Concerning eligibility for state financial aid programs.

Aligns residency requirements for certain state financial aid programs.

Authorizes an institution of higher education to award a state need grant to an eligible student on a provisional basis if the student completes the free application for federal student aid or, if he or she is ineligible to apply for federal student aid, completes a state financial aid application as approved by the office of student financial assistance.

Modifies the definition of "resident student" to include a person who has: (1) Been granted deferred action for childhood arrival status regardless of whether he or she is no longer or will no longer be granted the deferred action due to the termination, suspension, or modification of the deferred action for childhood arrival program; and

(2) Met certain domicile requirements.

Modifies the definition of "nonresident student" as a person who: (1) Meets and complies with applicable requirements and is a lawful permanent resident, is a temporary resident, or holds a certain nonimmigrant status with the United States citizenship and immigration services;

(2) Has been issued an employment authorization document by the United States citizenship and immigration services that is valid as of the date the person's residency status is determined; or

Concerning tourism marketing.

Establishes the statewide tourism marketing act.

Creates the Washington tourism marketing authority to contract for statewide tourism marketing services that promote tourism on behalf of the citizens of the state and manage the authority's financial resources.

Requires the department of commerce to provide administrative assistance to the authority and serve as the fiscal agent of the authority for money appropriated for purposes of the authority.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to conduct an evaluation of the performance of the authority to determine the extent to which the authority has contributed to the growth of the tourism industry and economic development of the state.

Creates the statewide tourism marketing account.

Adding the use of shared leave for employees who are sick or temporarily disabled because of pregnancy disability or for the purposes of parental leave to bond with the employee's newborn, adoptive, or foster child.

Allows an agency head to permit an employee to receive leave, under the state leave sharing program, if the employee: (1) Needs the time for parental leave; or

Concerning transparency in retail electrical customer billing.

Requires an electric utility to: (1) Provide written or electronic notice of public hearings where changes in electricity rates will be considered or approved by the utilities and transportation commission or governing body; and

Concerning the sale of manufactured/mobile home communities.

Making financial services available to marijuana producers, processors, retailers, qualifying patients, health care professionals, and designated providers as authorized under chapters 69.50 and 69.51A RCW.

States that a financial institution, an armored car service, or a person providing certain financial services that receives deposits, extends credit, conducts funds transfers, or provides other financial services for a marijuana producer, processor, or retailer or a qualifying patient, health care professional, or designated provider, does not commit a crime solely by virtue of providing those financial services.

Concerning small claims court.

Increasing success in therapeutic courts.

Allows the use of a portion of the criminal justice treatment account to provide services to foster increased success in drug courts.

Establishing a student loan bill of rights.

Establishes the Washington student education loan bill of rights.

Requires the student achievement council to designate a student loan advocate within the office of student financial assistance to provide timely assistance to a student education loan borrower with a student education loan.

Requires the director of the department of financial institutions to establish fees sufficient to cover the costs of administering the department's program for student education loan servicers and the student achievement council's student loan advocate.

Requires the state institute for public policy to conduct a study on the impact and cost-effectiveness of establishing a student loan authority to refinance existing federal and private undergraduate and graduate student loans from the proceeds of tax-exempt bonds.

Creates the student loan advocate account.

Allowing property insurers to assist their insureds with risk mitigation goods or services.

Authorizes a personal property insurer to: (1) With prior approval of the insurance commissioner, include certain goods and services intended to reduce the probability of loss or the extent of loss from a covered event as part of a policy of personal property insurance; and

(2) Conduct a pilot program as a risk mitigation strategy through which the insurer offers or provides risk mitigation goods and services in connection with a personal insurance policy covering property risks.

Concerning civil legal aid.

Finds that the prevalence of civil legal problems experienced by low-income people in the state exceeds the capacity of the state-funded legal aid system to address.

Modifies civil legal aid provisions regarding: (1) The duty of the director of civil legal aid services to periodically assess the most prevalent civil legal problems experienced by low-income people in the state and the capacity of the state-funded legal aid system to meet the legal needs arising from the problems;

(2) The appropriation of public funds for civil representation of indigent persons; and

Concerning broadcasters during a proclamation of emergency.

Provides a definition of "broadcaster" and "first informer broadcaster" for purposes of chapter 38.52 RCW regarding the state military department and emergency management.

Creating a task force on the outdoor recreation industry.

Requires the institutions of higher education, the council of presidents, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the student achievement council to collaborate to: (1) Identify talent pipeline gaps within the outdoor recreation industry in the state; and

(2) Develop recommendations for institutions of higher education to create master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees and certificate programs that meet the needs of the outdoor recreation industry.

Creates the task force on talent pipeline gaps in the outdoor recreation industry to coordinate and implement the goals in (1) and (2) above.

Establishing the evergreen free college act.

Establishes the evergreen free college act.

Creates the evergreen free college program to help make four years of college affordable and accessible to the citizens of the state by offering a tuition waiver for eligible students.

Requires the office of student financial assistance to administer the program for resident students seeking a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, or certificate from an institution of higher education under certain terms and conditions.

Requires the student achievement council to develop a plan to provide program students, who are enrolled at an institution of higher education, with a student success course that is one quarter long or the equivalent in semester hours, that teaches essential skills for college success.

Requires the state institute for public policy to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the program.

Concerning health plan coverage of reproductive health care.

Requires a health plan that is issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2019: (1) To provide coverage for contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products; voluntary sterilization procedures; and certain necessary consultations, examinations, procedures, and medical services; and

(2) That provides coverage for maternity care or services, to also provide substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.

Concerning spoken language interpreter services.

Centralizes and consolidates the procurement of spoken language interpreter services and expands the use of language access providers.

Relating to state government.

Relating to higher education.

Relating to climate.

Concerning affordable housing policy.

Establishes the housing efficiency and fairness act.

Requires the state auditor, in auditing the housing finance commission, to examine the performance of the commission in meeting its housing finance objectives for the state in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.

Requires the housing finance commission, if it determines that it has not received an adequate number of suitable applications for nonrural projects during a given funding cycle, to allocate unused money for predevelopment, feasibility studies, and capacity building projects in nonrural areas of the state.

Prohibits a jurisdiction that accepts payment of money or property in lieu of low-income housing units from being eligible for money from the housing trust fund.

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 2	First reading, referred to Human Services & Corrections.

by Senator Ranker

Requesting that the Washington State Transportation Commission commence proceedings to rename the state ferry vessel the "Yakama."

Requests that the state transportation commission commence proceedings to rename the state ferry vessel the Yakama.

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 2	First reading, referred to Transportation.