Essential information on each bill is below. For more details, click on the bill number – e.g., “SB 5000.” The new page will show the progress of the bill, videos of debate, and the link to send a comment to your legislator about the bill.
Bill Summary
Washington State House Bill 1363 modifies licensing requirements for child care and early learning providers in Washington state, making several key changes to existing regulations. The bill updates the Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ duties regarding licensing, including the development of separate requirements for different types of child care facilities. Notably, the bill introduces new standards for child care centers, specifying maximum group sizes and staff-to-child ratios: for preschoolers (30 months to 6 years), a maximum of 21 children with a ratio of at least 1 staff member to 11 children, and for school-age children (5-12 years), a maximum of 31 children with a ratio of at least 1 staff member to 16 children.
The bill also mandates that licensed indoor early learning spaces must provide a minimum of 34 square feet per child. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that providers are not required to obtain early childhood education certification as part of staff qualification requirements, and it removes the requirement for community-based training pathways. The bill continues to emphasize professional development supports for child care providers, including trainings, scholarships, and support for nonprofit organizations that assist providers in developing their businesses and improving care quality.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1371 is a bipartisan bill that modifies Washington state law regarding disability parking permits. Amendments clarify eligibility criteria, including adding veterans with a 70% disability rating and a service animal. The bill details requirements for applications, permit types (temporary and permanent), and renewal processes. It also addresses verification procedures and penalties for providing false information. Finally, the bill updates the definition of “veteran” for eligibility purposes.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1375 adjusts to the state’s estate tax exclusion amount for inflation. The bill reenacts and amends existing RCW statutes related to this tax and is intended to help protect more estate value from taxes. The bill increases the estate tax exclusion amount from $2,193,000 to $2,959,000 for decedents dying on or after August 1, 2025. The amount will be adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle urban area, starting in 2026. This adjustment aims to ensure the exclusion amount keeps pace with economic changes.
Bill Summary
Washington House Bill 1380 aims to address the growing homelessness crisis by aiming to create ‘statewide guidelines’ for managing public property. The bill seeks to balance public safety concerns with the need for humane treatment of the homeless by establishing an “objective reasonableness” standard for local ordinances restricting activities like sitting, lying, sleeping outdoors, keeping dry or staying warm in public spaces.
It also protects local governments from litigation if their ordinances are deemed objectively reasonable, while allowing individuals to challenge the reasonableness of such laws in court. In other words, this standard will allow a homeless person to sue a municipality that restricts the use of public land for a homeless camp.
According to the Washington Policy Center, the legislation would redefine how a city or town may create rules and regulations for the use of public land with a vague, indefensible definition. The definition states that municipalities are encouraged to “enact objectively reasonable time, place and manner regulations to manage public spaces effectively and preserve public peace, health, and safety for the befit of the entire community.” This definition is so vague that any relation a municipality could place on the use of public land would open the doors to a lawsuit. Attorney fees will be awarded, in addition to the plaintiff relief, should a lawsuit succeed. The taxpayers of the municipality would be responsible for the cost of the lawsuit, which ultimately would result in higher property and sales taxes. Finally, the act is declared an emergency measure and takes effect immediately.
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Taxes
Providing tax exemptions for the first 20,000 gallons of wine sold by a winery in Washington.
Bill Summary
The proposed bill aims to provide a tax exemption for the first 20,000 gallons of wine sold by wineries in Washington state. It amends RCW 66.24.210 to introduce a new tax structure for wineries that sell less than 20,000 gallons of table wine or cider in a calendar year. Specifically, these wineries will be subject to a reduced tax rate of $0.0528 per liter for their sales, and they will not be liable for any other taxes under this section on the first 20,000 gallons sold, except for taxes imposed for the Washington wine commission. Additionally, the bill stipulates that taxes collected from this exemption will be deposited into the liquor revolving fund.
Furthermore, the bill includes a tax preference performance statement that outlines the legislature’s intent to support small wineries, which face unique challenges compared to larger operations. The performance statement emphasizes the goal of promoting the growth and stability of small wineries, particularly in light of recent economic hardships and environmental challenges. If a review finds that the tax preference successfully promotes small wineries, the legislature intends to consider extending the expiration date of this tax preference.