How your legislators voted in recent legislative action:
Jan. 23
House Bill 1207: Setting a starting time for regular legislative sessions
Designates a noon start time in statute for the first day of the annual regular session.
Passed 93-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1349: Concerning private road maintenance agreements
Requires persons with the right to use a private right-of-way to pay for the costs of maintenance by agreement or in proportion to their use.
Passed 53-42
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1568: Regarding appointing members to the boards of trustees for community colleges and the state board for community and technical colleges
Allows (but does not require) every community and technical college district board of trustees to add a sixth position to the board, to be filled by a student. Requires expansion of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges from nine to 10 members, one of whom must be a student.
Passed 80-15
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1650: Changing state need grant eligibility provisions
Removes the pilot status of the program that allows part-time students who are accepted for enrollment for at least three credits to be eligible for the State Need Grant program.
Passed 78-17
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1700: Modifying the requirements related to designing various transportation projects
Allows cities to use funds for street or road projects for pedestrian right-of way and pedestrian improvement projects. Changes the standards cities, towns, and counties are to meet or exceed when constructing or modifying bicycle or pedestrian facilities from the Department of Transportation’s design standards to those standards developed by the design standards committees.
Passed 63-32
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2138: Establishing national Korean war veterans armistice day
Recognizes July 27 as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day and requires that the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag be flown by public entities on that date. Specifies the third Friday in September as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
Passed 95-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2181: Extending the age for service in the Washington state guard
Allows the Adjutant General to extend the age of service for members of the Washington State Guard.
Passed 95-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
Jan. 27
House Bill 1398: Creating an exemption from impact fees for low-income housing
Removes the requirement that local governments pay impact fees from qualifying public funds upon exempting low-income housing from impact fee requirements. Specifies that impact fee exemptions for low-income housing require the developer to record a covenant prohibiting conversion of the property unless applicable impact fees are paid. Prohibits local governments from collecting mitigation fees under the State Environmental Policy Act for low-income housing in place of exempted impact fees. Prohibits local governments granting impact fee exemptions for low-income housing from increasing the costs of impact fees unrelated to the exemptions.
Passed 53-42
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1900: Establishing continuing education requirements for engineers
Requires registered engineers to complete at least 15 hours of continuing professional development per year. The bill takes effect July 1, 2013.
Passed 66-29
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2210: Extending contribution limits to school board candidates
Adds school board offices to the list of public offices subject to campaign contribution limits.
Passed 71-24
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2218: Regulating service contracts
Modifies the definition of “service contract” to mean a contract for separate consideration for a specific duration to: repair, replace, or maintain property; or indemnify for the repair, replacement, or maintenance of property. Clarifies prohibited practices.
Passed 95-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2219: Addressing the powers and duties of the gambling commission
Permits the Washington State Gambling Commission to issue certain licenses for a period of up to 18 months, if it chooses to do so, in order to transition to the use of the Business Licensing Service.
Passed 95-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Concurrent Resolution 4409: Amending the redistricting plan for state legislative and congressional districts
Amends the redistricting plan for state legislative and congressional districts.
Passed 95-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
Senate Bill 5977: Making the discover pass transferable between two vehicles
Provides for Discover Pass transferability between two motor vehicles. The Discover Pass and DFW Vehicle Access Pass must each contain space for two motor vehicle license plate numbers, and are valid only for those license plate numbers written on the Pass. This act specifies provisions for implementation. A person may not receive a refund for a Discover Pass or DFW Access Pass issued before transferability changes take effect. However, a previously issued Discover Pass or DFW Vehicle Access Pass is valid for two motor vehicle license plate numbers written on a pass.
Passed 44-0
Hargrove: Yes
Senate Bill 6059: Establishing the veterans’ raffle
Removes a provision requiring the veterans’ raffle tickets to go on sale beginning on Labor Day with a drawing to occur on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, of each year.
Passed 44-0
Hargrove: Yes
Senate Bill 6095: Making technical corrections to gender-based terms
Makes gender-specific terms and references in Washington law gender-neutral. Laws relating to public service are included and made gender-neutral throughout. Other code sections are included, such as sections that contain public health and safety regulations, to modify specific references to man or men.
Passed 44-0
Hargrove: Yes
Senate Bill 5069: Creating the farm labor account
Creates a dedicated Farm Labor Account in the state treasury. All receipts from farm labor licenses, penalties, or donations are to be deposited in this account and are subject to appropriation. Expenditures may only be used for the purpose of administering the Farm Labor Contractor Licensing program.
Passed 44-0 on Jan. 27
Hargrove: Yes
Jan. 30
House Bill 2440: Authorizing the department of natural resources to provide wildfire protection services for public lands
Provides the Department of Natural Resources with the discretionary authority to provide various fire services on nonforested public lands owned by the state.
Passed 96-0 in the House
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1833: Modifying the frequency of meetings of the motorcycle safety education advisory board
Requires the Motorcycle Safety Education Advisory Board to meet not less frequently than quarterly.
Passed 96-0 in the House
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1057: Creating the farm labor account
Creates the Farm Labor Contractor Account for the farm labor contractor licensing program.
Passed 96-0 in the House
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 1217: Authorizing local authorities to establish maximum speed limits on certain nonarterial highways
Allows cities and towns to establish 20 miles per hour maximum speed limits on nonarterial highways in business or residence districts without an engineering and traffic investigation.
Passed 96-0 in the House
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
Feb. 1
House Bill 2305: Changing authority for contracts with community service organizations for public improvements
Authorizes port districts to contract with community service organizations for certain public works services without regard to competitive bidding laws. Authorizes community service organizations to make improvements under such contracts to port habitat sites and to enter into contracts for maintenance services for a facility or facilities as an “environmental stewardship project.
Passed 96-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
House Bill 2367: Regarding the dairy products commission
Makes administrative changes to the composition of the Dairy Products Commission and the commissioner nomination process. Changes the existing seven geographic districts to four districts. Allows additional dealer participation on the Dairy Products Commission and the addition of ex-officio members.
Passed 96-0
Tharinger: Yes
Van De Wege: Yes
