
March 4, 2024 Session wraps up on Thursday The 2024 session comes to an end on Thursday, March 7. Over the next few days, the Legislature will be wrapping up work on adopting supplemental updates for the operating, capital, and transportation budgets. For a summary of city-related budget highlights, check our budget comparison sheet from last week. Legislators will also likely adopt the three initiatives that they held public hearings on last week. They will also be working out any differences over bills that passed each chamber but with different versions. For a quick update on some of the bills we have been tracking, check out our final bill Hot Sheet for the session. For a full recap of the action from this session, register for our April 11 webinar and watch for our recap edition of the Legislative Bulletin on April 1. Thank you again to all who have engaged on city legislative priorities throughout this session. Your involvement helps ensure the best possible outcomes for cities. Candice Bock Government Relations Director Joint committee passes vehicular pursuits initiative Last week, both the House Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee and the Senate Law & Justice Committee passed I-2113. If enacted, the initiative would allow police pursuits upon reasonable suspicion of a crime and posing a threat to the safety of others. The initiative now awaits a vote on the floor in both the House and Senate. More Traffic safety camera bill heavily amended in Senate, returns to House for concurrence HB 2384, which permits any city or county to authorize the use of automated traffic safety cameras, continued to evolve on the Senate floor last week amid a flurry of activity. The bill now heads back to the House, where the chamber is expected to concur with the changes made in the Senate. Read our summary of the bill and learn more about its impacts on cities. More Congress passes fourth continuing resolution to prevent partial government shutdown On February 29, Congress passed a resolution that moved deadlines to pass the twelve federal budget bills and avert a partial federal government shutdown that could have taken effect over the weekend. More Register for the 2024 Legislative Session recap April 11 \| Online Join the AWC Government Relations team for a full recap of city-related issues from the 2024 Legislative Session. AWC’s lobbyists will give an overview of the outcomes of AWC’s legislative priorities, summarize the impacts of passed legislation on cities, and talk through the adopted state budgets. Stay to the end to learn how to make the most impact during the legislative interim in preparation for 2025. This webinar is for AWC members only. Register now! Watch our brief end-of-session roundup AWC lobbyists recently sat down together to review the final days of the 2024 session. Watch this nine-minute video to hear the highlights and themes of the short 60-day session—and get a preview of the long legislative interim, the campaign season, and the 2025 session. 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. Bills updated on the tracker this week: Affordable housing: Middle housing fix-it bill (HB 2321) Budget & finance: Levy lid lift flexibility (HB 2044); Tourism promotion fee exemptions (HB 2137); Voluntary sales tax sharing agreements (HB 2428); Business license fee notice (SB 5897) Emergency management: Public infrastructure assistance (HB 2020) Federal: Federal funding access (HB 1870) General government: Adult entertainment workplace standards (SB 6105); Tower cranes safety (HB 2022) HR & labor relations: WA Cares Fund portability (HB 2467); Employer political speech (SB 5778); 911 operators arbitration (SB 5808); Stay-at-Work program (HB 2127); Paid sick leave expansion (SB 5793) Human services: Behavioral health crisis services for minors (SB 5853); Post in-patient housing for young adults (HB 1929) Land use & planning: Parking bill (SB 6015); Wildland Urban Interface Code reforms (SB 6120); UGA land swap (SB 5834) Open government: Public comment notice (HB 1105) Pensions: PERS 1 COLA passes (HB 1985) Public safety & criminal justice: Flexible work for law enforcement (SB 5424); DACA employment eligibility for law enforcement (SB 6157); First responder wellness (HB 2311) Public works & infrastructure: Project change orders (SB 6192); Prompt payment (SB 6040) Tip: Bookmark the bill tracker and check back regularly for the latest updates. Alternative Response Team Grant Program opens next application round on March 11—attend an informational meeting on March 7. Cities are eligible to apply for state grant funds through AWC to support new alternative response team programs. More Learn about local emerging contaminants projects funded through Clean Water State Revolving Fund dollars at EPA’s March 13 webinar. More Seattle City Light invites your utility staff to a workshop on the EPA’s new water infrastructure decision-making tool on March 21. Check out the event flyer and agenda for more information. The Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee lodging tax system is open for required annual reporting on city and county 2023 lodging tax expenditures. Submit the annual report by April 22 for technical review. More Washington local governments will receive up to $61.6 million in June 2024 from the recent Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement if all eligible cities and counties participate. The sign-on deadline for this settlement is May 11, 2024. Read more about this and other opioid settlements. Advocacy is a year-round job Session may be nearing its end, but your role as a strong city advocate isn’t. The legislative interim is a critical time for communicating with your legislators and building relationships. Take a moment to thank them for their service during the session and invite them to attend an upcoming council meeting to provide an update on what happened this session. Check out our year-round advocacy tools.
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