Bills mostly favorable for supporting general city operations

The general government arena proved to be a mixed bag for cities during the 2020 session. For the most part, bills that passed were favorable for cities. Some issues that proved either too complicated or too controversial to pass this session will certainly be back in 2021. A few highlights:

HB 2421 requires the state to reimburse counties for the state’s prorated share of election costs for primary and general elections in even-numbered years. In practice, this means that each entity with an issue on the ballot will pay a proportional share of election costs, including the costs associated with return postage. While this will be a change in practice requiring locals to pay return postage, the hope is by spreading the costs among all parties and with the state paying its share, overall cost changes should be nominal.

SB 6326 is an example of a good bill designed to help our smallest municipalities. In general, municipal officers are prohibited from accepting (directly or indirectly) any compensation, gratuity, or reward in connection with a contract from any other person beneficially interested in the contact. SB 6326 amends the rule on conflicts of interest to increase the permissible employment of a person for unskilled labor in connection with a contract from $200 to $1,000 per month.

HB 2567 impacts courts by prohibiting a civil arrest inside or within a one-mile radius of a court facility unless a court order authorizes arrest; the arrest is necessary for the immediate safety of judges, staff or the public; or circumstances justify a warrantless arrest. Additionally, the bill prohibits judges, court staff, security personnel and prosecutor’s staff from inquiring or collecting immigration or citizenship status information except in limited circumstances.

A bill that received a great deal of attention but ultimately was not enacted relates to personal privacy and the management of personal data. SB 6281, referred to as the Washington Privacy Act, would have required companies that process large amounts of personal data to allow consumers in Washington state the opportunity to access, correct, delete, and transfer that information. During the final days of the legislative session a private right of action clause was added. This last-minute addition derailed the legislation and time to negotiate further ran out.