Relating to providing a tiered tax on the possession of hazardous substances to provide for the current program's immediate needs and a more stable source of revenue in the future.

Creating the Washington state commission on minority affairs.

Creates the Washington state commission on minority affairs.

Abolishes the governor's office of Indian affairs, the commission on African-American affairs, the commission on Asian Pacific American affairs, and the commission on Hispanic affairs and transfers their powers, duties, and functions to the Washington state commission on minority affairs.

Requires the Washington state commission on minority affairs to advise the governor, the legislature, and other state agencies on public policy that affects a disproportionate number of citizens who find themselves disadvantaged or isolated from the benefits of equal opportunity.

Repeals the following: (1) Chapter 43.113 RCW (the commission on African-American affairs);

(2) Chapter 43.115 RCW (the commission on Hispanic affairs); and

(3) Chapter 43.117 RCW (the commission on Asian Pacific American affairs).

Concerning the sentencing and incarceration of offenders.

Creates the office of the corrections ombuds, which is funded through the office of the state auditor, for the purpose of: (1) Providing information to inmates, family members, and department employees, regarding the rights of inmates;

(2) Providing technical assistance to support inmate self-advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, and individual representation;

(3) Identifying systemic issues, reporting to the legislature, and advocating for systemic reform; and

(4) Monitoring and promoting compliance with statutes, rules, and policies pertaining to conditions of correctional facilities and the rights of inmates.

Requires the governor to convene an ombuds advisory council with several purposes in support of the ombuds function.

Requires the state auditor to designate, by a competitive bidding process, the nonprofit organization that will operate the office.

Requires the department of corrections to: (1) Immediately manually calculate the release date of a prisoner and the release dates of similarly sentenced prisoners if the department has knowledge or reason to believe that a computer calculation error is or has caused an error in the calculation of the release date of a prisoner; and

(2) Develop a mandatory sentencing elements worksheet, in consultation with the administrative office of the courts, superior court judges' association, Washington association of prosecuting attorneys, Washington association of criminal defense lawyers, Washington public defenders' association, and Washington association of county clerks.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to conduct a performance audit of the information technology and records related units at the department of corrections.

Requires the sentencing guidelines commission to contract for the services of an external consultant to evaluate the state's sentencing laws and practices.

Creates the joint legislative task force on criminal sentencing and requires the task force to review sentencing laws after consideration of the consultant's study and recommendations.

Fulfilling the state's paramount duty for all children through equitable and responsible investments in the state's basic education program and reductions to local effort contributions.

Addresses the state's basic education program with regard to: (1) Salary allocations;

(2) Local maintenance and operation levies--local effort assistance;

(3) Enhancement of the program of basic education; and

Concerning investing in Washington families by improving the fairness of the state's excise tax system by narrowing or eliminating tax preferences, imposing a business and occupation tax surcharge while eliminating tax liability for small businesses, enacting an excise tax on capital gains, modifying the real estate excise tax, making administrative changes, and implementing marketplace fairness in Washington.

Addresses the state's tax system with regard to: (1) Capital gains taxes;

(2) Business and occupation tax rate change and deduction;

(3) Eliminating the sales and use tax exemption for bottled water;

(4) Repealing the preferential business and occupation tax rate for warehousing and reselling prescription drugs;

(5) Narrowing a use tax exemption for self-produced fuel;

(6) Eliminating the preferential business and occupation tax rate for international investment management services;

(7) Nonresident sales tax exemption remittances;

(8) Graduated real estate excise tax rates;

(9) Real estate excise tax on foreclosures;

(10) Requiring local governments that issue building permits to supply subcontractor information to the department of revenue;

(11) Remote sellers, referrers, and marketplace facilitators;

(12) The expansion of an individual's liability for an entity's unpaid tax obligations;

(13) Reducing interest on tax refunds; and

Addressing the eligibility of emergency medical technicians employed by public hospital districts for membership in the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 2.

Clarifies that emergency medical technicians qualify as firefighters, under chapter 459, Laws of 2005, only if they provide certain emergency medical services.

-- 2017 REGULAR SESSION --
Mar 28	First reading, referred to Appropriations (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).