WAWG
By Diana Carlen
WAWG Lobbyist
Saturday, Jan. 31, marked the 20th day of session, with 40 days left to go. The third week brought another hectic week with the first legislative deadline fast approaching. The first legislative deadline is Feb. 4, which is the policy cut-off deadline. All bills must be passed out of their respective policy committees by this deadline to remain alive this year unless they are deemed necessary to implement the budget. Committees have been working feverishly to hold public hearings on bills and pass bills out of committee to meet this deadline.
Notable Bill Action This Past Week:
- Extending Collecting Bargaining Rights (HB 2471) would extend collective bargaining rights for employees not covered by the national labor relations act, including agricultural employees, domestic workers and some small businesses. This would put them under the jurisdiction of the state’s Public Employment Relations Commission. Three commissioners, appointed by the governor, rule on alleged unfair labor practices. The commission also assigns mediators to take part in stalled contract talks. If mediation fails, an arbitrator can impose contract terms. The bill passed out of the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on Jan. 30 on a party-line vote with all Republicans on the committee voting against the bill. The committee passed out a substitute version of the bill that states that the bill applies to employers, employees, trades, or industries that were already subject to federal labor law regulation, and only if the conditions listed in the bill are triggered (if federal law no longer preempts state regulation or the NLRB declines or loses jurisdiction). Attorneys are reviewing whether the version of the bill could trigger agriculture to be covered by the legislation.
- PFAS in Agricultural Inputs (HB 2279), sponsored by Rep. Lisa Parshley (D-Olympia), directs the Department of Agriculture to evaluate and create standards for the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in fertilizers and pesticides, and authorizes refusal or cancellation of product registrations that do not meet those criteria. The bill phases in these new standards beginning in late 2026, with review of existing registrations starting in 2027. The bill could lead to farmers having to use additional products with higher toxicity levels and would cost more money. A hearing was held on HB 2279 in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 20. Agricultural groups such as Washington Friends of Farms & Forests and the Farm Bureau testified against the bill. The bill is not currently scheduled for executive session (i.e. a vote in the policy committee). The bill needs to be voted out of committee by Feb. 4.
- Rodenticide Use Moratorium (House Bill 2516), sponsored by Rep. Lisa Parshley (D-Olympia), temporarily prohibits the use of anticoagulant rodenticides and rodenticides containing bromethalin, except for narrowly defined emergency uses, and directs a comprehensive scientific study of their impacts, data gaps, and safer alternatives, with both the moratorium and study authority expiring in 2029. The moratorium on use runs from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2028, and the Washington State Academy of Sciences must complete and submit its study by Dec. 31, 2028. The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2516 on Jan. 27. The bill is not scheduled for executive action and is not anticipated to move forward this year.
- Thirty‑Two Hour Workweek (House Bill 2611), sponsored by Rep. Shaun Scott (D-Seattle), reduces the state’s standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for purposes of overtime entitlement and paid sick leave accrual. The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2028. House Bill 2611 received a public hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on Jan. 27. The bill is not currently scheduled for executive action.
- Hazardous Substance Tax Exemption Extension (Senate Bill 6244), sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres (R-Pasco), extends the existing hazardous substance tax exemption for qualifying agricultural crop protection products that are temporarily warehoused but not otherwise used, manufactured, packaged, or sold in the state of Washington. The bill extends the scheduled sunset from 2028 to 2038. Senate Bill 6244 received a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Jan. 26.
- Agritourism Promotion (House Bill 2129), sponsored by Rep. Sam Low (R-Lake Stevens), broadens and protects agritourism as a permitted use on agricultural lands by limiting local zoning barriers, redefining rural character to explicitly include agritourism, and directing state agencies to align rules to support these activities. The bill positions agritourism as both an economic development tool and a land conservation strategy by encouraging innovative zoning that treats agritourism as compatible with long-term agricultural use. House Bill 2129 received a public hearing in the House Local Government Committee on Jan. 28.
- Local Government Finance Flexibility (PSHB 2442), sponsored by Rep. April Berg (D-Mill Creek), is a local tax revenue bill authorizing new or revised local taxes. Of note, the original bill contained a concerning provision to allow counties to impose a utility tax in unincorporated areas of up to 3%, with 0.2% of the new tax revenues going to support low-income utility assistance. The bill passed out of the House Finance Committee on Jan. 29 with amendments. Notably, the new version removes provisions related to the authorization of a county public utility tax. The companion bill, SB 6294, is scheduled for a hearing next week and still contains the concerning public utility tax authorization.
- Wildfire Fund For Utility-Caused Wildfires (House Bill 2275), sponsored by Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way), would have established a wildfire fund to pay out damages for utility-caused wildfires. Electric utilities would have paid into the fund, but would have been allowed to pass on the cost to ratepayers provided that the utility provided a discounted rate to low-income customers. The state’s investor-owned utilities would have been required to provide funding for the fund while participation by consumer-owned utilities would have been optional. The bill was retroactive to cover claims as far back as 2021. Utilities and businesses opposed the bill over concerns how the legislation would impact utility rates for customers. This past week the prime sponsor announced that legislation would not be moving forward this session, but instead she would be hosting an informal, monthly interim workgroup to work on the issue in anticipation of reintroducing legislation during the 2027 legislative session.