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January 28, 2022

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today, at the end of the third week of the legislative session, we are fast approaching February 3rd, the first important cut-off date: the House policy cut-off date. That is when policy bills, which aren't necessary to implement a budget, need to be voted out of the House Committee they were referred to. Here are some priority bills that may be of interest to you:

Reducing taxes and the cost of living

• HB 1898 – Reducing state property tax levies
• HB 2015 – Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit
• HB 1858 – Reducing manufacturing tax rates

Improving public safety

• HB 1737 – Restoring balance and common sense to police reform
• HB 1788 – Allowing law enforcement to chase suspects
• HB 1787 – Increasing funding for law enforcement recruitment
• HB 1873 – Stopping catalytic converter thefts

Holding government accountable

• HB 1772 – Emergency powers reform
• HB 1541 – Increasing funding to cities for homelessness solutions
• HB 1177 – Implementing the periodic review of state spending programs

Empowering parents

• HB 1536 – Establishing regional apprenticeship programs through ESDs
• HB 1633 – Promoting school choice through scholarships
• HB 2056 – Requiring teachers to make materials used in the classroom available to parents

For more information about our priorities this year, visit the House Republican website.

Business bills

The Legislature must take action to help struggling businesses. I am closely tracking the following business-related bills that have been introduced so far:

• HB 1592: Concerning military spouse employment.
• HB 1593: Expanding the landlord mitigation program to alleviate the financial burden on victims attempting to flee domestic violence, sexual assault, unlawful harassment, or stalking.
• HB 1613: Concerning shared reporting responsibilities for both the paid family and medical leave and the long-term services and supports trust programs to clarify that information collected from employer reports shall remain private.
• HB 1614: Concerning online marketplace consumer product theft and safety protection.
• HB 1617: Aligning state and school holidays.
• HB 1641: Restoring the business and occupation and public utility tax exemption for custom farming and hauling farm products.
• HB 1656: Changing the definition of theft.
• HB 1666: Clarifying the method for determining the value of specified tangible personal property incorporated as part of certain public infrastructure for the purposes of use tax and business and occupation tax.
• HB 1677: Concerning employer tax incentives for the support of veterans and military families.
• HB 1682: Concerning a compliance pathway specific to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed businesses for achieving their proportionate share of the state's emissions reduction limits through 2050.
• HB 1683: Concerning involuntary removal of property from current use classification.
• HB 1685: Increasing the cap on gross sales for cottage food operations.
• HB 1686: Allowing the labeling of biodegradable products that are supported by recognized national or international test methods.
• HB 1688: Protecting consumers from charges for out-of-network health care services, by aligning state law and the federal no surprises act and addressing coverage of treatment for emergency conditions.
• HB 1691: Concerning financial responsibility requirements related to oil spills.
• HB 1694: Concerning logistical processes for the regulation of priority chemicals in consumer products.
• HB 1698: Prohibiting latex gloves in the handling and preparation of food for sale to consumers.
• HB 1702: Accelerating broadband connectivity for Washington.
• HB 1704: Regulating service contracts and protection product guarantees.
• HB 1706: Concerning truck drivers ability to access restroom facilities.
• HB 1709: Addressing safety measures for tow truck operators and vehicles.
• HB 1718: Prohibiting activities related to the production and manufacturing of fur products.
• HB 1722: Concerning the acceleration of broadband deployment.
• HB 1723: Closing the digital equity divide by increasing the accessibility and affordability of telecommunications services, devices, and training.
• HB 1734: Concerning taxation of low-proof beverages.
• HB 1740: Concerning the authority of the community economic revitalization board.
• HB 1750: Authorizing an agricultural employer to select any 12 weeks in a calendar year as special circumstance weeks for labor demand, during which in each of the selected 12 weeks, the agricultural employer may employ agricultural employees for up to 50 hours before the requirement to pay overtime applies under RCW 49.46.130.
• HB 1766: Modifying the regulation of gas companies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• HB 1771: Permitting family child care providers to collectively bargain defined contribution retirement benefits.
• HB 1783: Clarifying responsibilities for mandatory industrial insurance coverage for persons transporting freight.
• HB 1792: Expanding the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen not produced from a fossil fuel feedstock.
• HB 1794: Requiring an employer to reimburse employee fees when a paycheck is dishonored by nonacceptance or nonpayment.
• HB 1795: Prohibiting nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions from employers regarding illegal acts of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and sexual assault.
• HB 1810: Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic products in a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable manner to increase access to appropriate and affordable digital products, support small businesses and jobs, and enhance digital connectivity in Washington state.
• HB 1838: Protecting, restoring, and maintaining habitat for salmon recovery.
• HB 1839: Authorizing commercial motor vehicles to park in chain up and chain off areas that are not in use.
• HB 1843: Concerning licensing requirements for child care centers and indoor early learning programs.
• HB 1846: Providing a tax preference for rural and nonrural data centers.
• HB 1853: Concerning the use and disclosure of toxic chemicals in cosmetic products.
• HB 1858: Alleviating consumer inflation by leveraging the state's significant budget surplus to reduce taxes on producers of certain consumer staple goods.
• HB 1872: Establishing the care worker center to promote caregiving professions.
• HB 1902: Providing an exception to the process for reopening a workers' compensation claim when the claimant submits a reopening application in a timely manner.
• HB 1904: Protecting tenants from excessive rent and related fees by providing at least six months' notice for rent increases over a certain amount, allowing tenants the right to terminate a tenancy, and limiting late fees.
• HB 1909: Concerning the misbranding of meat and poultry products.
• HB 1914: Updating and expanding the motion picture competitiveness program.
• HB 1928: Concerning equine industry support.
• HB 1930: Concerning license renewals for cosmetologists, hair designers, barbers, manicurists, and estheticians.
• HB 1932: Concerning the recyclability of products and packaging.
• HB 1933: Authorizing smaller local governments with a scarcity of manufacturing and industrial lands to establish a tax on cannabis producers and processors.
• HB 1957: Establishing a small business disaster recovery financial assistance program.
• HB 1958: Accelerating rural job growth and promoting economic recovery across Washington through a shovel-ready site certification program and grants.
• HB 2001: Expanding the ability to build tiny houses.
• HB 2018: Creating a three-day shop local and save sales and use tax holiday to benefit all Washington families for certain items $1,000 or less during the month of September.
• HB 2019: Increasing educational and training opportunities for careers in retail.
• HB 2026: Implementing a per mile charge on vehicles.
• HB 2029: Concerning the safety and security of retail cannabis outlets.
• HB 2031: Concerning unemployment insurance, family leave, and medical leave premiums.
• HB 2039: Enhancing the regulation of vapor products.
• HB 2051: Providing short-term disaster recovery financial assistance to agricultural producers.
• HB 2059: Concerning real estate agency law, but only to clarify that the statutory duties of real estate brokers apply to all parties and prohibiting the delivery of buyer unfair practice letters to the seller of residential real estate.
• HB 2076: Concerning rights and obligations of transportation network company drivers and transportation network companies.
• HB 2080: Creating a liquor license endorsement.
• HB 2093: Increasing county timber tax distributions by reducing the charge for administrative and collection costs.
• HB 2097: Changing the definition of first-time home buyer.
• HB 2099: Improving tax administration by waiving penalties and imposing interest in certain situations involving delayed tax payments, and by extending a statute of limitations period for certain egregious tax crimes.
• HB 2100: Concerning the autonomous vehicle self-certification testing pilot program.
• HB 2101: Modifying the scope of locations to which a water right established as a family farm permit may be transferred.
• HB 2102: Commissioning a study and audits to examine current laws applicable to farmworkers related to workplace health and safety, housing needs, and harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
• HB 2103: Addressing the enforceability of, and available remedies relating to, contracts affected by commercial bribery.
• HB 2104: Concerning the auction of abandoned vehicles and payment of sales tax.
• HB 2105: Concerning service of notice on landlords and tenants.
• HB 2106: Clarifying the existence of riparian stock watering rights.
• HB 2107: Creating an excise tax on the collection of consumer data by commercial data collectors.
• HB 2108: Forgiving the first two payments due under the sales and use tax deferral for historic auto museums in response to operational delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the session progresses, this list will likely continue to grow. I will do my best to keep you updated with the latest information.

New text alert system

House Republicans have a new text alert system. You can sign up here if you want to receive the latest news and information directly to your cell phone.

Virtual town hall meeting

On Saturday, Feb. 19, at 10:30 a.m., I'll be joining Sen. Keith Wagoner for a virtual town hall meeting over Zoom. This is another opportunity for you to ask us questions directly and tell us what you think about the issues facing our state and community.

If you would like to participate, you can register here: https://tinyurl.com/5622dsf3

I look forward to hearing from you!

Tracking a bill?

Click here to find information on specific bills. In addition, when you visit my website, you can easily view the legislation I'm sponsoring or co-sponsoring by clicking “Sponsored Bills.”

Here is a quick set of “bill tracking” instructions

Go to leg.wa.gov

• On the left-hand panel, click “Bill Information.”
• If you know the bill number, enter it in the search field and hit enter.
• Don't have a bill number? Under the section “Standard Reports,” you'll find alternative tracking tools. You can search based on topic, legislative digests, cross-references and or within a specific biennium.
• If you click on the House Floor Calendar, this helpful tool gives you a detailed list of all bills scheduled to be heard on the House floor each day.

Here's how you can stay connected

My legislative website | Here you will find my contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, videos, opinion pieces, bills, and other information.

The Capitol Buzz | A weekday roundup of online news stories. Click on the link to subscribe.

The Current | An online legislative publication from the Washington House Republicans. Click on the link to subscribe.

TVW | The state's own version of C-SPAN, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live online.

The Ledger | A legislative news aggregator.

Legislature's website | View bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature here.

State agencies | You can find a list of all state agencies, boards, and commissions here.

Remote Testimony

Want to testify on a bill or other important public policy? Click here to learn about how you can make your voice heard throughout session

Thank you!

Please contact me if you have questions about bills being introduced, bills that are scheduled for a hearing, or other state government-related issues.

During session, especially in this virtual environment, my office receives hundreds of emails per week. I will do my best to answer the ones I receive from constituents first, so please be sure to include your home address and phone number in your correspondence.

It's an honor to serve you!

Sincerely,

Carolyn Eslick