SNOHOMISH COUNTY — The end of this year’s Legislative session is scheduled for March 7. Bills from area state legislators that as of March 1 have made through both chambers, in alphabetical order, include:
• Rep. Julio Cortes, D-Everett:
HB 1929: Creates a housing system for adults ages 18-24 who are exiting or have recently exited inpatient behavioral health treatment and are in a recovery plan but have not yet secured long-term housing. The bill tries to circumvent young adult homelessness in this cohort.
HB 2218: Removes certain barriers for children in foster care to enter the existing extended foster care program for ages 18-21.
HB 2217: Directs juvenile justice to focus on rehabilitation versus punishment.
• Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan:
HB 2124: Removes the obligation to be employed and receive the Working Connections Child Care subsidy for child care if the family has the child in early learning programs such as ECEAP or Head Start.
HB 1946: Creates a scholarship program for those in the Washington Health Corps. who serve in parts of the state where there is a health professional shortage or underserved behavioral health area.
•Rep. Mary Fosse, D-Everett:
HB 5793: Expands paid sick leave to give an employee the permission to use sick leave hours to care for non-related and non-married people who live in a house where the relationship creates an expectation the employee
care for the person, such as an unmarried partner or long-time boyfriend/girlfriend.
HB 2084: Requires prison authorities to expand access to construction-related training programs in state correctional facilities.
• Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek:
SB 5424: Allows law enforcement agencies to adopt flexible work policies where an officer can work under 40 hours a week and still be full-time.
SB 5652: Allows tow truck companies hired by police to remove vehicles to be able to newly seek compensation for recovery, impound, and storage fees of an abandoned vehicle as a civil court matter versus getting the money from auctioning the vehicle.
SB 6157: Allows people who are deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) to work civil service jobs.
• Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens:
HB 1961: Strengthens animal cruelty penalties and aligns first-degree animal cruelty laws to the uniform level of a Class C Felony regardless of how the cruelty was committed, including making the act of having sex with animals a more serious crime.
HB 1962: Sreamlines voter registration for residents who move to another county within the state by updating registration between county auditor’s offices versus making an individual re-register to vote in their county.
• Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Woolley:
SB 6084: Allows collector vehicles to tow trailers.
SB 6222: Transfers authority to change number of district court judges from state lawmakers to the local county.
online addendum:
• Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett:
