Requesting that Congress amend further the marine mammal protection act to allow the use of hunting or bounty programs as tools to effectively manage populations of predatory sea lions.

Requests congress to further amend the marine mammal protection act to allow the use of hunting or bounty programs as tools to effectively manage populations of predatory sea lions.

-- 2019 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 17	First reading, referred to Rural Development, Agriculture, & Natural Resources.

by Senators Zeiger, Warnick, Van De Wege, Fortunato, and Takko

Encouraging the success of agriculture on agricultural land.

Provides that, encouraging the conservation of productive agricultural lands requires local governments to have a regulatory strategy that allows agricultural landowners to successfully engage in agriculture.

Permits counties and cities to use other measures, with regard to agricultural lands that include: Consolidating multiple permit requirements; exempting agricultural lands from unnecessary requirements; reducing the amount of time required for permit review; expanding opportunities for county or city employees to provide technical assistance to landowners; and increasing coordination among counties, cities, and other agencies to avoid duplication of work during permit review.

Authorizes the department of commerce to provide financial assistance and incentives to counties and cities to promote innovative zoning techniques and other measures.

Changes the date to July 1, 2020, in which the county legislative authority must adopt certain ordinances or resolutions that allow it to participate in the voluntary stewardship program.

Concerning powers to waive statutory obligations or limitations during a state of emergency in order to cope with the emergency.

Creating a pilot program for certain cities to hire homeless persons for local beautification projects.

Requires the department of commerce to establish a pilot program for cities to provide job opportunities to, and hire persons experiencing homelessness for, the purposes of local beautification projects.

Requires the hired homeless people to be paid at least the local minimum wage and be connected with organizations that provide wraparound housing services.

Concerning special education.

Requires a school district to post on its web site a plain language description of each of the special education service delivery models either implemented or contracted for by the school district.

Requires the superintendent of public instruction to post on its web site a plain language description of each of the special education service delivery models for eligible students with disabilities.

Requires the superintendent of public instruction, with regard to eligible children with disabilities, to: (1) Provide school districts with a simple written handout that districts must share with parents or guardians before an individualized education program meeting; and

Concerning school bus driver requirements.

Concerning state funding for school construction, modernization, and asset preservation.

Concerning the role of volunteerism within state government.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to conduct a review of volunteer opportunities within state government that include: (1) An inventory of existing volunteer programs;

(2) Costs and benefits of volunteer programs;

(3) The need for additional volunteers in existing programs;

(4) Additional agencies that could accommodate volunteers in the future; and

(5) Recommendations to encourage more volunteerism within state government.

Requires the following to be examined: The state parks and recreation commission, the department of fish and wildlife, the state military department, and state mental hospital, developmental disability, and litter clean-up programs.

Concerning timely elections for governing body members in jurisdictions modifying districting plans under the Washington voting rights act.

Exempting certain marine cargo from vehicle registrations.

Exempts, from vehicle registration requirements, vehicles shipped as marine cargo operated: (1) From wharves to and from storage areas or terminals owned by a public port;

(2) From the storage areas or terminals to other storage areas or terminals owned by a public port; and

Concerning the salaries of county sheriffs.

Reorganizing school districts statewide.

Creates the commission on statewide school district reorganization to develop and recommend a comprehensive plan for the reorganization of school districts and to consider and determine appeals of or alternatives to the reorganization plan.

Requires the state school directors' association to work with school districts to develop and implement a comprehensive statewide reorganization initiative to streamline and provide efficiencies in the administration and operation of school districts and educational service districts.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to conduct an independent review of the comprehensive plan to assure that the proposed plan is based on and follows the objective criteria adopted by the commission.

Authorizes a school district, whose organization is changed by a reorganization plan adopted by the legislature, to appeal the reorganization to the commission.

Requires decisions and orders of the commission to be filed with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the office of the state auditor, appropriate county officials, and the legislature.

Concerning dates and timelines associated with the operation of the state primary and elections.

Modifies certain dates and timelines for primaries for general elections, elections for precinct committee officers, special elections and resolutions calling for them, adjustments to the division of election precincts or precinct boundaries, declarations of candidacy, and filling vacancies of the state's congress members.

Prohibits a state official or a person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official or legislator, during the period beginning on the date a special legislative session convenes and continuing through the date that session adjourns, from soliciting or accepting contributions to a public office fund, to a candidate or authorized committee, or to retire a campaign debt, from: (1) A registered lobbyist;

(2) A registered employer of a lobbyist; or

Concerning the disclosure of personal wireless service charges or fees.

Finds that companies provide personal wireless services without disclosing the services and the changes in services provided or the charge or fee.

Requires the utilities and transportation commission to, by rule, require a personal wireless service provider to clearly disclose on the consumer billing statement for the first: (1) Four months after the time of sale, a description of the service associated with each monthly charge or fee; and

Increasing the maximum tax rate for the voter-approved local sales and use tax for emergency communication systems and facilities.

Prohibits the maximum tax rate for voter-approved local sales and use tax, for emergency communication systems and facilities, from exceeding two-tenths of one percent of the selling price in the case of sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax.

Concerning the presidential primary.

Changes the dates for the presidential primary; and for the secretary of state to propose an alternative date for the primary, including to coordinate a regional primary with Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, or Utah.

Prohibits the proposed date from being before the earliest date permitted by the national rules of the major political parties.

Requires each party to determine which candidates are to be placed on the presidential primary ballot for that party.

Concerning dental coverage for Pacific islanders residing in Washington.

Establishes a dental services program that provides dental coverage to income-eligible members of COFA with no premium or cost-sharing payment requirements.

Defines "COFA citizen" as a person who is a citizen of: (1) The Republic of the Marshall Islands;

(2) The Federated States of Micronesia; or

Adding a nonvoting representative from the office of the insurance commissioner to the public employees' benefits board.

Authorizing hemp production in conformance with the agriculture improvement act of 2018.

Authorizes the growing of hemp as a legal, agricultural activity in the state in conformance with the agriculture improvement act of 2018.

Allows hemp, which is an agricultural product, to be grown, produced, possessed, processed, and exchanged in the state pursuant to a plan approved under the agriculture improvement act of 2018.

Requires the department of agriculture to submit a plan to the United States secretary of agriculture under which this state will monitor and regulate the production of hemp.

Ensuring the funding of agricultural fairs.

Concerning reporting suspected fraud and theft of payment cards.

Regulating outdoor burning for the protection of life or property and for public health, safety, and welfare.

Modifies the Washington clean air act.

Requires the department of natural resources to develop policies that allow outdoor burning for the protection of life or property, and for the public health, safety, and welfare.

Concerning community solar gardens.

Finds that community solar gardens represent a low-cost point of entry for consumers who want solar electricity, as well as for consumers who do not have access to a sun regime that would make a residential solar energy system viable.

Calculating the benchmark rate for certain community residential services.

Requires the department of social and health services to use the King county classification for the purpose of determining the benchmark rate in Snohomish county for community residential service businesses.

Requiring informed consent for pelvic exams.

Allowing persons who will turn eighteen years of age by the general election to vote in the primary election.

Concerning smoke detection devices.

Requires the seller of a dwelling unit, sold on or after the effective date of this act, to install smoke detection devices in the unit before the buyer or other person occupies the unit following the sale.

Requires insurance companies that write homeowner's insurance to allow an appropriate reduction in premium charges to persons who certify the dwelling unit covered under the insurance policy contains properly installed and maintained smoke detection devices.

Creates the smoke detection device awareness account.

-- 2019 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 16	First reading, referred to Financial Institutions, Economic Development & Trade.