HB 1091 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel. This is a new version of the clean fuels bill that failed to achieve passage in the past two sessions. The intent is to reduce greenhouse gas release from the fuels we will continue to use, to improve the air quality by reducing pollution, and to ensure Washington has the incentive to create a clean fuel industry. Fuels that achieve carbon reductions in addition to the requirements generate tradable credits. We think this bill represents an important step in achieving Washington’s decarbonization goals.

A public hearing occurred in the House Committee on Appropriations on February 4 with both pro and con testimony represented. The fuel price increases were the most frequently voiced concerns. Proponents testified that California and Oregon have not experienced significant fuel price increases under similar regulation, and this is an important feature in our drive toward zero carbon energy by 2050. Opponents testified that clean fuel bills in those states have increased fuel prices substantially and did not significantly increase their in-state clean fuel industry. It passed the House on a 52 to 46 vote with amendments requiring additional reporting on progress and results from the Department of Ecology and Washington State University. The bill had a hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, and Technology on March 10 where pro and con testimony repeated previous values and concerns. It passed the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, and Technology at 7-6 on March 16 and was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
 

 Status The Senate Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on March 27, and passed it on April 1 with a 15 to 10 vote. It passed the Senate floor vote, but will need return to the House for concurrence on the version amended by the Senate, or go to a conference committee to resolve differences.

HB 1280 Greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the design of public facilities. Sets requirements for all-electric and clean-energy systems in new and newly leased publicly owned buildings be considered using life-cycle cost analysis. This bill passed in the House Committee on Environment, and Energy, 8-5. It passed the House Committee on Capital Budget on a 12-11 vote, then passed on the House floor 57-39, so significant opposition remains.

 Status  A public hearing was held in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, and Technology on March 18, and on March 23 it passed 8-5, is now in the Senate Rules Committee in consideration for a floor vote, but has not yet moved there.

SB 5141 Implementing the recommendations of the Environmental Justice Task Force, also known as the HEAL Act, would implement the recommendations of the Environmental Justice Task Force, including equitable engagement with communities primarily affected by environmental hazards to create solutions that meet their needs. The bill also establishes the environmental justice council to review existing laws and propose new laws that heal the environment where it is most needed. Amendments have reduced some of the originally drafted oversight requirements. It passed the Senate 28-21.

 Status This bill had a hearing in the House Committee on Environment, and Energy March 12 and an amended version passed 8-5 on March 25. The House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on March 30 and passed that committee 19 to 14 and is now on the House floor calendar for a vote. This bill is also tracked on the Social Justice Issue Web Page.

SB 5192  Supporting access to electric vehicle supply equipment, to increase public access to electric vehicle charging stations.

 Status This bill passed the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on March 18 and passed the Senate floor vote 35 to 14. It was referred to the House Appropriations Committee on April 8, but no hearings are scheduled and time is running out.

Growth Management Act (GMA) Bills

The League of Women Voters at all levels considers climate change a threat to equity and democracy, therefore—based on the best available information and expert opinion—we will testify for and promote bills that reduce and mitigate climate change including those that require additional attention to housing so that there is no anticipation of expanding residential areas outside the urban growth areas. The GMA affecting bills cover many aspects, and we are covering them on this page. The League anticipates that there will be reconciliation of the various bills that pass each chamber, so that ultimately both houses will pass fewer bills that are identical. 

As of this week, several of these bills have been pending floor action and may be in a different status by the time this newsletter is published.

GMA Bill HB 1117  Promoting salmon recovery through revisions to the state’s comprehensive planning network.  It would require that salmon be included in front-end planning undertaken under the Growth Management Act. It defines compensatory mitigation and net ecological gain as measures of salmon protection and mandates that these be covered in land use, critical areas and transportation plans as of January 2024.

 Status This bill passed the House and passed both the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee and the Ways and Means Committees. It is now in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1157 Increasing housing supply through the Growth Management Act and housing density tax incentives for local governments, would amend the elements of a comprehensive plan to ensure consideration of multifamily housing units and housing targets, increase urban densities within urban growth areas in buildable land areas to six net dwelling units per acre and create real estate excise tax density incentive zones within Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) in buildable lands areas.

 Status HB 1157 passed the House on March 28. It had a public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on April 5. This bill is scheduled for executive session in the Ways and Means Committee on April 10.

GMA Bill HB 1220  Supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations, would modify the Growth Management Act to specify that special consideration for low, very low, extremely low, and moderate-income households must be incorporated in the housing element of comprehensive plans.

 Passed! This bill bill passed the House 57-39, and passed the Senate on April 10.

HB 1241 Relating to planning under the Growth Management Act, would require annual implementation plans after 2024 for addressing GMA requirements. It would also require the Department of Commerce to provide rules for indicators, measures, milestones, and criteria for use by counties and cities in the implementation progress report.  These requirements are intended to support the many changes in the Growth Management Act that are currently anticipated, some of which are very complex.

 Status This bill passed the House and passed both the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee and Ways & Means Committee. It is now in the Senate Rules Committee.

SB 5312 Facilitating transit-oriented development and increasing housing inventory, would amend the Growth Management Act to expand the grants to local government for transit-oriented development  planning.

 Status This bill passed the Senate on a 44-3 vote and passed both the House Environment and Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. It has now been referred to the House Rules Committee.

Bills the League Supports That Missed the Cutoff

HB 1075 Reducing emissions from vehicles associated with on-demand transportation services. This bill establishes processes for determining the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of commercial transportation service providers and to plan meeting GHG reduction targets. The House Committee on Environment, and Energy introduced a substitute bill and passed it on Jan. 26. It was referred to the appropriations committee where it passed by a vote of 19-14 on Feb. 16. The bill was returned to the rules committee, so appears to have failed this session.

HB 1084 Reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings. Carbon dioxide released from fuel used in buildings is a large part of our total state release of our greenhouse gases. Ensuring we begin reducing this source requires an early start to retrofitting heating and other existing systems and installing low carbon systems in new buildings. To achieve the 2050 climate goals, we must avoid stranding investments in current technologies as we construct new buildings and reduce the on-going carbon footprint in existing buildings. The House Committee on Environment and Energy passed the bill on Feb. 9 and referred it to the House Appropriations Committee, which took no action.

HB 1099  Improving the state’s climate response through updates to the state’s comprehensive planning framework.  This bill would require local governments to plan for mitigation of climate change and how they will aid in achieving the state’s greenhouse gas reduction levels. The substitute bill changed a number of elements among the mandates, which makes the bill more stringent; but it also adds a provision that the requirements do not apply if there is not an appropriation to support local jurisdictions in meeting the bill’s mandates. Having passed the House and two other committees in the Senate, this bill did not get passed from the Senate Transportation Committee by the cutoff date.

HB 1204 Electrification of transportation. This bill calls for the Washington State Transportation Commission to prepare a plan to enable all light-duty and passenger vehicles sold in Washington by 2030 to be electric vehicles, and to make this a just transition for those impacted. No further action is scheduled, however the objectives for vehicle electrification were incorporated into HB 1287 by amendment. 

HB 1537 Terminating certain tax preferences for fossil fuel products. The language adjusts the use tax on natural gas, exempting renewable gas and some transportation uses. The bill is estimated to add almost $14 million to the general fund for the 2021-2023 biennium. It was revived as Necessary to Implement the Budget and had a hearing in the House Finance Committee on March 23, but no further action is scheduled at this writing.

SB 5042 Concerning the effective date of certain actions taken under the Growth Management Act. This bill would mandate effective dates of various comp plan designations to a minimum of 60 days past the plan publication date or issuance of a Growth Management Hearings Board final order, whichever is later. This bill was passed out of the Senate Housing and Local Government on January 28, but the Senate Rules Committee did not send it to the floor for a vote.

SB 5390 Increasing housing supply through the Growth Management Act and housing density tax incentives for local governments, would amend the elements of a comprehensive plan to ensure consideration of multifamily housing units and housing targets, increase urban densities within urban growth areas in buildable land areas to six net dwelling units per acre and create real estate excise tax density incentive zones within Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) in buildable lands areas. This bill had a public hearing in the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee on February 9 and had an executive session on February 11 where it passed 8-1 and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee. It did not survive the cutoff and will not proceed this year.

SB 5428 Concerning the application of the state environmental policy act to temporary shelters and transitional encampments would waive the State Environmental Policy Act requirements for organized shelters and encampments serving people experiencing homelessness if they are temporary, less than three years. This bill passed the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee on February 11 and is in the Rules Committee.