2021 Legislative Updates

See below the links to 2021 full reports from our Lobbyist for the Washington State legislature. Primary legislation we are tracking and supporting includes:

  • Tax on extraordinary profits from capital gains – HB 1496/SB 5096
  • Working Families Tax Credit – HB 1297 / SB 5387
  • Fair Starts for Kids Act – HB 1213/SB 5237
  • Improving Access to Paid Family and Medical Leave – HB 1073 & SB 5097
  • Protecting Pregnant Patients Act – SB 5140
  • Extending Apple Health to pregnant persons through 12 months postpartum – SB 5068

4/23/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

It’s hard to believe that the end of the 2021 legislative session is here. On Sunday, April 25 the regular 2021 session will come to an end. If lawmakers have completed their work, they will sine die – meaning they will formally end the work of session. In the coming days legislators will finalize the 2021-23 biennial budget and make final decisions on bills that have not reached final passage yet. In the past few weeks, many of AAUW’s legislative priorities have reached final passage and been signed into law. [Click to read whole report…]

4/16/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The countdown to sine die – the final day of legislative session – continues. After last week’s whirlwind of bill victories, progress continues. In fact, HB 1009 and SB 5068, two of AAUW’s legislative priorities, will be signed into law by Governor Inslee today, Friday, April 16th at 10 am. The bill signings can be watched live on TVW. [click to read whole report…]

4/9/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

Lawmakers are working around the clock to pass as many bills as possible before the end of the day, Sunday, April 11th – the last day to pass bills out of the opposite chamber. Bills that are necessary to implement the budget are exempt from this cutoff and once April 11th comes and goes, lawmakers will pivot their focus to final budget negotiations. This week’s floor action has brought some great news on AAUW’s legislative priorities: seven of AAUW’s priorities have passed in their respective opposite chambers. [click to read whole report…]

4/2/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The legislature’s fiscal committees are busy with activity as they work to hear and pass as many bills out of committee as possible before April 2 – the final day for bills to be voted out of the opposite chamber’s fiscal committee. The committees are processing a large number of bills, even with the constraints of a virtual session. Lawmakers, staff, and advocates are working around the clock to keep proposals moving forward. Read more below to learn how AAUW’s legislative priorities are progressing. [click to read whole report…]

3/27/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The eleventh week of legislative session brought the release of the Senate and House proposed budgets for the 2021-23 biennium. The Senate Democrats’ proposed budget includes $59.2 billion of investments over two years and includes $357 million in new future revenue from a capital gains tax and $450 million invested in child care. The bill also invests $100 million to subsidize health care plans through the Health Benefit Exchange. The House proposed budget appropriates $58.3 billion including $1 billion for rental assistance for rent accrued during the eviction moratorium and $490 million in child care grants and subsidy expansion.

In another victory, SB 5140 – the Protecting Patient Care Act – passed the House on Wednesday in a 57-41 vote! The bill was amended in committee and will need to be concurred on by the Senate. [click to read whole report…]

3/19/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The tenth week of legislative session brought the return of busy hearing schedules and exciting committee activity. Policy bills have until March 26 to pass out of policy committees in the opposite chamber. This week also brought big news from the Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council: with revenues forecasted to be up $1.9 billion through 2023. But as analysis from the Washington Budget and Policy Center explains, these rebounding numbers do not reflect the lived realities of Washington families: more than a quarter of households are having a hard time paying for basic needs. [click to read whole report…]

3/5/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The House and Senate are working around the clock to consider bills in the House and Senate as both chambers approach house of origin cutoff on Tuesday, March 9. House of origin cutoff is the date by which bills must be passed out of the chamber – the House or the Senate – where they were proposed. Bills considered necessary to implement the budget, or NTIB, are not subject to this cutoff. With floor votes taking place over Zoom, it’s taking longer than usual for bills to be voted on, meaning the number of bills that lawmakers will have time to consider may be much more limited than previous years. [click to read whole report…]

2/26/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

Monday, February 22nd marked fiscal cutoff or the last day to pass bills out of fiscal committees (House Appropriations, Senate Ways & Means, and House and Senate Transportation). Lawmakers worked late and long hours on Zoom to discuss, amend, and pass bills out of committees. The good news? Many of AAUW’s legislative priorities are still moving forward! In fact, this week alone we are celebrating the passage of several bills in their first chamber:

2/19/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The 2021 legislative session is fast-approaching its second official cutoff deadline: fiscal committee cut-off. February 22nd is the last day to pass bills out of fiscal committees (House Appropriations, Senate Ways & Means, and House and Senate Transportation). Fiscal committee members are meeting for marathon sessions to pass as many bills out of committee as they can before the deadline. Advocates are working hard behind the scenes and in hearings to keep their bills moving forward. [click to read whole report…]

2/11/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

The 2021 legislative session is fast-approaching its first official cutoff deadline: policy committee cut-off. February 15th is the last day to pass bills out of policy committee. This does not apply to bills before House Appropriations, Senate Ways & Means, or transportation committees. Between February 15 and 22, the fiscal committee members will meet almost daily as they consider all of the policy bills that have fiscal implications. Bills must pass out of their fiscal committee to keep moving forward in the process. [click to read whole report…]

2/05/21 Washington State Legislative Update [click to read full report]

On Monday 2/1/21 Lobby Day, AAUW members rallied at the virtual capitol to support the organization’s 2021 legislative priorities. Attendees met with other AAUW members, signed-in to support priority bill hearings, and learned more about how things are shaking out in Washington’s first-ever virtual legislative session. [read more about this year’s Lobby Day…]

Next week will be jam-packed with hearings in House Finance on new, progressive revenue proposals:

  • HB 1465: A more progressive estate tax to invest in housing services and homelessness prevention. If you would like to sign in, here is the link: https://bit.ly/3oTQcqK
  • HB 1494: Would reduce the property tax burden and prevent displacement of BIPOC and elderly homeowners. To register your support, go here: https://bit.ly/39LiiQK
  • HB 1496: Would Implement a capital gains tax on Washington’s wealthiest households on extraordinary profits on stocks, bonds, and real estate and invest revenue in small businesses, direct cash assistance, and child care to drive economic recovery. Here is the link to sign in: https://bit.ly/3jgaJEQ[click to read more…]

1/29/21 Washington State Legislative Update

Time to take action on the Working Families Tax Credit (HB 1297/SB 5387)! HB 1297 will be heard in House Finance on Tuesday, February 2 at 1:30 and SB 5387 will be heard in Senate Human Services on Thursday, February 4 at 1:30. One of the great parts about virtual legislative session is that Washingtonians can participate in bill hearings and show your support for important legislation from home.

We need as many people as possible to show their support for HB 1297 on Tuesday and SB 5387 on Thursday. Here’s how: [click to read more…]

1/22/21 Washington State Legislative Update

The second week of Washington’s virtual session was dominated by committee hearings, residents navigating the new capabilities of virtual testimony, and a historic Inauguration in the other Washington. Several of AAUW’s priority bills received legislative hearings this past week, while a few new proposals were introduced in the House and Senate. [click to read more…]

1/15/21 Washington State Legislative Update

Week 1: Washington’s first virtual session is underway

The 2021 legislative session commenced on Monday, as legislators, staff, and advocates adapted to a session like no other. On Monday, members of the House and Senate, as well as staff, gathered at the capitol to adopt new rules that will allow for a virtual session. The House will be conducting a fully-remote session while the Senate will conduct most of its business virtually but will gather some Senators in Olympia for floor votes. In its 105-day session, the legislature will adopt new operating, capital, and transportation budgets for the 2021-23 biennium. The 2021 House and Senate are the most diverse and representative class of legislators in Washington history, with a historic number of people of color and women – including T’wina Nobles who will be the first Black woman to serve in the State Senate in a decade – elected to serve. [click to read more…]