March 3-7
The House and Senate spent the week focused on floor action. Bills must be pulled from the Rules Committee and voted out by the chamber they originated in by March 12th to advance in the process. There are many bills and a limited amount of time to pass them. At each stage of the process, the number of bills that advances gets smaller and smaller. Bills that are voted off the floor by the deadline then repeat the process in the other chamber, including public hearings and action in policy and fiscal committees.
This week also marked the halfway point of session. In the 51 days left in the legislative session, lawmakers must pass a budget that balances over the next four years, and they must pass bills through both chambers in order to be sent to the Governor for signature.
This week’s updates on priority bills include:
- SHB 1177 passed off the House floor on Monday, March 3rd. This bill makes improvements to the Child Welfare Housing Assistance Program, which addresses housing instability when it is a barrier for families to reunite or stay together.
- SHB 1509 is in the Rules Committee and must be pulled to advance to the House floor for a vote. This bill continues an existing community-based model to deliver prevention services to families experiencing conflict.
- SSB 5488 was pulled from the Senate Rules Committee but has not come up for a vote by the full chamber. This bill ends the practice by the state of withholding federal SSI and survivor benefits from children in foster care. A proposed floor amendment would narrow the policy to apply only to youth aged 17.
Weekly bill tracker
The P4C tracker highlights bills related to our priorities, particularly in child welfare. Please note that the inclusion of bills in the tracker does not reflect P4C’s position for or against the bill.
Other ways to stay informed
- The legislative website provides comprehensive information on bills, committee schedules, and contact information for legislators.
- TVW offers live and archived coverage of legislative committees and other events.
