
March 20, 2023
*The Legislative Bulletin* is produced weekly during the legislative session.**	One click to view all Legislative Bulletin headlines and articles.
Impact map for transit-oriented development bill released, reveal broad scope We have been updating cities on the progress of the Governor-requested SB 5466 which would mandate upzones around significant transit assets. AWC supports the goals and intent of this bill. Maximizing both density—and affordability—around rapid transit is a pillar of the proposal put forward by the AWC Housing Solutions Group. SB 5466 has several elements that are more challenging, however, especially the scope of impact and restrictions of authority to provide for parking. More Contact your legislators about the need to support vehicular pursuits legislation AWC needs cities to reach out to your House members. Urge them to support SB 5352 and ask their leadership to ensure the bill will be voted on. Your voices could make a substantial difference in whether this bill will move forward. While we are encouraged by the Senate’s last-minute actions, the bill still has a considerable way to go if it will be enacted into law this session. More Share your concerns about prevailing wage bill heard in the House this week Despite its good intentions, SB 5726 presents implementation challenges for cities. The bill, which requires that wages paid to public works laborers be no less than the prevailing wage in effect at the time the work is performed, recently received amendments with the potential to confuse the bidding process and create excessive change orders. Contact your legislators now and communicate your concerns about the impact of the bill; then sign up to testify or submit written comments. More Internet for All Washington: kick-off event on March 29 The Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) invites you to an informational webinar about the federal Internet for All funding programs. WSBO is preparing to apply for a portion of nearly $5 billion in broadband infrastructure grants and is developing the state’s five-year action plan for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity (DE). WSBO seeks to establish partnerships across the state and to incorporate a diverse set of voices in its planning. Learn more about the BEAD and DE plans and how to stay involved, then register for the event. CityVoice Podcast—News from the hill We’re more than halfway through the 2023 legislative session, and just past the house-of-origin cutoff. Today we join AWC’s Government Relations Director, Candice Bock, to get the latest (and greatest) news from the hill, including an update on bills that have died—or taken on new life. Candice also talks middle housing, police pursuits, and budgets. More	Budgets are coming Today’s revenue forecast kicks off the race to develop and adopt the biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets for 2023-2025. The Senate will release its operating and capital proposals this week and its transportation proposal mid-next week. The House is expected to introduce all three of its proposals on Monday, March 27. Once each body has introduced and heard their own versions, they will start serious negotiations to develop a final product. In February, AWC submitted a letter highlighting city budget priorities. The Legislature will have to split its focus as it continues to work through many bills that are subject to the policy committee cutoff deadline by March 29. For a list of bills AWC is keenly focused on, check out this week’s Bill Hot Sheet. Attend AWC city action calls – Members only Fridays at 12:30 pm \| Online Join our city action calls for AWC members each Friday to hear updates directly from your team of 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. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link for that week’s call. Register now for this Friday's call. Affordable housing Housing funding bills need your support. Legislation to provide significant and diverse funding streams is critical to meet the housing needs of the most vulnerable. A few proposals introduced this session include the Governor’s bold housing bond bill, a new local and state real estate excise tax (REET), and the short-term rental tax to help fund affordable housing in vacation destination cities. More As we round the halfway point, where do the ancillary housing bills stand? In addition to the major housing bills focused on authorizing specific types of housing, dozens of others intend to boost housing production by focusing on process rather than style. Here’s a status update on those scheduled for a hearing this week. More Budget & finance Today’s state revenue forecast will kick off release of budget proposals. The revenue forecast will set the tone for the Senate’s release of its proposed budgets later in the week. More Cannabis Cities, not Liquor and Cannabis Board, could soon be responsible for regulating cannabis retailer signs. SB 5363 could soon place the authority to regulate the size of licensed cannabis retailer signs with local jurisdictions instead. SB 5363 is scheduled for a hearing this week. More Energy Support bill prohibiting extreme heat utility shutoffs in Committee this week. AWC encourages cities to sign in support of HB 1329 as it’s considered in the Senate Tuesday afternoon. More Utility connection waiver bill tweaked to align with current law. HB 1326 moves closer to helping deliver utility services to low-income persons. More Federal Don’t get duped – SAM.gov scams charge cities hundreds for free service. Entities that receive federal funds are required to create an account with SAM.gov. Scammers are targeting cities by offering help with SAM.gov in hopes of securing payment for a free service or gaining access to sensitive information like banking or login information. More Feedback needed by March 31 on federal Farm Bill. This federal program affects urban and rural communities of all sizes. Senate leadership is collecting feedback through an online, bipartisan form that will be available through March 31. We encourage city leaders to provide feedback as soon as possible. More General government Voting Rights Act expansion scheduled for vote in the Senate. A proposal to further expand and refine the Washington State Voting Rights Act is scheduled for a committee vote this week. AWC has requested an amendment to clarify and cap awards to plaintiffs who do not prevail in court. More Union privilege bill scheduled for committee hearing. HB 1187, creating a new legal privilege between unions and union members, is scheduled for a public hearing this week in the Senate. AWC has concerns with the current draft. More HR & labor relations Bill imposing undefined “good faith” standard on self-insured cities scheduled for vote. A problematic bill for cities that self-insure for workers’ compensation claims, HB 1521 is scheduled for a committee vote in the Senate. AWC opposes and is recommending amendments. More Employer access to PFML data in the lineup this week for House Labor Committee. SB 5586, allowing employers access to certain PFML claims data for employees on leave, is scheduled for a public hearing this week in the House. AWC supports the bill. More Bill on sharing employee info with unions rescheduled to this week. HB 1200 requires employers to provide employee contact and other information to unions. More Human services Eligible cities have one month left to sign on to the Attorney General’s opioid settlement with five companies. The deadline for eligible cities to join the settlements and receive a portion of up to $217 million is April 18, 2023. Local governments also need to have their regional Opioid Abatement Councils set up by July. More Two behavioral health bills offer regional solutions. SB 5120 establishes 23-hour crisis relief centers, while HB 1134 adds additional support for the 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system. Both bills are scheduled this week. More Open government Public comment notice bill scheduled in the Senate. HB 1105, which would require public agencies to include the end date of a public comment period in notices, is scheduled for public hearing. AWC worked with the sponsor to address our earlier concerns. More Pensions Retire/rehire bill heard in Senate. HB 1056, authorizing retired public employees to return to limited work without losing their PERS benefits, was heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee last week. More Public safety & criminal justice Blake bill scheduled for first hearing in the House. SB 5536 makes knowing possession of drugs a gross misdemeanor while focusing on options for treatment in lieu of criminal penalties. It provides accountability for individuals who, on multiple occasions, refuse or fail to comply with recommended treatment. We urge cities to express support for this priority bill with your House representatives. More Washington could have an Office of Independent Prosecutions if bill passes Senate. HB 1579 aims to increase police accountability by establishing an Office of Independent Prosecutions to review investigations and conduct prosecutions of deadly use of force by law enforcement officers. More Street racing bill scheduled for hearing in the House. SB 5606 seeks to curb illegal street racing and is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee this week. More Public works & infrastructure Express your support for procurement standards bill currently in the Senate. HB 1621 passed off the House floor on a unanimous vote but is beginning to receive pushback from contractors. AWC encourages cities to sign in support of HB 1621 this week. More
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