FINAL BILL REPORT
E2SHB 2528
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
C 120 L 20
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Recognizing the contributions of the state's forest products sector as part of the state's global climate response.
Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Ramos, DeBolt, Chapman, Boehnke, Blake, Fitzgibbon, Tharinger and Santos).
House Committee on Rural Development, Agriculture, & Natural Resources
House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Background:
In 2008 state legislation set a series of limits on the emission of greenhouse gases within the state. The Department of Ecology is responsible for monitoring and tracking progress toward the emission limits. That legislation also stated the Legislature's intention to maintain Washington's leadership on climate change by taking certain specified actions.
Summary:
The scope of actions that the state should take in order to continue its leadership on climate change policy is expanded to include maintaining and enhancing the state's ability to continue to sequester carbon through natural and working lands and forest products. The Legislature intends that the state will support industry sectors that act as sequesterers of carbon.
If any revenues accrue to the state as a result of the state's participation in a regional multisector market-based carbon marketing system, other than revenues from state trust lands, the scope of permissible uses of those revenues is expanded to include promoting and investing in industry sectors that act as sequesterers of carbon.
It is stated as the policy of the state to support the complete forest products sector, which includes landowners, mills, bioenergy, pulp and paper, and the related harvesting and transportation infrastructure.
It is also stated as the policy of the state to utilize carbon accounting land use, land use change, and forestry reporting principles consistent with established reporting guidelines, such as those used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and as used in the United States' national greenhouse gas reporting inventories.
Any state carbon programs must support the policies stated in the act and must recognize the forest product industry's contribution to the state's climate response.
Votes on Final Passage:
House | 95 | 0 | |
Senate | 46 | 3 | (Senate amended) |
House | 96 | 0 | (House concurred) |
Effective: | June 11, 2020 |