SEPAC's 2021 Legislative Bill Watch
In February 2021 SEPAC hired Prism West Consulting to amplify our presence in the 2021 legislative session. Below are several bills that align with our organization's mission if you're interested in supporting our efforts to ensure these important bills become law. Please reach out to [email protected]
Recommended to Support:
HB 1496: Dead. Creating a more progressive tax system in Washington by enacting an excise tax on sales and extraordinary profits of high-valued assets. This is essentially a wealth tax.
HB 1499: Alive. Passed the House Floor. Providing behavioral health system responses to individuals with substance use disorder. Essentially a statewide L.E.A.D. program, similar to what Oregon did.
HB 1490: Dead. Maintaining residential electricity and heating service for low-income households and households with people with disabilities.
HB 1054: Alive. Establishing requirements for tactics and equipment used by peace officers. Bans chokeholds, tear gas, and other use of force tactics. Article. Being amended and voted on the floor now.
HB 1310: Alive. Concerning permissible uses of force by law enforcement and correctional officers. Article. Sitting In the Rules Committee.
HB 1342: Alive. Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches. April Berg is the prime sponsor. Passed House floor. In the Senate K12 and early learning committee now.
HB 1336: Alive. Creating and expanding unrestricted authority for public entities to provide telecommunications services to end users. Municipal Broadband. Passed on the floor. Requested meeting with Drew Hansen.
SB 5035: Alive. Concerning offender scoring of drug offenses. Passed the Senate Floor. In the House Public Safety Committee.
HB 1202: Alive. In the Rules Committee. Addressing meaningful civil remedies for persons injured as a result of police misconduct, including by allowing for an award of attorney fees in addition to damages and injunctive and declaratory relief. Essentially allows an easier route for people to sue police. On the Floor Calendar.
SB 5135: Alive (barely). In the Rules Committee. Concerning unlawfully summoning a police officer. “The Karen” Bill. Have requested a meeting with prime sponsor Mona Das.
HB 1507: Dead. Will meet with Entenman. Establishing a mechanism for independent prosecutions of criminal conduct arising from police use of force.
HB 1140: Alive, In the Rules Committee. Concerning juvenile access to attorneys when contacted by law enforcement.
Recommend to Oppose:
SB 5361: Alive. Still in the Rules Committee. Concerning the resentencing of persons convicted of drug offenses.
HB 1071: Dead! Concerning bias-based criminal offenses.
Recommend to stay neutral:
HB 1016: Alive. Passed on the floor. Making Juneteenth a legal holiday.
New Bills to Recommend support: SB 5051, HB 1273.SB 5055.
Sponsored bills by our Endorsed Legislators
April Berg: Meeting on Feb. 22nd went well. Rep. Berg asked for help with her other prime sponsored bill HB 1273. It passed the house floor, but she fears that the vice chair of the senate committee it is in will add amendments that will kill it.
Jon Lovick: Meeting Requested. Still awaiting a response.