With the Washington State legislative session wrapping up March 12, here’s a look at a few bills that tackle a proposed tax on the rich, home insurance and wildfire risk, voter suppression and privacy, protections for immigrant workers and keeping energy costs low in Spokane.
You can sign in for or against or send a message to a legislator on any of these bills through each bill’s summary page.
HB 2416
Exempting Spokane’s waste-to-energy facility from state climate act
This one’s specific to us, Spokane. Sponsored primarily by the Spokane delegation to the state legislature, Natasha Hill and Timm Ormsby, this bill would make it so the facility that burns Spokane trash to generate energy would not have to buy carbon credits to offset its carbon footprint like a normal landfill. The rationale behind this is three-fold: 1) the Spokane Waste to Energy Plant is not a landfill but an energy source. 2) it would impose an unfair burden on energy rate-payers in Eastern Washington. 3.) The other option instead of the WTE plant is basically to truck garbage out of the city, which is not exactly environmentally friendly. The facility is the only one of its kind in Washington and one of only a few across the nation. An assessment by the state Department of Ecology found the plant provides a net reduction in greenhouse gases when compared against other waste disposal centers.
The bill has cleared the House of Representatives and is now in committee in the Senate.
HB 2105
Providing protections for immigrant workers
This proposed legislation would require employers to notify workers within 72 hours about a federal agency’s request to inspect I-9 forms, which include an employee’s immigration status, and other related employee records.
The notice would need to be available in English and the five other most commonly used languages in the state.
The proposed legislation would also require employers to notify affected workers within 72 hours of receiving results from any inspections.
“Washington has already taken important steps to ensure clarity in how our state interacts with federal immigration enforcement,” said Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self in a public statement. “My bill builds on that foundation by making sure that when workplace inspections occur, there is clarity, fairness, and protection from retaliation — for workers and for the businesses that rely on them.”
The legislation notes the state Attorney General could investigate alleged violations and potentially resolve them through conference and conciliation or pursue legal action. Additionally, injured workers could also bring forward civil action.
The bill cleared the House. The Senate Committee on Ways & Means held a public hearing February 26.
HB 2508 & HB 1740
Independent authorities to hold police accountable for violence
In response to sustained calls for stronger police accountability in 2021, the Washington legislature created a state office charged with investigating police who have killed civilians. It was part of a slate of 12 police accountability bills that have given survivors of deadly police violence, many of whom hail from Spokane, hope that justice will be served for their loved ones. But they don’t believe the state office is enough. The Office of Independent Investigations (OII) can’t investigate killings that happened before it was created. HB 2508 allows the office to investigate killings regardless of the dates they occurred.
This bill, with local sponsors Ormsby and Hill, has passed the House of Representatives and is now being considered in a Senate committee.
Additionally: the same folks who advocated for the expanded investigative authority have been asking for an additional office of independent prosecutions that would litigate cases the OII determines should be prosecuted. As is, the OII sends its findings back to local prosecutors, who’ve often already decided a case should not be prosecuted. A bill that would have required the office of independent prosecutor, HB 1740, has failed in the legislature, but activists promise to keep fighting for it in future sessions.
SB 6079
Bolsters resources to reduce insurance policy cancellations and nonrenewals because of wildfire risks
This bill would create the Strengthen Washington Homes Program, which would provide grants for wildfire mitigation efforts in line with certain standards.
The program would be administered by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) and would be funded through unspent money from the OIC’s regulatory and fraud accounts.
As climate change increases wildfire risk, especially in eastern Washington, insurance companies have been using it as an excuse to drop homeowners’ coverage. Not having insurance can put mortgages in default and force foreclosures. The proposed legislation would prohibit insurers from using wildfire risk to disqualify someone from property insurance, as long as the property has a “wildfire prepared standard” or equal designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
Under the bill, the OIC could carry out pilot projects meant to inform the program’s implementation.
The bill already cleared the Senate. It was scheduled for an executive session February 25 under the House Committee Committee on Consumer Protection & Business, but no action was taken.
SB 6346
Establishing a tax on millionaires.
The Millionaires Tax, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), passed the Senate chamber on a 27-22 vote February 16 and is headed to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Proponents of the tax say it will provide a significant, sustainable funding increase for schools, health care and other essential services, and provide tax cuts for millions of working Washingtonians and small businesses.
“People say millionaires and billionaires will go away if this tax is passed, which is just false,” said Jeff DeBray, Eastern Washington Director of Fuse Washington.
This week, Invest In Washington Now (IIWN), a group supporting the income tax, said it confirmed more than 100 people had been fraudulently signed in against the legislation since they became aware of the issue on February 20. While House Republicans claim the bill is the most unpopular in state history with more than 100,000 signing in against it, IIWN claims thousands of those are duplicates or fraudulent, with.at least 15,573 duplicate testifiers for the Senate hearing and more than 22,251 duplicates for the House hearing.
DeBray said less than 1% of the wealthiest households in the state would pay the Millionaires Tax. If approved, the legislation would levy a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million. Households with incomes of $1 million and below would continue to pay nothing. The Millionaires Tax will also allow for the expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit, a sales tax rebate for Washington families with low to moderate income levels.
HB 1750
Creating guidelines for voter suppression and vote dilution claims under the Washington voting rights act.
Sponsored by Hill, HB 1750 would prevent political subdivisions from enacting election policies like changing voting methods or polling locations that unfairly burden minorities and low income voters, regardless of whether there was intentional discrimination. It would amend the existing Washington Voting Rights Act to make it easier to challenge electoral systems that might weaken minority groups' voting power. It passed the House 57-37 on February 12. As of February 25, it passed to the senate rules committee for second reading.
SB 5892
Protecting voter privacy
The Trump administration has been trying to gather personal information on voters in several states, going so far as to sue them to produce the information. Senate Bill 5892 — which Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs requested and Senator Marcus Ricelli, D-Spokane, sponsors — would make it a Class C felony for county election officials to disclose the records. Voter registration documents can include drivers license numbers, full social security numbers and birth dates. Supporters of the bill see it as a necessary measure to protect voter registration from an administration that is notorious for retaliating against people, localities and states that vote against President Donald Trump, who’s said the federal government should take control of elections.
The bill passed the Senate and is now on the floor of the House of Representatives.
HB 2225 and SB 5984
Regulating artificial intelligence companion chatbots
Both bills would require companion chatbots to plainly disclose, both at the beginning of the chat and every three hours, that users are interacting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and not a human. Chatbot operators would be required to create protocols to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm and provide crisis referral information. The bills require more protections for minors like restrictions on manipulative engagement tactics, like simulating a romantic relationship and limits on sexually explicit content. Opponents to the bills have raised concerns about individuals being able to sue companies under the Consumer Protection Act, countering that the measures might broadly regulate AI tools based on rare instances. Other opponents say the bills create the demand for companies to collect sensitive identification information.
HB 2225 was placed on second reading by the Senate Rules Committee on February 24. SB 5984 is in the House Technology & Economic Development committee.
The bill has cleared the House of Representatives and is now in committee in the Senate.
HB 1974
To establish and operate land banking authorities
The proposed bill would allow public corporations, public housing authorities and some nonprofits to operate a land bank so long as they’re authorized to do so under a city or county ordinance or resolution.
Land banks are considered public entities that can be created to put vacant or abandoned properties to use, according to the Center for Community Progress.
Sponsored by Rep. Hill, the piece of legislation also specifies requirements for local government measures that would allow for the aforementioned entities to hold land banks.
It also lays out what the land bank authority would be allowed to do and requirements for affordable housing. The bill also prioritizes the transfer of foreclosed properties due to delinquent taxes to land bank authorities and provides tax exemptions.
The bill has cleared the House. A public hearing was held February 26 in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means.
HB 2239
Providing Washingtonians and their loved ones with location choices for interment of remains
Legislation allowing families to establish small, private burial grounds on land they own passed the house unanimously on February 12. According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium, the measure creates a clear legal pathway for property owners to dedicate a limited portion of their land for family burials while maintaining safeguards to protect public health, neighboring properties and future buyers. The bill includes size limitations, setback requirements and recordkeeping standards, and it explicitly prohibits any commercial use or sale of burial plots.
"This is about respecting families, respecting the land, and making sure state law works for rural Washington as well as urban areas," Abell said. "I appreciate the strong bipartisan support and will continue working with colleagues in the Senate to see this bill through."
HB 2239 moved to the Senate Rules Committee for a second reading as of February 24.
Erin Sellers contribute to this report.
