Today marks the 37th day of the Legislative Session, and also the House of Origin Cutoff (by 5 p.m.). All bills that originated in the House of Representatives must be approved and sent over to the Senate for further consideration (and vice-versa for the Senate). A bill will only become law once it has successfully passed through both the House and Senate.
I mentioned in Part 1 of our update that “there is still enough time and many opportunities to make a difference.” I can tell you heard that message and acted upon it, because there’s good news on many of our priority bills! Thank you for being such strong advocates. Even over halfway through Session, there’s still so much you can do to support these bills through the process. Together we will pass these Acts into Law!
Remember that the “secret” to getting heard in Olympia is simple: tell Legislators that you care, include a short message about why you care, and do it in a way that’s easiest for you. Whether you want to e-mail your Legislators, leave a message through the Legislative Hotline (1-800-562-6000), or travel to Olympia to meet in-person, your voice is valuable and needed.
Here’s an update with Action Alerts on important bills:
- Document Recording Fees: Passed House Bill – ACT NOW!
- An amended version of Document Recording Fees passed through the House (HB 2368) and has been sent to the Senate. We need you to urge your Senator to pass HB 2368 through the Senate.
- Fair Tenant Screening Act, Part 3: Passed House Bill – ACT NOW!
- The Fair Tenant Screening Act, Part 3 passed through the House (HB 2537) and has been sent to the Senate. We need you to urge your Senator to pass HB 2537 through the Senate.
- Youth Opportunities Act: Passed House Bill – ACT NOW
- The Youth Opportunities Act unanimously passed the House (ESHB 1651) and has been sent to the Senate’s Human Services and Corrections committee. Contact members of the HSC committee and urge that HB 1651 gets a quick hearing and passes out of the Senate.
- Homeless Children Education Act: Passed House & Senate Bills – ACT NOW
- The Homeless Children Education Act passed out of both the House (HB 2373) and Senate (SB 6074), and both bills have switched houses. Please call the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000 to urge your lawmakers to vote yes on HB 2373/SB 6074.
- Housing and Essential Needs & Aged, Blind or Disabled: ACT NOW
- Call the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000 to urge your lawmakers to “protect and strengthen HEN/ABD funding in the Supplemental Budget.”
- Housing Trust Fund: ACT NOW
- Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity: House Bill Died — No action this session
- The Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity did not make it out of the House (HB 2399), and did not have a companion bill in the Senate. The bill is no longer being considered this session; stay tuned for another attempt to pass CROP next session! Contact your Legislators throughout the year to let them know the importance of CROP.
Thank you for all you do to ensure that Everyone Counts 365 days a year.