
February 3, 2025 February brings City Action Days and cutoff deadlines Finally, we made it through January, the longest Monday, I mean month, of the year. February brings some new excitement for the legislative session. Right now, we are still in the rush of bills being introduced and getting their first committee hearing. However, as we look to the middle of the month things start to get really interesting. First, we have AWC’s annual City Action Days legislative conference. We are looking forward to having over 300 city officials gathered to hear more about this year’s hot topics and engage in the legislative process. Don’t miss out—there is still time to register for the event on February 19-20. That same week is the first cutoff deadline of the session. (Want to know more about cutoffs? Check out this short video.) Any bills that are not voted out of their policy committee by February 21 will be considered “dead” for the session. Of course there’s a caveat to that rule: bills necessary to the budget are typically exempt from cutoffs. But the upcoming deadline means pressure is starting to mount to get bills scheduled for hearings and ready for a vote before the first cutoff. This time of session also means that our weekly Bill Hot Sheet is jam-packed with bills, since everything is still technically “alive.” We have a large number of bills we are tracking and actively working to advance, amend, or stop. To hear more about what’s going on, please tune into our weekly Friday City Action Calls. You’ll hear the latest updates and can ask questions and provide feedback. This is also a good time to remind you that it’s neither too late nor too early to be checking in with your legislators. Make sure they know whether you support or oppose key proposals, and how they will impact your city. Feel free to use our Hot Sheet, fact sheets, and Bulletin articles as you talk with them. If you need anything else, please let us know. We are here to help. Candice Bock Government Relations Director Duo of public safety funding bills gain legislative traction It’s go time, folks. Two bills that address our legislative priority to invest in public safety have public hearings in fiscal committees this week. AWC’s preferred priority bill, HB 1428 has a hearing on February 5. Please take a few seconds to sign-in here as “pro” to note your support on the legislative record. The bill increases the Municipal Criminal Justice Assistance Account overall distribution by $25 million per biennium. We like this option best because it’s more direct, ongoing, and equitable than some other funding proposals this session. Another bill we support has a hearing today, SB 5060 establishes a $100 million grant program for law enforcement hiring. Could the state share more cannabis revenues with local governments? For years after the legalization of cannabis in Washington, the state severely restricted the state-shared revenues distributed to local governments. In 2022, the state adopted a new formula that provided a defined percentage of cannabis tax revenues to share with cities and towns. Now, a new Senate bill would establish annual increases in the percentages of cannabis revenues shared with local governments. More AWC opposes major administrative changes to the state Voting Rights Act Major changes may be underway for the Washington Voting Rights Act (VRA) that would impact cities. A new bill creates a system of “preclearance” that many cities would need to go through before taking actions that affect voting, elections, or protected classes of voters. AWC strongly supports voting rights and efforts to ensure elections at every level are equitable and fair. We are concerned that this proposal creates extra procedures that apply to cities for circumstances outside their control and impair a city’s ability to carry out many normal functions. More The Public Works Assistance Account needs cities’ help: advocate for ongoing, full funding This year, as we celebrate the Public Works Assistance Account’s (PWAA) 40th year supporting Washington’s local governments, the account is at risk of losing over $100 million to the state’s general fund. We cannot let this sweep happen. Since its founding in 1985, the PWAA has provided cities, big and small, with vital assistance for their infrastructure projects. Contact your legislators now and use AWC’s talking points to advocate for ongoing, full funding for the account. More Hear updates on the impacts of new federal funding directives AWC and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) will host an update on February 6 at 8 am to share the latest updates on the impacts of new federal funding directives for local governments from state and federal leaders. Attendance is limited to AWC and PSRC members. Register here. Want the latest on all the legislative action? Join AWC’s City Action Call this Friday (city members only) During the legislative session, AWC hosts City Actions Calls every Friday at 12:30 pm. In these meetings, AWC lobbyists provide legislative 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. AWC testifies in support of producer responsibility for packaging bill Watch AWC Government Relations Deputy Director Carl Schroeder testify in support of HB 1150 before the House Environment & Energy Committee. This bill creates an extended producer responsibility (EPR) system to improve residential recycling access, increase recycling rates, and require financial accountability by producers of paper and packaging—an approach that residents support, based on recent polling. Support HB 1428 and other public safety funding bills AWC Government Relations Director Candice Bock shares an update on the several key public safety funding bills AWC is supporting, as well as important components of HB 1428 that make it AWC’s preferred public safety funding bill to bring needed support to cities for hiring police officers and supporting other important parts of the criminal justice system. More 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 Parking mandate bills continue to move forward (HB 1299/SB 5184) More STEP housing bills are on the move (HB 1195/SB 5497) More Another lot-splitting proposal enters the fray (SB 5559) More Budget & finance House takes quick action on local tax rate change notification (HB 1126) More Economic development Public facilities districts bill moves forward with minor changes (HB 1037) More Emergency management Pet accommodation moves out of committee without fixing local government concerns (HB 1201) More Energy Embodied carbon emissions reduction requirement may be coming to Washington (HB 1458) More General government Change to park and recreation districts could allow funding libraries in public buildings (SB 5365) More Plan for even-year city elections rejoins the conversation (HB 1339/SB 5373) More Homelessness Proposed bills take two very different approaches to impounding vehicles of indigent owners ;(HB 1240 & HB 1653/SB 5484) More HR & labor relations New rule proposed to limit use of driver license requirements in job applications (HB 1402) More Hearing this week on expanding presumptive occupational diseases for firefighters (HB 1571) More Personnel records bill gets amended and moves out of committee (HB 1308) More Land use & planning Childcare siting bill moves forward and is joined by a companion (HB 1212/SB 5509) More Large retail stores coming to a neighborhood near you! (SB 5421) More Mixed-use housing and mass timber preemption bill introduced (SB 5555) More Warning: The electric fence bill is back (HB 1688) More Automatic permit approval idea returns (HB 1438) More Proposed expansion of Building Code Council membership significantly increases private sector representation (SB 5429) More Public safety & criminal justice County-supported public defense funding bill gets first hearing (HB 1592) More Jail standards oversight bill gets amended into a new version (SB 5005) More Bill implementing court interpreter changes comes with cost concerns (HB 1174) More Public works & infrastructure Electrical inspector qualifications expanded in bill resulting from city stakeholder work (SB 5264) More Updates to public works law tidy up, expand responsible bidder criteria (HB 1549) More Transportation Cities may need to meet new labor standards for EV supply equipment workers (SB 5528) More Liability for utility relocation costs for private projects may expand to public utility owners (HB 1643) More Cities should communicate local impacts of federal executive orders. The President has issued several executive orders in his first weeks in office, some of which could impact federal funding and grants. AWC and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PRSC) will host an update on February 6 to share the latest updates on new federal funding directives from state and federal leaders. Register here. AWC is following developments closely and will share information as it becomes available. More Broad coalition supports revising the outdated property tax cap. AWC is prioritizing our efforts to revise the local, optional 1% property tax cap during this legislative session. We are joined by a large coalition of local government associations, a variety of labor organizations, and individual cities and counties. Read the coalition’s summary outlining their support and reach out to us if you’d like to join in. Also, watch our brand-new explainer video that dives into the issue and examines why cities need this vital funding option now. Learn how to testify on a bill Did you know there are four ways to engage in the legislative process? Watch this video to learn how you can sign in to testify on a bill remotely or in person, indicate your position on a bill, or submit written comments on a bill. With so many options for getting involved, your city advocacy can be stronger than ever before! Check out this video on best practices for testifying. 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 involves 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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