April 7-11
April 8th was the deadline for bills from the opposite chamber to be voted out of fiscal committees, setting the stage for floor activity in the final stretch of the session. Both chambers will be busy moving bills off the floor until the April 16th cut-off. The notable exception to this deadline is any bill dealing with the budget or revenue.
Budget negotiations will continue among a small group of lawmakers until an agreement on a final budget is reached. Legislators have until April 27th, the end of the regular session, to pass a budget for the 2025-27 biennium.
Additional revenue-generating bills were introduced and/or considered this week:
- HB 2038 was heard in the House Finance committee on April 7th. This bill would impose a B&O tax on social media platforms to fund youth behavioral health.
- HB 2075 was introduced to increase the cannabis excise tax on high THC cannabis products.
- HB 2071 was introduced to impose an excise tax on owners of online dating applications to fund services that address domestic violence.
- HB 2072 was introduced to levy an impact fee on opioid manufacturers to fund behavioral health services.
Priority bills for Partners for Our Children were voted out of the fiscal committee and must be passed off the Senate floor by the April 16th cut-off:
- SHB 1177: 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. The House budget includes $500,000 to implement the bill, specifically to address a waitlist for families eligible for housing.
- SHB 1509: This bill continues an existing community-based model to deliver prevention services to families experiencing conflict. The House budget includes $600,000 to implement the bill.
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.
