February 5, 2024

Marking the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session
This week we reach the midpoint of the 60-day session. We’ve also just passed the first two cutoff deadlines where bills must be voted out of policy and fiscal committees to continue advancing this year. There are still many active bills and much work to do. We now turn to floor action, when each body, House and Senate, must take a full vote on a bill to move it forward. Bills have until February 13 to be voted out of their house of origin.

If you’re interested in watching some of the floor debate, check it out on TVW.org, which provides gavel-to-gavel coverage. However, be prepared for long waits when nothing is actually happening on the chamber floor. A lot of floor action occurs behind the scenes as the parties caucus on bills to work out amendments and how they will vote. Floor action will frequently go late into the evening, making for some tired legislators (and lobbyists).

Floor action is still a critical time for your input. Don’t assume bills that pass out of committee will sail smoothly to passage. Bills can get lost in the shuffle of floor action, and there is never enough time to consider them all. So it is important to remind legislators about the bills you want to see pass and those you don’t. Take a few minutes to review our Bill Hot Sheet for an up-to-date list of proposals with city impacts.

For those who are joining us this week for City Action Days, we look forward to seeing you in person!

Candice Bock
Government Relations Director

AWC priority property tax cap revision scheduled to pass out of committee – Ask your senator for support
The Senate Ways & Means Committee voted on the property tax cap revision bill (SB 5770). This is a significant step towards addressing this artificial limit on local revenues that cannot keep pace with service costs. Just one week remains before the bill must pass off the Senate floor. Talk to your senators now and ask them to give local governments this authority to work with our communities to address their service needs. More

Transit-oriented development bill advancing through Legislature
HB 2160, the proposal to mandate significant upzones around rail-based transit stations and bus rapid transit stops, has advanced another step in the legislative process: it was voted out of the House Capital Budget Committee on February 2.  AWC continues to oppose this bill despite recent amendments because of the breadth and scope of the upzone, especially around bus rapid transit stops. We are asking cities to communicate their concerns to their legislators, as the next step is for the bill to be moved from the Rules Committee to the House floor for a vote.

Six initiatives to the Legislature certified, but not yet scheduled for hearings
The Secretary of State has certified the six initiatives to the Legislature that were filed before the start of session as meeting the signature requirement to qualify for the November ballot. The next step in the process—hearings on the proposed initiatives—have not yet been scheduled. Legislative leaders have indicated that they are waiting for more complete fiscal and legal analysis prior to scheduling them for hearings. More

Contact your members of Congress: Support fixing a flaw in funding for lead service line replacement
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides millions of dollars in funding for states to replace lead service line, but due to a federal tax code, unintended consequences may arise if the funding is granted to private property owners. Find out more about the impacts to lead pipe removal efforts in Washington, read the sign-on letter to the IRS, then contact your members of Congress to express your support.

News on co-response legislation, plus AWC member testimony
Co-response is critical for addressing the growing behavioral health needs in our communities. We spoke with AWC Government Relations Advocate Lindsey Hueer about this session’s co-response bills, particularly liability protection for co-responders in HB 2088, and training access, standardization of training, and grants for small and rural agencies in HB 2245. We are also pleased to share some of the great testimony on these bills from cities. Watch now.

AWC's bill tracker
Stay current on city-related bills moving through the Legislature and read AWC’s weekly coverage through our new AWC bill tracker. Learn how to use the tracker with these brief instructions and short video.

Various bills we’ve been covering saw updates this week. Check the tracker for details. Bills newly added to the tracker this week:

• Budget & finance: Notice for business license rate changes (HB 1894/SB 5897); 911 taxes for emergency communications (HB 2258); Exemption threshold for nonprofit bingo and raffles (HB 2317)
• Emergency management: Wildfire mitigation and resiliency workgroup (HB 2330)
• General government: Consumer protections from ground ambulance billing (SB 5986)
• Human services: Behavioral health (HB 1929, HB 2247, SB 5853, SB 5920, SB 6050, SB 6228, SB 6251, SB 6308) and childcare (HB 2195, HB 2243, HB 2322, SB 6171)
• Public safety & criminal justice: Replacing redirected Byrne JAG Multijurisdictional Task Force funding (SB 6134); New terminology for “competency to stand trial” (HB 2152); Catalytic converter theft (HB 2153)
• Public works & infrastructure: Electrical inspector qualification updates (SB 6089)

Tip: Bookmark the tracker and check back regularly for the latest updates.

ARPA reports are due April 30 – Take steps now to prepare. In just 90 days, cities that received federal funds under ARPA will need to submit reports to Treasury. Are you ready? More

AWC adopts updated 2024 federal legislative priorities
While our primary focus is on state legislative work, AWC also actively engages on behalf of Washington cities in the other Washington. We regularly partner with the National League of Cities on issues before Congress and the federal administration. In December, AWC’s Board adopted updated federal legislative priorities, as recommended by the Federal Legislative Priorities Committee. The top priority is keeping the federal government open and operating. For more, check out the full set of priorities.

AWC Friday City Action Calls (AWC members only)
Join our City Action Calls each Friday at 12:30 pm during the legislative session to hear updates from your AWC lobbyists on the latest action on the hill and progress on bills of importance to cities. Make sure to sign up in advance each week. Register now to receive the link for this week’s call.

Connect with your legislators at local town halls
Legislators host local town hall meetings throughout session. Some are hosted in person, and some are virtual. Check your legislators’ websites to find out when and where their town halls take place, and plan to attend. Listening in and voicing the issues important to your city at local town halls is a great way to ensure your legislators and constituents are aware of your city's legislative needs.

wacities.org/Advocacy | Legislative issues
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