Less than a week to go, Legislature at work on budgets, final bills
With less than six days to go in the 60-day legislative session, Senators and Representatives are voting bills out of their chambers, reconciling any differences between bills, and working to resolve differences between operating and capital budget proposals.
The Legislature reached another cutoff Monday, when fiscal bills needed to be out of the House and Senate fiscal committees. Another deadline, chamber cutoff, arrives at 5 p.m. today when the House and Senate may no longer vote on bills from the opposite chamber, unless necessary to implement the budget.
Bill Status Roundup
| Bill number | Bill title | Bill status |
|---|---|---|
| EHB 1237 | Modifying collective bargaining law to authorize providing additional compensation to academic employees at community and technical colleges |
Feb. 7: Passed House 57-41 Feb. 27: Passed Senate 27-21 |
| SHB 1452 | Concerning the opportunity scholarship program |
Jan. 11: Passed House 97-1 Feb. 27: Passed Senate 48-1 |
| E2SHB 1488 | Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students |
Feb. 13: Passed House 56-42 March 1: Passed Senate 34-15 |
| E2SHB 2009 | Providing higher education support for gold star families |
Feb. 8: Passed House 98-0 March 2: Passed Senate 49-0 |
| E2SHB 2177 | Creating the rural county high employer demand jobs program |
Feb. 8: Passed House 98-0 March 2: Passed Senate 48-1 |
| 3SHB 2382 | Promoting the use of surplus public property for public benefit |
Feb. 9: Passed House 53-45 March 2: Passed Senate 26-23 |
| HB 2669 | Adding part-time employees to state civil service |
Feb. 12: Passed House 50-47 Feb. 28: Passed Senate 27-21 |
| SHB 2685 | Promoting preapprenticeship opportunities for high school students |
Feb. 7: Passed House 98-0 Feb. 28: Passed Senate 48-0 |
| SB 5028 | Requiring teacher preparation programs to integrate Native American curriculum developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction into existing Pacific Northwest history and government requirements |
Jan. 25: Passed Senate 46-3 March 1: Passed House 76-22 |
| ESB 5917 | Requiring a systemwide credit policy regarding international baccalaureate exams. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Requiring a systemwide credit policy regarding international baccalaureate and Cambridge international exams.) |
Feb. 14: Passed Senate 48-0 March 2: Passed House 87-11 |
| SSB 6203 | Reducing carbon pollution by moving to a clean energy economy | March 2: Senate Rules "X" file |
| SB 6248 | Granting of high school diplomas by community or technical colleges |
Feb. 9: Passed Senate 47-0 Feb. 22: Scheduled for executive session in House Education Committee, but no action taken |
| 2SSB 6274 | Helping foster and homeless youth complete apprenticeships |
Feb. 12: Passed Senate 35-12 Feb. 28: Passed House 55-43 |
| E2SSB 6362 | Modifying basic education provisions |
Feb. 14: Passed Senate 25-22 Feb. 28: Placed on second reading in House |
| ESSB 6486 | Expanding registered apprenticeship programs |
Feb. 13: Passed Senate 31-16 Feb. 28: Placed on second reading in House |
| SSB 6514 | Concerning suicide prevention and behavioral health in higher education, with enhanced services to student veterans |
Feb. 8: Passed Senate 48-0 Feb. 28: Passed House 98-0 |
Coming Up Next Week
The Legislature will continue reconciling bill differences, conferring and agreeing on any amendments from the opposite chamber, before bills are sent to Gov. Inslee for his signature. Bills may be signed after the session ends. Budget writers from the House and Senate will continue their negotiations to come to agreements for a vote by the full Legislature, hopefully prior to Sine Die March 8.
