WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
Legislative Digest No. 65

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE
Thursday, June 15, 201724th Day - 2017 2nd Special Session

SENATE
SB 5517SB 5943SB 5944SB 5945SB 5946SB 5947SB 5948
SB 5949SB 5950SB 5951
HOUSE
HB 2221HB 2222HB 2223HB 2224HB 2225

This publication includes digest and history for bills, joint memorials, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, initiatives, and substitutes. Engrossed measures may be republished if the amendment makes a substantive change.

Electronic versions of Legislative Digests are available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/digests.aspx?year=2017.


House Bills

HB 2221

by Representatives Manweller, MacEwen, Haler, Jenkin, Koster, Nealey, Pike, Shea, Van Werven, Volz, Griffey, Buys, J. Walsh, Irwin, and Vick


Transitioning The Evergreen State College to a private four-year institution of higher education.


Requires the board of trustees of The Evergreen State College to: (1) In consultation with the office of financial management, develop a plan to transition The Evergreen State College to a private four-year institution of higher education over five years; and

(2) Beginning July 1, 2019, begin implementing the plan to transition the college to a private institution of higher education.

Requires the legislature, during the transition, to reduce state support by twenty percent per year for five years until state support is reduced to zero, and at the end of the five years, the board of trustees shall have The Evergreen State College appraised and listed for sale at fair market value or above.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 2First reading, referred to Higher Education (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).

HB 2222

by Representatives Cody and Manweller; by request of Insurance Commissioner


Protecting information obtained to develop or implement an individual health insurance market stability program.


Exempts the following from public disclosure under the public records act, for the purposes of developing or implementing an individual health insurance market stability program, reports, data, documents, or materials: (1) That health carriers submit to or receive from the United States department of human and health services as part of a human and health services operated risk adjustment or reinsurance program; or

(2) That the state health insurance pool prepares for purposes of this act that are obtained by, disclosed to, or in the custody of the insurance commissioner.

Prohibits the insurance commissioner from disclosing the reports, data, documents, or materials except in the furtherance of developing and implementing an individual health insurance market stability program.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 12First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).
Jun 19Scheduled for public hearing and executive session in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:00 PM. (Subject to change)

HB 2223

by Representatives J. Walsh, Graves, Haler, Manweller, Pike, Van Werven, Griffey, Irwin, Volz, Buys, Harris, and Kraft


Protecting freedom of speech in institutions of higher education.


Requires each governing board of an institution of higher education to adopt a policy that affirms certain principles of free speech, which are the public policy of this state.

Requires the policy to be made available to students and faculty annually.

Requires each institution of higher education, with respect to disciplining students for their speech, expression, or assemblies, to adopt a policy on "student-on-student harassment" which is defined as unwelcome conduct directed toward a person that is discriminatory on a basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law, and that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars the victim's access to an educational opportunity or benefit.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 12First reading, referred to Higher Education (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).

HB 2224

by Representatives MacEwen, Dolan, Appleton, Haler, Harris, Sells, Tarleton, J. Walsh, Santos, and Doglio; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction


Providing flexibility in high school graduation requirements and supporting student success during the transition to a federal every student succeeds act-compliant accountability system.


Finds that locally directed intervention strategies, including transition courses, opportunities to take more diverse assessments, dual credit courses, and more sustained focus on providing college and career guidance through students' high school and beyond plans, would better prepare students for postsecondary college and career opportunities.

Declares an intent to: (1) Move the statewide required assessment to the tenth grade for reading, writing, and mathematics; and

(2) Expand alternatives to the assessment when a student does not meet standard on the tenth grade assessment.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 14First reading, referred to Education (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).

HB 2225

by Representatives Slatter, Senn, Robinson, Appleton, Chapman, Ryu, Sells, Stanford, Tarleton, Santos, Peterson, Macri, Pollet, Doglio, Reeves, Pellicciotti, and Valdez


Aligning Washington's greenhouse gas emissions limits with those established by the United States' commitment under the 2015 Paris climate agreement.


Requires the state, by 2025, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to twenty-six percent below 2005 levels, and make best efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to twenty-eight percent below 2005 levels, consistent with the commitment submitted to the United Nations as the intended nationally determined contribution by the United States under the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 14First reading, referred to Environment (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).


Senate Bills

SB 5517

by Senators Wilson, Rivers, Cleveland, Hobbs, King, Sheldon, Miloscia, Brown, Angel, Warnick, Keiser, and Schoesler


Concerning rail dependent uses for purposes of the growth management act and related development regulations.


(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 6/13/17)


Authorizes a county located to the west of the crest of the Cascade mountains that has both a population of at least four hundred thousand and a border that touches another state, and any city in the county, to adopt development regulations to assure that agriculture, forest, and mineral resource lands adjacent to short line railroads may be developed for freight rail dependent uses.

Authorizes a county located to the west of the crest of the Cascade mountains that has both a population of at least four hundred thousand and a border that touches another state, and any city in the county, to: (1) Include development of freight rail dependent uses on land adjacent to a short line railroad in the transportation element required by RCW 36.70A.070; and

(2) Modify development regulations to include development of freight rail dependent uses that do not require urban governmental services in rural lands.
-- 2017 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 26First reading, referred to Local Government.
Feb 2Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government at 1:30 PM.
Feb 9LGOV - Majority; do pass.
Minority; without recommendation.
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Local Government at 1:30 PM.
Feb 10Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Feb 21Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Feb 28Floor amendment(s) adopted.
Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
Third reading, passed; yeas, 38; nays, 11; absent, 0; excused, 0.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 2First reading, referred to Environment (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).
Mar 21Public hearing in the House Committee on Environment at 1:30 PM.
Apr 23By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Placed on Rules White Sheet.
-- 2017 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 24By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
May 23By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
Jun 13Placed on third reading by Rules Committee.
Rules suspended.
Returned to second reading.
Floor amendment(s) adopted.
Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
Third reading, passed; yeas, 37; nays, 10; absent, 0; excused, 2.

SB 5943

by Senator Ericksen


Cleaning up contaminated sites across Washington.


Revises the model toxics control act to address the cleaning up of contaminated sites across the state.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 1First reading, referred to Energy, Environment & Telecommunications.
Jun 14Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment & Telecommunications at 10:00 AM.

SB 5944

by Senator Becker


Concerning negligent entrustment by rental car agencies.


Provides that a person who rents a motor vehicle to another person and does not comply with the requirements of RCW 46.20.220 (section 1 of this act) may be held liable for negligent entrustment.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 1First reading, referred to Law & Justice.

SB 5945

by Senators Zeiger, Takko, Miloscia, and Conway


Addressing the siting of schools and school facilities.


States that the growth management act does not prohibit: (1) A county from authorizing the siting of a school in a rural area that serves students that reside in an urban growth area or a local jurisdiction from extending public facilities and utilities to serve a school sited in a rural area if certain requirements are met; or

(2) Either the expansion or modernization of an existing school in a rural area or the placement of portable classrooms at an existing school in a rural area.

Authorizes a public facility or utility, when the facility or utility has been extended beyond the urban growth area to serve a school, to serve a property in addition to the school if a property owner so requests.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 5First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.
Jun 12EDU - Majority; do pass.
Minority; do not pass.
Public hearing and executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 2:30 PM.
Jun 13Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

SB 5946

by Senator Fortunato


Transitioning The Evergreen State College to a private four-year institution of higher education.


Requires the board of trustees of The Evergreen State College to: (1) In consultation with the office of financial management, develop a plan to transition The Evergreen State College to a private four-year institution of higher education over five years; and

(2) Beginning July 1, 2019, begin implementing the plan to transition the college to a private institution of higher education.

Requires the legislature, during the transition, to reduce state support by twenty percent per year for five years until state support is reduced to zero, and at the end of the five years, the board of trustees shall have The Evergreen State College appraised and listed for sale at fair market value or above.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 7First reading, referred to Higher Education.

SB 5947

by Senator Pearson


Concerning the Columbia river salmon and steelhead endorsement program.


Delays, until June 30, 2019, the expiration of the Columbia river recreational salmon and steelhead endorsement program.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 9First reading, referred to Natural Resources & Parks.

SB 5948

by Senator Chase


Restoring the taxation of intangible property to provide additional funding for public schools.


Establishes the restore school funding through property tax fairness act of 2017.

Eliminates the exemption of intangible property from state property taxes.

Provides for the levy of a tax on certain intangible property.

Defines the types of intangible property subject to tax.

Provides tax exemptions and provides for the administration of the tax.

Provides for submission of this act to a vote of the people.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 9First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

SB 5949

by Senator Chase


Concerning private school testing and graduation requirements.


Removes certain exemptions from graduation requirements for private school students with regard to meeting the student learning goals, obtaining a certificate of academic achievement or individual achievement, and mastering the essential academic learning requirements.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 9First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.

SB 5950

by Senator Rivers; by request of Insurance Commissioner


Protecting information obtained to develop or implement an individual health insurance market stability program.


Exempts the following from public disclosure under the public records act, for the purposes of developing or implementing an individual health insurance market stability program, reports, data, documents, or materials: (1) That health carriers submit to or receive from the United States department of human and health services as part of a human and health services operated risk adjustment or reinsurance program; or

(2) That the state health insurance pool prepares for purposes of this act that are obtained by, disclosed to, or in the custody of the insurance commissioner.

Prohibits the insurance commissioner from disclosing the reports, data, documents, or materials except in the furtherance of developing and implementing an individual health insurance market stability program.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 12First reading, referred to Health Care.

SB 5951

by Senators Rolfes and Rivers; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction


Providing flexibility in high school graduation requirements and supporting student success during the transition to a federal every student succeeds act-compliant accountability system.


Finds that locally directed intervention strategies, including transition courses, opportunities to take more diverse assessments, dual credit courses, and more sustained focus on providing college and career guidance through students' high school and beyond plans, would better prepare students for postsecondary college and career opportunities.

Declares an intent to: (1) Move the statewide required assessment to the tenth grade for reading, writing, and mathematics; and

(2) Expand alternatives to the assessment when a student does not meet standard on the tenth grade assessment.
-- 2017 2ND SPECIAL SESSION --
Jun 13First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.