Three weeks into this 60-day session, lawmakers have passed 86 bills in at least one chamber, including legislation held over from last year’s record-long 193 day session. Governor Inslee has signed three bills into law—the 2017-19 Capital Budget (SB 6090), the bond authorization bill needed to implement it (HB 1080), and the Hirst-fix water access bill (SB 6090). Bills passed this week include measures to ban so-called conversion therapy, to address transgender bullying in schools, to allow same-day voter registration, to ease the cost of car tabs, and to make undocumented student eligible for financial aid. The Senate also passed a bill banning bump stocks on Thursday evening.
Senate Bill 5722, Restricting the practice of conversion therapy. Passed the Senate on January 19, 2018 by a vote of 32-16, one member excused.
This bill would make it “unprofessional conduct” for a licensed health-care provider to perform conversion therapy on patients younger than 18. Conversion therapy means a regime that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex. Under the bill, clergy members, volunteer counselors, or parents would not be restricted from attempting the practice, but child-abuse statutes might come into play. The bill is now before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee for consideration.
• 19th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
Senate Bill 5766, Preventing harassment, intimidation, and bullying in public schools. Passed the Senate on January 19, 2018 by a vote of 30-18, one member excused.
Under this bill school districts must, by August 1, 2018, adopt or amend, if necessary, a transgender student policy and procedure. The policy must include provisions addressing discriminatory harassment of transgender students and must incorporate: the transgender student policy and procedure created by Washington State School Directors Association; and the rules and guidelines developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to eliminate discrimination in public schools on the basis of gender identity and expression. School districts must share this policy with parents or guardians, students, volunteers, and school employees and develop a training class for staff in charge of transgender and anti-harassment, intimidation, or bullying policies. The bill is now before the House Education Committee for consideration.
• 19th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
Senate Bill 6002, Enacting the Washington voting rights act of 2018. Passed the Senate on January 19, 2018 by a vote of 29-19, one member excused.
The bill would create a voting rights act to protect the equal opportunity for minority groups to participate in local elections. It would create a cause of action and authorize courts to order appropriate remedies for a violation of the act, including redistricting within a political subdivision. It would also authorize local governments to change their election system to remedy violations of the act The act would apply to elections held within certain political subdivisions including: counties; cities; towns; school districts; fire protection districts; port districts; and public utility districts. It would not apply to state elections, elections in a city or town with a population under 1,000 people, or school districts with under 250 students. The bill was referred to the House Committee on State Government, Elections and Information Technology.
• 19th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
Senate Bill 6021, Extending the period for voter registration. Passed the Senate on January 17, 2018 by a vote of 29-20.
In addition to authorizing voter registration by mail or electronically up to eight days before an election, this bill would allow in-person voter registration and voter registration updates up to 8:00 p.m. the day of the election, i.e. same-day voter registration. Current law provides that to register to vote, a person must submit an application via mail or an online registration no later than 29 days before the day of the next primary, special, or general election, or in person at their county auditor’s office no later than eight days before the election. A person may update voter registration at least 29 days before an election for the change to be effective for that election. The bill was referred to the House Committee on State Government, Elections and Information Technology.
• 9th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
Senate Bill 5074, Aligning eligibility for the college bound scholarship program with the state need grant program. Passed the Senate on January 24, 2018 by a vote of 38-11.
This bill would make students in this state who came to this country illegally as children eligible for state financial aid to pay for college. Currently, students without legal immigration status are not eligible for federal financial aid. Under the bill, students who have been here for at least three years before earning a high school diploma would qualify for the College Bound scholarship program available to low-income Washington students. It would include those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status and also establishes that the term nonresident student does not pertain to certain visa holders that meet other statutory requirements regarding residency. The bill is now before the House Education Committee for consideration.
• 9th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
House Bill 2201, Concerning the collection of a motor vehicle excise tax approved by voters of a regional transit authority in 2016. Passed the House on January 24, 2018 by a vote of 60-37, one member excused.
This bill was passed by the House last year, but did not receive further action in the Senate before the legislature adjourned. It seeks to ease the impact of car tab fees imposed by Sound Transit, under the authority that was adopted by Sound Transit voters in King, Piere, and Snohomish Counties in 2016. The issue revolves around the valuation of cars, which in most instances has exceeded the actual market value of cars. The bill provides that Sound Transit must establish a market value adjustment program that reflects more realistic vehicle values, such as Kelly Blue Book, and provide a credit against tax due equal to the tax under current law, less the tax otherwise due, were the tax to be calculated using the 2006 valuation schedule, but only if the resulting difference is positive. The credit applies only to the 0.8 percent Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) authorized by the 2015 Legislature. The program must allow credits retroactively to the date that that Sond Transit first imposed the 0.8 percent MVET. The bill was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Y
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) N
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Y
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Y
Senate Bill 5992, Concerning bump-fire stocks. Passed the Senate on January 25, 2018 by a vote of 29-20.
The Senate passed this bill on Thursday evening to ban trigger modification devices that allow legal semi-automatic firearms to simulate automatic weapons fire. Automatic weapons, or machine guns, are tightly restricted or outlawed under current federal and state laws. The ban would make it illegal for anyone in Washington to manufacture or sell bump stocks beginning July 1, 2018. In July 2019, it would become illegal to own or possess a bump stock in Washington, which means current owners of such devices would have to turn them in to law enforcement or destroy them. The action was prompted by last October’s shooting in Las Vegas in which bump stocks were used for rapid fire that killed 58 persons and left hundreds more injured.
• 19th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Y
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Y
SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org is a project of the Washington Policy Center. Please visit www.WashingtonVotes.org and check out our new Olympia news service, Washingtonvotes.org News, which is featured on the home page. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter, at washingtonvotes.org.
Y = Yes, N = No, E = Excused, X = Not Voting
