
January 20, 2025 Week 2 and the bills are rolling in As the legislative session enters Week 2, we are seeing the bills roll in. Lots of bills are being introduced and scheduled for hearings. The AWC team is busy reviewing, analyzing, and writing about those that impact cities. You can use our Bill Tracker to keep up to date, and this week we have started our 2025 Bill Hot Sheet. The Hot Sheet is a handy reference tool showing some of the key bills we are working on—it isn’t a comprehensive list, but it is an easy guide to help you track our efforts. If you are interested in testifying on a bill, be sure to check out the brief how-to videos we shared last week with helpful tips and suggestions. Some of the hot issues already shaping up are public safety funding and housing—which probably comes as no surprise to city officials. Please be sure to tell your local legislators how your city is addressing housing and public safety needs and talk about how the state can help. This is a good time to check in with your legislators if you haven’t already. They are getting into the swing of session and need to hear from the folks in their districts as a reminder about your priorities. Reach out with a quick email or text and set up a phone call or meeting. Their schedules are tight, but they really do appreciate hearing from you. If you have questions about the session, legislative process, or a particular bill, you can always contact us. We are happy to help. Candice Bock Government Relations Director The much-discussed $100 million for law enforcement bill gains a hearing A bill proposes to create a law enforcement hiring grant program that’s supported by Gov. Bob Ferguson. The bill aims to fulfill an often-mentioned campaign promise from Gov. Ferguson to boost the number of police officers throughout the state. As this is one of our legislative priorities, AWC is excited to see interest in the state committing to provide more public safety funding for cities. But this good news comes with caveats. More One-time city Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax distribution adjustment The Office of the State Treasurer recently conducted a review of the monthly Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax (MVFT) distribution made to state and local governments. After consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, the Treasurer’s Office refined and updated the calculation for the distribution. January’s distribution will include a one-time, nominal adjustment that reflects the updated calculation for the full current biennium. Cities will see a small reduction in their January distribution, ranging from $2 to $39,000. If you have any questions, please contact the Treasurer’s Office. AWC priority to address local public safety needs via state-shared revenues gets a bill number We are excited to announce that one of our legislative priorities this year has been introduced into the Legislature and assigned a bill number. HB 1428 represents a significant source of ongoing funding for cities to use towards public safety needs by proposing to increase a vital state-shared revenue source by 50% with an additional $25 million per biennium distributed to cities and towns. It’s never too early to contact your legislator and let them know that you support a bill. If this one would help your city, reach out today with your support. More Register for Friday City Action Calls (city members only) During the legislative session, AWC hosts City Actions calls every Friday at 12:30 pm. In these meetings, AWC lobbyists provide the latest updates and city officials have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. The calls occur every Friday during the legislative session. You’ll need to register each week. Celebrate the Public Works Board’s 40th Anniversary! This year, the Public Works Board (PWB) marks its 40th year of serving Washington’s local governments with vital support for their infrastructure projects. Since its founding in 1985, the PWB has awarded more than $3 billion in loans and grants to over 2,000 infrastructure projects across the state. Use this as an opportunity to spread the word about the important support cities receive from the PWB and advocate for ongoing, full funding for the Public Works Assistance Account. If you’re in Olympia on January 30, stop by the State Treasurer’s office between 4-7 pm to celebrate with PWB members, staff, and legislators. RSVP here. Add your project to the 2025-27 Public Works Board infrastructure pipeline PWB staff maintain a list of local projects seeking funding from the Public Works Assistance Account to understand and track the “infrastructure project pipeline” across Washington. Complete this brief survey to provide the PWB with information on your city’s known projects ready for construction within the next two to four years. CityVoice Podcast: Exploring the condition of Washington cities with Carl Schroeder AWC conducts an annual City Conditions Survey to gather information on the condition of cities and towns in our state. The survey covers a wide range of topics including finance, housing, public safety, infrastructure, and more. In Part 2 of our podcast series on the survey, we sit down with Carl Schroeder, AWC's Deputy Director of Government Relations, to discuss how cities are addressing the issues of transportation, housing, and climate. Listen here. Learn how to navigate the Washington State Legislature’s website Want to look up a bill or listen to a committee hearing, but aren’t sure how? Watch AWC’s video for an overview of Washington’s legislative website. Learn how to find and access bill information, identify scheduled committee hearings, look up your legislators, and other important tips for navigating this helpful resource. Visit AWC’s bill tracker for easy access to the bills you’re most interested in and to filter by the information you’re looking for, whether it’s a brief description of a bill, the status of bills you’re tracking, or AWC’s comprehensive coverage. Tip: Don't forget to bookmark the tracker and check it regularly for the latest updates. This week’s bill highlights: Affordable housing Another bill restricts cities’ ability to ensure parking is provided with development (SB 5184) More Proposal to require approval of all transitional, supportive, and emergency housing (HB 1195) More A bill proposes to add multiple prescriptive sections to the GMA (HB 1183) More Another state review of GMA housing elements is proposed (HB 1235/SB 5148) More Budget & finance Notification requirements for tax rate changes (HB 1126/SB 5315) More Environmental & natural resources Producer responsibility for packaging—will Washington finally modernize? (HB 1150) More Complex approach to add environmental justice to SEPA checklist (HB 1303) More HR & labor relations PFML job protections sees major expansion under new bill (HB 1213) More PFML premium rates may get another reform (SB 5292) More Underinsured coverage for local government vehicles undermining workers comp (SB 5107) More Bill to give striking workers UI benefits returns for 2025 (SB 5041) More New bills let small city and town police arbitrate contract disputes (HB 1045/SB 5040) More Land use & planning Proposal to require cities to authorize childcare centers in more areas (HB 1212) More Neighborhood cafes bill returns (HB 1175) More Compliance with the GMA when repealing ordinances (HB 1135 & SB 5197) More Wildland-urban interface reforms redux (HB 1254) More Open government Flexible meeting schedules for the Sunshine Committee scheduled this week (SB 5049) More Pensions Plans 1 merger on the docket this week (SB 5085) More Bill for ongoing PERS Plan 1 COLA up for hearing this week (HB 1292/SB 5113) More Public safety & criminal justice Bill seeks to cap the number of evaluations for competency to stand trial (HB 1218) More Bill lowers the impaired driving threshold and adds substance use disorder assessments (HB 1315) More Bill proposal creating a new statewide Jail Oversight Board receives hearing (SB 5005) More Public works & infrastructure Public works contracts to account up front for changes in prevailing wage per new bill (SB 5061) More Transportation New regulations for debris escaping vehicles on public roadways introduced (SB 5215) More Municipal bonds are at risk in federal budget reduction discussions as the 119th Congress gets underway. Talk to your Congressional delegation now about the importance of tax-exempt bond projects in your communities and help the National League of Cities (NLC) advocate by contributing examples to NLC and the Government Finance Officers Association’s dashboard of projects built by bonds. More Gov. Ferguson issues executive orders on permit and license streamlining and housing regulations on his first day of office. Executive Order 25-03 – Improving Transparency and Building Efficiency in the State’s Permitting and Licensing Processes requires state agencies to inventory and establish deadlines for state licenses and permits and require refunds if deadlines are not met. Executive Order 25-02 – Assessing Regulatory Efficiency and Addressing Washington’s Affordable Housing Crisis requires state agencies to provide a report and recommendations in 60 days on rules or regulations that may impact the construction of new housing. Register for Friday City Action Calls (city members only) During the legislative session, AWC hosts Friday City Actions Calls at 12:30 pm. In these meetings, AWC lobbyists provide the latest updates and city officials have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. The calls occur every Friday during the legislative session. You’ll need to register each week. Don’t miss City Action Days – Register now February 19-20 \| Lacey Held annually during the legislative session, this popular event for city officials includes updates on city legislative priorities, insider panels, and intel on the latest legislative hot topics. The conference includes a “hill climb,” where attendees are encouraged to meet with legislators to discuss city priorities at the state Capitol. Register now!
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