Key Washington State Bills Fall by Legislature’s First Major Deadline
Several high-profile proposals failed to advance past the initial cutoff in Olympia, reflecting early legislative attrition
A number of significant legislative proposals in the Washington State Legislature were effectively halted this week after failing to clear the first major policy deadline, underlining the challenges of advancing new laws early in the session.
Lawmakers operate under strict cutoff dates; bills that do not pass out of their assigned policy committees by this stage are barred from moving forward this year unless reclassified as necessary to implement the budget, which most did not.
Among the measures that did not survive the cutoff was a proposal to mandate a four-day, 32-hour workweek statewide, which would have required overtime pay above that threshold.
Although the idea had seen success in San Juan County, the House Bill did not receive a committee vote amid concerns from industries such as food, hospitality and agriculture.
Other proposals that stalled included an effort to lower the age at which homeschooling parents must file annual education declarations from eight to six, a change intended to improve state data on home education that was opposed by homeschool advocates.
A bill that sought to prohibit local police from hiring officers with recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement experience also fizzled after its committee did not take action.
Attempts to tighten online protections for minors also lost traction.
A Senate measure that would have required parental consent for minors under seventeen to create social media accounts failed to advance, as did a House Bill designed to regulate the use of monetised online content involving children and establish trust accounts for minors featured in such videos.
Other bipartisan efforts to limit children’s exposure to online pornography also did not clear committee.
Bills aimed at expanding food access in underserved communities similarly failed to progress.
While one proposal to relax zoning restrictions for grocery stores passed committee, companion bills that would have provided tax incentives for grocers in food deserts or enabled publicly owned community grocery stores did not move forward.
Other stalled measures included a push to reform judicial appointments, add tribal representatives to the Fish and Wildlife Commission and codify restrictions on unauthorised university encampments.
Sponsors of these proposals indicated they intend to reintroduce their ideas in future sessions.
Lawmakers operate under strict cutoff dates; bills that do not pass out of their assigned policy committees by this stage are barred from moving forward this year unless reclassified as necessary to implement the budget, which most did not.
Among the measures that did not survive the cutoff was a proposal to mandate a four-day, 32-hour workweek statewide, which would have required overtime pay above that threshold.
Although the idea had seen success in San Juan County, the House Bill did not receive a committee vote amid concerns from industries such as food, hospitality and agriculture.
Other proposals that stalled included an effort to lower the age at which homeschooling parents must file annual education declarations from eight to six, a change intended to improve state data on home education that was opposed by homeschool advocates.
A bill that sought to prohibit local police from hiring officers with recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement experience also fizzled after its committee did not take action.
Attempts to tighten online protections for minors also lost traction.
A Senate measure that would have required parental consent for minors under seventeen to create social media accounts failed to advance, as did a House Bill designed to regulate the use of monetised online content involving children and establish trust accounts for minors featured in such videos.
Other bipartisan efforts to limit children’s exposure to online pornography also did not clear committee.
Bills aimed at expanding food access in underserved communities similarly failed to progress.
While one proposal to relax zoning restrictions for grocery stores passed committee, companion bills that would have provided tax incentives for grocers in food deserts or enabled publicly owned community grocery stores did not move forward.
Other stalled measures included a push to reform judicial appointments, add tribal representatives to the Fish and Wildlife Commission and codify restrictions on unauthorised university encampments.
Sponsors of these proposals indicated they intend to reintroduce their ideas in future sessions.
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