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Preview of Week 7 of 2016 Session
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Our most sincere thanks to all of you who have communicated with your state legislators this past week. You may be getting a bit fatigued at this point in the session... but this year's session is a short one, and there are only three weeks left before the scheduled adjournment. Your efforts on behalf of poor and vulnerable people are bearing fruit. Please keep up the good work!
Now that the Feb. 17 cutoff deadline for bills to have passed their chamber of origin is past, the focus of our state legislators shifts back to the committee hearing rooms. Bills that passed their house of origin must be heard in the various policy committees of the opposite chamber before the next cutoff date of Friday, Feb. 26 - at 5:00 pm or they will be considered "dead." |
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ACTION ALERT
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Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs)
Most people convicted of a crime must pay Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) that include victim restitution, crime victims' compensation fees, etc. The interest rate on repayment is about 12 percent. HB 1390 would eliminate the interest on most of the debt and limit the sanctions. On Feb. 3, the full House passed HB 1390 by a 97-0 vote. The bill is now in the Senate Law & Justice Committee but it has not been scheduled for a hearing. Click here to ask your State Senator to support HB 1390 to assist former offenders in becoming productive members of society. |
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Bills Passed by House of Origin that WSCC Supports
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The bills in this section have passed their house of origin. They must now be heard and passed by a committee in the opposite chamber. Some bills have been scheduled for a committee hearing, and others may be scheduled in the coming week.
BILLS NEEDING ACTION: Please take action on the bills that you are following by calling the Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000. Ask support of your Senator or Representatives depending on whether the Senate or the House is presently considering the bill.
Breakfast After the Bell
HB 1295 would require each high-needs school to offer breakfast after the bell to qualified students. HB 1295 passed the House last month by a 69-28 margin. The bill is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee on Feb. 23.
Voting Rights
HB 1745 would promote equal voting opportunity in certain political subdivisions by authorizing district-based elections, requiring redistricting and new elections in certain circumstances. The bill passed the House 50-47 on Feb. 4 and will be heard by the Senate Government Operations & Security Committee on Feb. 25.
Cesar Chavez Day
HB 1560 would recognize March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day. Cesar Chavez, a Mexican-American born March 31, 1927, was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist that worked to improve the treatment, pay, and working conditions of farm workers. On Feb. 11, the bill passed the House by a vote of 67-29. HB 1560 has been referred to the Senate Government Operations & Security Committee but the bill is not yet scheduled for a hearing.
WorkFirst
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program is called WorkFirst in Washington State. This program provides eligible adults assistance to find work. HB 1875 would increase the amount of vocational training for WorkFirst recipients from 12 to 24 months, subject to the amount appropriated. On Feb. 10, HB 1875 passed the House by an 89-7 margin. The bill is before the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee which will hear the bill on Feb. 25.
Religious Organizations Providing Shelter for the Homeless
HB 2086 would make it easier for religious organizations to host homeless camps by limiting the ability of counties, cities or towns to discourage such encampments on church property. The bill passed the full House by a 53-43 margin on Feb. 11 and is now before the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee but no hearing has yet been scheduled.
Mental Health
HB 2439 would establish the Children's Mental Health Work Group to identify barriers to access of mental health services for children and families and provide for depression screening for children ages 11 to 21. The bill passed the House on a 77-20 vote. HB 2439 has been referred to the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee which has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 22.
Intergenerational Poverty
HB 2518 would establish the Intergenerational Poverty Reduction Commission to develop two-generation strategies to reduce intergenerational poverty and welfare dependence in Washington State. The bill passed the House by a 75-22 margin on Feb. 16. HB 2518 is now before the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee which will hear the bill on Feb. 22.
Toxic Flame Retardants
HB 2545 would prohibit a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer from manufacturing, selling, or distributing for sale or for use in this state children's products or residential upholstered furniture containing any of five flame retardants. On Feb. 15, the House passed HB 2545 by a 76-21 vote. The bill is now before the Senate Health Care Committee but it has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
Statewide Reentry Council
After people who have been convicted of crimes are released from jail or prison, they find many obstacles to reentering the community. HB 2791 would create the Washington Statewide Reentry Council for the purpose of promoting successful reentry of offenders by recommending funding for housing, employment, and education programs. On Feb. 15, the House passed HB 2791 by an overwhelming margin of 94-3. The bill has been referred to the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee which will hear the bill on Feb. 23.
Temporary Homeless Housing by Religious Organizations
HB 2929 would mandate that local governments liberally construe state building and energy codes to allow religious organizations to offer shelter to the homeless on church property. The bill passed the House unanimously on Feb. 11 and has been referred to the Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing Committee which has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 25.
Bills on Human Trafficking
HB 1651 would adjust certain legal definitions concerning human trafficking to protect foreign workers. Earlier this week, HB 1651 unanimously passed the full House and was referred to the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee, though no hearing date has yet been scheduled. A very similar bill, SB 5342, unanimously passed the full Senate (49-0) on Feb. 5. It was referred to the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee which heard the bill on Feb. 18.
SB 6376 would recognize January 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Washington State. The bill was heard on Feb. 3 by the Senate Law & Justice Committee which voted it out of committee. On Feb. 16, the bill unanimously passed the Senate. The bill is now before the House State Government Committee but no hearing date has yet been set. |
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Bills WSCC is Monitoring
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Oil Transport Safety
HB 2575 would direct the Department of Ecology to update and improve emergency planning to better respond to oil spills and fires. On Feb. 12, the House passed HB 2575 by a 93-2 margin. The bill is now before the Senate Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee which has yet to schedule a hearing.
Charter Schools
SB 6194 would address the Washington Supreme Court's concerns by designating charter schools as schools which are not common schools. The bill passed the full Senate last month, and is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee on Feb. 19. The committee plans to vote on the bill on Feb. 25. |
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Bills Effectively "Dead"
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Earlier Bulletins reported on bills that did not survive previous cutoffs. The following bills did not survive the Feb. 17 cutoff.
SB 6612 would have prohibited sex-selection abortions - intentionally performing an abortion with the knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion solely on account of the sex of the unborn child. The bill would have provided sanctions for the provider of the abortion, but does not contain sanctions for the woman seeking the abortion. The bill "died" in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 5880 would have required people who work in certain businesses to complete a minimum of one hour of training in identifying and assisting human trafficking victims. The Senate Law & Justice Committee amended this bill on Feb. 5 to strip out the required training. The bill died in the Senate Rules committee.
SB 5289 would have required parental notification for a minor considering an abortion. On Feb. 15, the bill was placed on the Senate floor calendar but it did not come up for a vote before the cutoff. |
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Bill that Failed
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SB 6443 would have required the Human Rights Commission to repeal its recent rule allowing individuals the use of gender segregated facilities "consistent with their gender expression." On Feb. 10, the bill failed in a close vote by the full Senate, 24-25.
Click here to view WSCC bulletins on our website.
The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State. |
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