February 17-21
This week was the final week for bills to be voted out of policy committees. Bills that are not voted out by the February 21st deadline are considered “dead” for the remainder of the session.
Quickly following the policy cut-off is the deadline for bills to be voted out of the fiscal committees. That deadline is February 28th. That gives just one week for any bills to be heard and voted out of the committee before they can no longer be considered for this session.
An important exception to this deadline is any bill necessary to implement the budget (also referred to as NTIB bills), which can be considered up until the final day of the legislative session. These are bills that are required to make changes to existing law in order for the budget to be implemented. For example, if the budget includes funding for a new program, a bill may be required to establish the program. Conversely, if the budget eliminates a program, a bill may be required to change the law so that the existing program is no longer needed.
A few key bills continued to advance this week:
- The House Appropriations Committee heard and passed SHB 1177 to improve the Child Welfare Housing Assistance Program, which addresses housing instability when it is a barrier for families to reunite or stay together. This bill has now cleared significant hurdles in the process by passing out of both the policy and fiscal committees in the House.
- The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard SSB 5508, the companion to HB 1177, to improve the Child Welfare Housing Assistance Program.
- The House Early Learning and Human Services Committee voted to pass HB 1509 out of committee. This bill implements a community-based model to deliver prevention services to families experiencing conflict. The bill now heads to the Appropriations Committee.
Next week Governor Ferguson is expected to propose budget actions based on information submitted by state agencies, as part of the directive to cut their budgets by six percent.
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.