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
Democrats in Washington State just can’t seem to learn that citizens of Washington State don’t want to be told how to care for themselves. Furthermore, after the farce of face masking and the vaccine boondoggle that came with CoVid, Washingtonians don’t trust the ‘science’ of our public health officials at the state or federal level.
House Bill 1531 mandates that public health responses to communicable diseases must be guided by science-based evidence, prioritizing proven measures like immunizations. The bill explicitly prohibits any conflicting laws or policies and declares existing ones null and void. It emphasizes the state’s commitment to using the best available science to control disease spread and declares an immediate effective date for reasons of public health.
Consider what legislators warn us against:
• Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, and the Chairman of the WAGOP, exposes this bill: “This is an insult to science. This is an insult to truth. This is a bureaucratic power grab pretending
to be some defense of evidence-based science. This is the weaponization of science, and it’s really disgusting.” Walsh also supports what he calls “peaceful non-compliance.”
• Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor points out: “I think the last four or five years are evidence that we cannot be sure what the best available science is.”
• Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, also spoke against the bill: “It is making it so any dissent from the official policy is quashed. I believe this is a bad bill and a black eye on the First Amendment. I want to hear everything, all of the science available and I believe this hides people’s right to be able to speak.”
Unless you want the state to direct your medical care and dictate what vaccines you must take, in addition to what immunizations your children must have, please oppose this scary legislation.
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Health Care
Enhancing the regulation of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, and vapor products.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1534 is a Washington state legislative bill amending and enhancing existing laws regarding the regulation of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products and vapor products. The bill aims to improve public health by ensuring more rigorous oversight of nicotine-containing products, particularly focusing on preventing sales to minors and regulating the manufacturing and distribution of these products. It establishes a comprehensive certification and directory system for vapor products containing nicotine, requiring manufacturers to submit annual certifications to the state liquor and cannabis board detailing their products and providing documentation of FDA approval or pending applications.
The bill increases penalties for selling these products to minors, Starting January 1, 2026, only vapor products included in a publicly available directory will be legally sellable in the state. The bill introduces significant penalties for non-compliance, including civil fines ranging from $500 to $10,000 per violation and potential license suspensions or revocations for retailers and manufacturers. Additionally, the legislation expands reporting and record-keeping requirements for distributors, and creates a new vapor product nicotine directory account to fund enforcement efforts.
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Health Care
Ensuring patient choice and access to care by prohibiting unfair and deceptive dental insurance practices.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1535 aims to reform Washington State’s dental insurance system by increasing patient protections and transparency. The bill seeks to improve access to care, reduce out-of-pocket costs, and prevent insurers from prioritizing profits over patient needs. Key provisions include mandating minimum medical loss ratios, allowing patients to choose their dentists, and ensuring fair reimbursement rates for providers. The bill also addresses regulatory requirements for insurers, including reporting and rate review processes. Ultimately, the legislation seeks to create a more equitable and fair dental insurance market in Washington.
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Education
Providing capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1538 establishes a new grant program in Washington State to provide capital financial assistance to small school districts – with 1,000 students or fewer – that are financially distressed and have aging school facilities. The program aims to help these districts modernize or replace school buildings that are at least 30 years old and in poor condition. Eligible projects must address critical physical deficiencies such as seismic vulnerabilities, failing building systems, infrastructure problems, accessibility barriers, and deteriorated conditions. To apply, school districts must submit detailed information about their facility conditions, including a seismic assessment and building inventory.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will propose a prioritized list of grants every two years, with points awarded based on the district’s remaining debt capacity, facility condition, and enrollment size. School districts must contribute a share of project costs, typically at least 50% of their remaining debt capacity, but this can be reduced if it would cause property tax rates to exceed $1.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The bill also allows districts to use federal funding, grants, or private donations to meet their cost share. The program is designed to help small, financially constrained districts improve their school facilities and potentially enhance student health, safety, and academic performance. The new grant program will take effect on January 1, 2028.
Bill Summary
House Bill 1539 establishes a work group tasked with studying and recommending wildfire mitigation and resiliency standards in Washington State. The work group will be co-chaired by the insurance commissioner and the commissioner of public lands, and will include representatives from the property and casualty insurance industry, local emergency management, the Washington fire chiefs association, and legislative members from both the House and Senate. The group is responsible for developing recommendations that align state wildfire property mitigation standards with nationally recognized, science-based standards, enhancing community-level wildfire mitigation, improving data sharing between state agencies and the insurance industry, increasing consumer transparency regarding wildfire risks, and establishing a grant program to assist homeowners in retrofitting properties to resist wildfire damage.
The work group is required to submit a report of its recommendations to the legislature and relevant agencies by December 1, 2025, and will receive staff support from the office of the insurance commissioner. The section of the bill creating the work group will expire on December 31, 2025.