During three days of floor action this week, the Senate passed 14 bills. Two of those bills have already passed the House and are on their way to Governor Inslee’s desk. The remaining 12 are headed to the House for final passage, and some have already been referred to specific committees.
Bills that make it to the floor do so after passing out of committees controlled by the majority Democrats, but six of the bills had at least one Republican prime sponsor in either the Senate or the House, where two originated. The Republican legislators who had bills pass were Sens. Judy Warnick, Ann Rivers, Jim Honeyford, Jeff Wilson, Lynda Wilson and Reps. Skyler Rude and Alex Ybarra.
Below is an overview of what bills passed on each day of the floor action, what the bills do and what they are headed now.
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Tuesday, February 16th
Topic: Graduation requirements/emergency
Chair/Sponsor: Wellman/Santos,Ybarra
Vote: 45-2-0-2
What the bill does: Allows the State Board of Education (SBE) to authorize public and private schools to grant individual student waivers from graduation requirements due to a local, state, or national emergency. It also requires school districts to maintain records and report on waiver usage.
Finally, it directs the State Board of Education to provide waiver data on the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 to the Legislature.
Where the bills goes from here: Heads to Gov. Inslee’s desk following passage in both chambers.
Topic: Health care consent
Chair/Sponsor: Pedersen/Pedersen
Vote: 30-17-0-2
What the bill does: Establishes a presumption that a person has the capacity to make health care decisions, if they are of age and not subject to a guardianship. Allows a health care provider to overcome the presumption of capacity by reasonably determining that the person has demonstrated an inability to understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of a health care condition or proposed treatment. Changes terminology referring to persons who have an appointed guardian, and persons who are competent or not legally competent, to instead refer to whether or not the person has capacity.
Where the bill goes from here: Referred to House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary.
Topic: Youth education programming funds
Chiar/Sponsor: Rolfes/Carlyle
Vote: 47-0-0-2
What the bill does: Expands the allowable use of repaid local sales and use taxes deposited in the construction account to include not only capital improvements of buildings used for youth educational programming, but also the maintenance and operational activities associated with these facilities. Repaid local sales and use taxes deposited in the construction account are redirected to the Local Sales and Use Tax Account where the state treasurer can automatically distribute funds.
Where the bill goes from here: Referred to House Appropriations Committee.
Topic: Private schools/waiver
Chair/Sponsor: Wellman/Rude,Callan
Vote: 47-0-0-2
What the bill does: Grants the State Board of Education the authority to establish terms and conditions for allowing private schools to maintain their approval status when private schools are unable to fulfill the requirements of a full 180-day school year or the annual average total instructional hours due to a significant disruption resulting from an
emergency.
Where the bill goes from here: Heads to Gov. Inslee’s desk following passage in both chambers.
Topic: Municipal financial services
Chair/Sponsor: Mullet/Liias
Vote: 40-7-0-2
What the bill does: Removes the requirement that limits credit unions from accepting public deposits greater than the maximum insured amount from a county with a population greater than 300,000, or from public funds depositors located in a county with a population greater than 300,000 persons.
Where the bill goes from here: Referred to House Consumer Protection & Business Committee.
Topic: Certificate of need exemptions
Chair/Sponsor: Dhingra/Warnick
Vote: 47-0-0-2
What does the bill does: Extends the expiration date of certain certificate of need exemptions allowing expansion or construction of psychiatric beds that serve involuntary patients by two years until June 30, 2023.
Where the bill goes from here: Referred to Health Care & Wellness.
Wednesday, February 17th
Topic: Pregnancy & miscarriage care
Chair/Sponsor: Cleveland/Kuderer
Vote: 29-20-0-0
What the bill does: Prohibits health care entities from restricting health care providers from providing services related to pregnancy complications. The bill applies to cases when not providing the service would violate the accepted standard of care, or could pose a risk to the patient’s life or irreversible complications, or impairment to the patient’s body.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Topic: Health equity continuing education for health care professionals
Chair/Sponsor: Cleveland/Randall
Vote: 35-14-0-0
What the bill does: Requires the rule-making authority for each health profession to adopt rules requiring health care professionals to complete health equity education training at least once every four years. The bill also requires health equity courses to teach skills that enable a health care professional to care effectively for patients from diverse cultures, groups, and communities, varying in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, religion, age, ability, and socioeconomic status.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Thursday, February 18th
Topic: Shoreline armoring
Chair/Sponsor: Van De Wege/Salomon
Vote: 28-21-0-0
What the bill does: Requires a person replacing a residential marine bulkhead to use the least impacting technically feasible bank protection alternative for the protection of fish life.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Topic: Telemedicine consultations
Chair/Sponsor: Cleveland/Rivers
Vote: 49-0-0-0
What the bill does: This bill makes it possible for a licensed out-of-state practitioner, including osteopathic physicians, may consult through telemedicine with a practitioner licensed in Washington State regarding the diagnosis or treatment of a patient within Washington State.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Topic: Law enforcement bargaining
Chair/Sponsor: Keiser/Nguyen
Vote: 41-8-0-0
What the bill does: Establishes an arbitrator selection procedure for grievance arbitrations for law enforcement personnel. This new procedure would apply to all disciplinary grievance arbitrations heard on or after January 1, 2022. The bill would also requires the Public Employment Relations Commission to appoint a roster of 9 to 18 arbitrators who hear disciplinary grievances for law enforcement personnel on a rotating basis.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Topic: Low-income school districts
Chair/Sponsor: Wellman/Honeyford
Vote: 48-1-0-0
What the bill does: Allows school districts to create partnerships and limited liability companies, and enter into leases, loans, and other agreements with public and private entities, for the purpose of utilizing certain federal tax credit programs to finance school facilities.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage
Topic: Subminimum wage/disabilities
Chair/Sponsor: Keiser/Randall
Vote: 42-7-0-0
What the bill does: Prohibits the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) from issuing subminimum wage special certificates after July 31, 2023. Requires L&I to notify the employer, employee, and other individuals of specific information related to special certificates prior to expiration. The bill provides a process by which special certificates may be extended under certain conditions. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) would be required to continue providing services and technical assistance to individuals with disabilities while prioritizing certificate expirations. Finally, the bill would requires L&I and DSHS to submit an annual report containing specific information related to individuals employed under special certificates until all remaining certificates have expired.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
Topic: Local sales tax uses
Chair/Sponsor: Kuderer/Wilson
Vote: 49-0-0-0
What the bill does: Adds emergency medical purposes as a permissible use for the revenues received from the public safety sales tax.
Where the bill goes from here: The House for final passage.
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