Requesting that the Bonneville Power Administration consider a rate design for the Eastern Intertie that eliminates or reduces the transmission rate associated with that part of the Eastern Intertie known as the Montana Intertie.

Requests that the Bonneville Power Administration consider a rate design for the eastern intertie that eliminates or reduces the transmission rate associated with that part of the eastern intertie known as the Montana intertie.

-- 2017 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 2	Public hearing, executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Technology & Economic Development at 1:30 PM.
Feb 7	TED - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology & Economic Development at 10:00 AM.

by Senate Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Senators O'Ban and Conway)

Concerning the number of adult family homes permitted in residential neighborhoods.

Requires the rules and standards for adult family homes to recognize the additional vehicular traffic and need for services that adult family homes require in residential neighborhoods.

Establishing the legislative advisory committee on aging.

Aligning existing definitions and practices to establish a uniform process for updating addresses of record and make conforming amendments to statutes administered by the department of licensing.

Concerning the definition of work activity for the purposes of the WorkFirst program.

Revises the definition of "work activity" for purposes of the WorkFirst temporary assistance for needy families program to change the amount of vocational training time, from twelve months to twenty-four months, to qualify as work activity.

Reducing training requirements for disability respite providers working three hundred hours or less in any calendar year.

Modifying the operation of motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.

Allows the operator of a motorcycle to overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken and to drive between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles, but only if on a numbered state route that is a divided highway having two or more lanes of traffic in each direction separated by a physical barrier or unpaved median and the operator is traveling at a rate of speed no more than ten miles per hour over the speed of traffic flow and not more than twenty-five miles per hour.

Prohibits an operator of a motor vehicle from intentionally impeding or attempting to prevent an operator of a motorcycle from operating the motorcycle as permitted.

Making the customized employment training program permanent.

Concerning livestock inspection.

Requires a licensee, when a livestock inspection is required, to collect from the consignor and pay to the department of agriculture a per head inspection fee for each animal inspected or a time and mileage fee, whichever is greater.

Increases fees for the following: (1) Inspection of cattle at a processing plant where the United States department of agriculture maintains a meat inspection program;

(2) Issuance of an inspection certificate by the director; and

Concerning personnel requirements for municipal ambulance services.

Conducting a study of the costs and funding sources for the core services and functions provided by county offices.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to: (1) Conduct a study to determine the cost per county resident to provide core services and functions of certain county offices and the funding sources for all funds used by the county offices to provide core services and functions; and

Concerning the financing of early learning facilities.

Creates the early learning facilities revolving account.

Requires the department of early learning, in consultation with stakeholders, to review existing licensing standards related to facility requirements to eliminate potential barriers to licensing.

Requires the department of commerce to: (1) In consultation with the department of early learning, oversee the early learning facilities revolving account;

(2) Act as the lead state agency for early learning facilities grant and loan program development;

(3) Expend money from the account to provide state matching funds for grants or loans to provide classrooms necessary for children to participate in the early childhood education and assistance program and working connections child care;

(4) Monitor performance of the grant and loan program; and

(5) Convene a committee of early learning facilities experts to advise the department regarding the prioritization methodology of grant applications for certain projects.

Provides a list of: (1) Activities eligible for funding through the account; and

(2) Organizations eligible to receive grants or loans.

Concerning the management of noxious weeds on state lands.

Simplifying the population growth criteria for planning required by the growth management act.

Addressing noncompetition agreements.

States that a noncompetition agreement between an employer and an employee is void and unenforceable if the employee's compensation, excluding benefits, is less than: (1) Fifty-five thousand dollars per year in 2017; and

Concerning use of step therapy in prescription drug coverage.

Increasing college and career readiness and graduation rates in public schools.

Creates the high school graduation and college and career readiness account.

Requires the legislature, at each regular session in an odd-numbered year, to appropriate from the account amounts equaling not less than four hundred dollars per full-time equivalent student enrolled in a public middle school and high school per school year, for state support of the requirements of this act during the ensuing biennium.

Requires the amounts distributed to school districts to be used to establish or expand: (1) Career and technical education programs in middle schools, high schools, or skill centers;

(2) College-level courses in high schools;

(3) Drop-out prevention strategies in middle schools and high schools; and

(4) Courses, counseling, and coaching in middle school and high school to provide early exposure for students to employment opportunities and requirements and options for postsecondary education.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to review and report on the performance of school districts receiving certain funds under this act.

Concerning passenger-carrying vehicles for railroad employees.

Requires the utilities and transportation commission to: (1) Regulate persons providing contract railroad crew transportation and contract crew hauling vehicles with respect to the safety of equipment, driver qualifications, insurance, and safety of operations;

(2) Compile data regarding reported safety complaints, accidents, regulatory violations and fines, and corrective actions taken by the commission involving passenger-carrying vehicles; and

Declaring that it is an unfair practice for any employer who provides health insurance to its employees as part of an employee's benefit package to not include contraceptive coverage as part of the benefit package, to fail to comply with federal rules adopted under the affordable care act relating to the provision of contraceptive coverage, or to discriminate against any employee based on that employee's use of any reproductive health care service, drug, or device.

Establishes the employee reproductive choice act.

Exempting certain confidential fish and shellfish harvest information from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, the public records act.

Concerning financing of the mercury-containing light stewardship program.

Addresses the mercury-containing light stewardship program.

Decreases the amount of the annual fee required to be paid by a stewardship organization to the department of ecology.

Requires a stewardship organization, when submitting the annual report to the department of ecology, to include an independent financial audit only once every three years.

Prohibits the department of ecology from retaining fees in excess of the estimated amount necessary to cover the agency's administrative costs related to the mercury light stewardship program.

Implementing recommendations from the children's mental health work group.

Requires the state health care authority to: (1) Oversee the coordination of resources and services through the managed health care system for children who are eligible for medical assistance and have been identified as requiring mental health treatment; and

(2) Require universal screening and provider payment for depression for certain children.

Requires the department of early learning to establish a child care consultation program linking child care providers with resources for caring for infants and young children who present behavioral concerns.

Requires educational service districts to establish a lead staff person for mental health.

Requires the office of the superintendent of public instruction to employ a children's mental health services coordinator.

Requires the health workforce council to collect and analyze workforce survey and administrative data for clinicians qualified to provide children's mental health services.

Requires Washington State University to offer one, and the University of Washington to offer one additional, twenty-four month residency position that is approved by the accreditation council for graduate medical education to a resident specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Concerning higher education records.

Requires the registrar of a private college or university that participates in the state need grant program and an institution of higher education or other employee, office, or department of the institution responsible for maintaining student academic records, to include a prominent notation on the academic transcript of a student who has been suspended for, has been permanently dismissed for, or withdraws from the institution while under investigation for, an offense involving sexual violence, stating that the student was suspended, dismissed, or withdrawn from the institution while under investigation for an offense involving sexual violence.

Repealing certain tax exemptions and deductions to help pay for the full funding of basic education.

Repeals certain tax exemptions and deductions for international banking facilities and professional employer organizations to help pay for the full funding of basic education.

-- 2017 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 8	First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

by Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senator O'Ban)

Requesting that the Interstate 5 bridges over the Nisqually River be named for and recognize the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Requests that the Interstate 5 bridges over the Nisqually River be named for and recognize the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

-- 2017 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 30	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM.
Feb 6	TRAN - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM.
Feb 8	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.