With the first legislative cutoff deadline Feb. 2, the last day bills can be voted out of committee in their originating chamber, lawmakers have been busy moving bills through the committee process. Budget-related and transportation bills have until Feb. 6 to be voted out of committee. Both the House and the Senate did take time for floor action this week and passed dozens of bills — many with unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Below are notable bills that passed by closer margins.
Senate Bill 6219, Concerning health plan coverage of reproductive health care. Passed the Senate on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 26-22, one member excused.
This measure would require health insurance plans in Washington that offer maternity care coverage to also cover elective abortions. It would also mandate coverage for all contraceptive drugs, devices, products and services, as well as voluntary sterilization with no co-payments or deductibles. Amendments to exclude elective abortion for gender selection and granting exemptions for employers opposed to abortion on conscience or religious grounds were rejected. The bill is now before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee.
• 19th District Sen. Dean Takko (Longview) (D) Yes
• 24th District Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 1523, Requiring health plans to cover, with no cost sharing, the same preventive services required by federal law as of December 2016. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 56-38, four members excused.
Under this bill, a health insurance plan in Washington must, at a minimum, provide coverage for the same preventive services required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and any federal rules or guidance in effect on December 31, 2016. These include contraception for women, immunizations for certain diseases, autism screening for children blood pressure and cholesterol screenings; and screenings for certain diseases, including diabetes, colorectal cancer, and HIV. A health plan may not impose cost-sharing requirements for these preventive services. The bill is now before the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 1188, Concerning the use of child passenger restraint systems. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 64-30, four members excused.
The bill requires a child to be properly secured in a rear-facing child restraint system until the age of 2 or until it reaches the seat manufacturer-set weight and height limits. A child not secured in a rear-facing seat who is under the age of 4 must be properly secured in a forward-facing child restraint system until he or she reaches the seat manufacturer-set weight or height limits. Children under the age of 10 or under 4 feet 9 inches must be properly secured in a child booster seat until they reach the seat-manufacturer-set weight or height limits. The bill also mandates that the Washington Traffic Safety Commission produce and distribute informational and educational material on child restraint systems. The bill is now before the Senate Transportation Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) No
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 1169, Enacting the student opportunity, assistance, and relief act. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 79-15, four members excused.
The bill would repeal multiple provisions in current law that allow suspension of a professional license due to student loan default. It changes the judgment interest rate for unpaid private student loan debt to 2 percentage points above the prime rate, unless the judgment interest rate is specified in the contract and increases the bank account and wage garnishment exemptions for judgments on private student loan debt. Garnishment and continuing liens on earnings would have to specify whether they are for private student loan debt, and if so, to notify the debtor of their exemption rights for private student loan debt. The bill is now before the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 1060, Concerning the administration of marijuana to students for medical purposes. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 67-27, four members excused.
This bill would require school districts to allow students to consume marijuana for medical purposes on school grounds, aboard a school bus, or while attending a school- sponsored event. It directs school districts to establish policies related to the consumption of marijuana by students for medical purposes if requested by the parent or guardian of a student who is a qualifying patient. The bill is now before the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 2384, Concerning consumer reporting agency security freeze fees. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 81-13, four members excused.
This bill would prohibit a consumer reporting agency from imposing a charge on a consumer for a request to place, temporarily lift, or remove a security freeze. The bill is now before the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 2311, Reducing barriers to student participation in extracurricular activities. Passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 62-32, four members excused.
This bill would limit the maximum fee charged to a public or private high school student who is eligible for federal free and reduced-price meals program, to five dollars for an associated student body card, other student identification card, participating in an extracurricular activity, or participating in career and technical student organizations. It would also prohibit a student from being required to complete a physical examination to participate in extracurricular activities more often than every twenty-four months. The bill is now before the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
House Bill 2419, Regarding beer, wine, cider and mead at farmers markets. Passed the House on January 29, 2018 by a vote of 78-17, three members excused.
The bill would authorize microbreweries to sell growlers and cans of beer to the public and domestic wineries to sell cider and mead of its own production by the bottle or in a growler at farmers markets. It also allows domestic wineries to provide tasting samples of cider and mead to the public at farmers markets. The bill is now before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
• 19th District Rep. Brian Blake (Longview) (D) Yes
• 19th District Rep. Jim Walsh (Aberdeen) (R) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Mike Chapman (Port Angeles) (D) Yes
• 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger (Sequim) (D) Yes
SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org is a project of the Washington Policy Center. Please visit www.WashingtonVotes.org and check out our new Olympia news service, Washingtonvotes.org News, which is featured on the home page.
