Last Friday marked another deadline in the Legislature as lawmakers closed the end of the week with executive sessions in both the Senate Ways and Means Committee and House Appropriations Committee. Here are a few bills we’re watching:
Senate Bill 5123: Some employers in Washington state would no longer be allowed to discriminate against applicants for their cannabis use outside of work under a bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday. The bill was introduced by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and passed with a 28-21 vote. If passed through the House and signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024 and would only apply to pre-employment screenings, not an employer’s on-the-job policies after an employee is hired.
House Bill 1389: Landlords in Washington would no longer be able to quickly raise rents under this proposed legislation. Rents would not be able to be raised on tenants within the first 12 months after signing a lease, and rent increases could not be more than 3-7% in a 12-month period, although exemptions could apply in some circumstances. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Alex Ramel, D-Bellingham, and was passed out of the House Appropriations Committee on Friday.
SB 5257: Recess could become mandatory for elementary school children in Washington under legislation sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest.
SB 5131: As the law currently stands, up to 95% of the money sent to people in prison by family members is kept by the Department of Corrections for various accounts such as payment of Legal Financial Obligations or simply the cost of being incarcerated. This bill would prevent money sent by family members from being used for those deductions, and instead, inmates could only spend the money on commissary items.
And here’s a fun one:
HB 1020: This bill passed from the chamber floor on Monday and would designate the Suciasaurus Rex as Washington’s official dinosaur. Fourth-grade students from Elmhurst Elementary in the Franklin Pierce School District brought the bill forward to Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland, in 2019 but the legislation has yet to clear all the legislative hurdles needed to become law.
This list is not exhaustive - and we encourage each of you to keep an eye out for legislation that affects you and your community.
Please join me in wishing a huge thank you to our Democratic legislators who are working tirelessly to build a better, safer, Washington!
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