1135 (SSB 5165)Transp. budget 2021-2023Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.H Rules RFey
SHB 1204 (SB 5256)Transp. electrificationConcerning the electrification of transportation.H Rules RMacri
HB 1280Greenhouse gas/facilitiesConcerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities.S 2nd ReadingRamel
HB 1393Photovoltaic module programDelaying certain implementation dates for the photovoltaic module stewardship and takeback program.Del to GovShewmake
SHB 1406 (SB 5426)Wealth taxImproving the equity of Washington state’s tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets.H AppropsFrame
HB 1513Carbon emissionsImproving environmental health by reducing carbon emissions through increasing climate resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change by levying a carbon pollution tax, authorizing a climate finance bond program, and investing in clean economic growth.H Env & EnergyLekanoff
HB 1534Carbon pollution taxEstablishing a carbon pollution tax that recognizes the nature of energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries.H Env & EnergyShewmake
ESSB 5083 (SHB 1080)Capital budget 2021-2023Concerning the capital budget.H RulesFrockt
SSB 5084 (SHB 1081)State gen. obligation bondsConcerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts.S 2nd ReadingFrockt
SB 5091 (HB 1093)Operating budget, 2nd supp.Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations.S Ways & MeansRolfes
ESSB 5092 (SHB 1094)Operating budgetMaking 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.H Passed 3rdRolfes
SB 5093 (SHB 1084)Building decarbonizationReducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings.S Environment, ELiias
E2SSB 5126Climate commitment actConcerning the Washington climate commitment act.H Env & EnergyCarlyle
SSB 5165 (SHB 1135)Transp. budget 2021-2023Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.H Passed 3rdHobbs
SB 5168Electric utility advisoryConcerning renewable and nonemitting resources analysis and advisory opinions.S Environment, EShort
SSB 5174Wind turbine blade recyclingProviding for the recycling of wind turbine blades.S Rules XWilson
SB 5206Energy facility evaluationEliminating expedited processing of an alternative energy resource facility fueled by solar energy on certain designated lands before the energy facility site evaluation council.S Environment, EWarnick
SB 5231 (E3SHB 1091)Transportation fuel/carbonReducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel.S Environment, EStanford
SB 5244Nuclear reactor productionEncouraging the production of advanced nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and components through the invest in Washington act.S Environment, EBrown
SB 5256 (SHB 1204)Transp. electrificationConcerning the electrification of transportation.S Environment, ELiias
SB 5308Hybrid vehicle feesReducing certain transportation electrification fees on hybrid vehicles.S TransportationShort
SB 5373Carbon pollutionConcerning carbon pollution.S Environment, ELovelett
SB 5415Energy facil site eval cnclConcerning the energy facility site evaluation council.S Environment, ELovelett