Preventing suicide by permitting the voluntary waiver of firearm rights.

Authorizes a person to file a voluntary waiver of firearm rights with the clerk of the court in a county in this state.

Requires the clerk of the court to transmit the accepted form for entry into the Washington state patrol electronic database and requires the Washington state patrol to enter the voluntary waiver of firearm rights into the Washington state patrol electronic database.

Requires the administrator for the courts to develop a voluntary waiver of firearm rights form and a revocation of voluntary waiver of firearm rights form.

Phasing out use of the valid court order exception to place youth in detention for noncriminal behavior.

Phases out the use of juvenile detention as a remedy for contempt of a valid court order.

Prohibits a youth from being committed to juvenile detention as a contempt sanction and prohibits the issuance of a warrant, under chapter 13.32A, 13.34, or 28A.225 RCW, for failure to appear at a court hearing that requires commitment of a youth to juvenile detention.

Concerning vehicular homicide.

Includes in the crime of vehicular homicide, when a person was operating a motor vehicle while his or her ability to operate the motor vehicle was impaired by fatigue.

Concerning assessment of the needs of girls and young women concurrently involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Requires the state institute for public policy to conduct a statewide study on the needs of dually involved females.

Requires the department of children, youth, and families and the state supreme court gender and justice commission to convene a work group to: (1) Develop, in consultation with the state institute for public policy, an implementation plan for policies, best practices, and system improvements based on the study findings of the state institute for public policy; and

(2) Evaluate the capabilities and limitations of current systems to serve the dually involved female population effectively.

Increasing transparency of contributions by creating the Washington state DISCLOSE act of 2018.

Establishes the democracy is strengthened by casting light on spending in elections act of 2018 (the Washington state DISCLOSE act of 2018).

Enacting the Washington voting rights act of 2018.

Clarifying the authority and procedures for unit priced contracting by public port districts.

Protecting the state's marine waters from the release of nonnative finfish from marine finfish aquaculture sites.

Prohibits the department of natural resources from entering into a new lease, renewing or extending an existing lease, or other use authorization where the use includes marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon or other nonnative finfish.

Requires the department of fish and wildlife and the department of ecology to only authorize or permit marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon or other nonnative finfish where it is an authorized use under a lease of state-owned aquatic lands.

Prohibits the department of fish and wildlife and the department of ecology, for marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon or other nonnative finfish, from authorizing or permitting any of the activities or operations after the expiration date of the relevant lease of state-owned aquatic lands.

Requires the department of ecology, the department of natural resources, and the department of fish and wildlife to: (1) Continue the existing effort to update guidance and informational resources to industry and governments for planning and permitting commercial marine net pen aquaculture; and

Ensuring that water is available to support development.

Addresses the availability of water to support development.

Requires the department of ecology to: (1) Establish watershed restoration and enhancement committees in certain water resource inventory areas;

(2) Prepare and adopt a watershed restoration and enhancement plan for certain watersheds in collaboration with the committee; and

(3) Initiate a pilot project to measure water use from all new groundwater withdrawals.

Creates the joint legislative task force on water resource mitigation to: (1) Review the treatment of surface water and groundwater appropriations as they relate to instream flows and fish habitat;

(2) Develop and recommend a mitigation sequencing process and scoring system to address appropriations; and

(3) Review the state supreme court decision in Foster v. Department of Ecology.

Declares an intent to appropriate three hundred million dollars for projects to achieve the goals of this act.

Granting of high school diplomas by community or technical colleges.

Allows a student, who is issued a high school diploma by a community or technical college, to be counted in the school district's graduation rate if the student is funded and enrolled in a public K-12 school.

Allows the following to be awarded a diploma from a community or technical college upon written request: (1) An individual enrolled in a statewide dropout reengagement program who satisfactorily completes an associate degree; and

Concerning voter registration deadlines.

Removing the ten year reference in impaired driving provisions.

Concerning property tax exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and senior citizens.

Extending the validity of temporary elevator licenses.

Establishing a clean, efficient, renewable energy standard.

Requires certain electric utilities and market customers to: (1) Only meet new electricity needs with distributed energy resources and carbon-free resources; and

(2) By December 31, 2045, meet all electricity needs with distributed energy resources and carbon-free resources.

Requires all electric utilities to eliminate from electric rates all costs associated with delivering electricity to customers that is generated from a coal-fired resource.

Requires the department of commerce, with input from relevant state agencies and the public, to: (1) Conduct and complete a study on barriers to, and opportunities for, solar photovoltaic energy generation and access to other renewable energy by low-income customers and barriers to contracting opportunities for local small businesses in disadvantaged communities; and

Concerning safe injection sites in Washington state.

Declares that the state fully occupies and preempts the entire field of safe injection site regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, use, authorization, or any other element relating to safe injection sites.

Establishing a voting rights act to promote equal voting opportunity in certain political subdivisions by authorizing district-based elections in cities, towns, code cities, and counties.

Allowing firms in the Canadian province of British Columbia to perform attest or compilation services for companies in Washington state that are the consolidated, subsidiary, or component entity of another corporate entity registered in Canada.

Authorizes a firm holding a license or registration as a chartered professional accounting firm in the Canadian province of British Columbia to perform the following services: (1) An attest or compilation engagement of a business entity operating in this state that is the consolidated, subsidiary, or component entity of another entity that is operating in Canada who acts as the issuer of the report; and

Providing early intervention services for eligible children.

Requires the department of children, youth, and families to oversee the provision of early intervention services: (1) To eligible children with disabilities from birth to three years of age; and

Concerning the compensation of commissioners of certain metropolitan park districts.

Changes the compensation for metropolitan park commissioners as follows: (1) The daily compensation maximum amount is one hundred fourteen dollars and the annual compensation maximum amount is ten thousand nine hundred forty-four dollars; and

Creating the social work professional loan repayment program.

Creates the social work professional loan repayment program for credentialed social work professionals which will be administered by the office of student financial assistance.

Allows social workers employed by the department of social and health services children's administration or the department of children, youth, and families to participate in the program two years after commencing their employment as a social worker for either agency.

Authorizes the office of student financial assistance to grant loan repayment to eligible participants from the funds appropriated for this purpose or from private or public funds given to the office for this purpose.

Covering costs for low-income running start students.

Requires the institutions of higher education to: (1) Cover the costs of textbooks and transportation to and from the institution of higher education for low-income running start students; and

(2) Develop their own programs for providing for the costs of the textbooks and transportation, including fee waivers, grants, or reimbursements.

Modifying eligibility for state need grants.

States that families that earn up to one hundred percent of the state's median family income are eligible for student financial aid.

Establishing pilot programs to plan for the needs of certain college students experiencing homelessness.

Requires the state board for community and technical colleges to establish a pilot program to encourage college districts to plan, and requires the student achievement council to establish a pilot program to encourage four-year institutions of higher education to plan, for the following: (1) The unique needs and challenges of students experiencing homelessness, including laundry facilities, storage, showers, culinary programs to provide free or reduced-price meals, and short-term housing or housing assistance; and

(2) To develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of those students.

Expanding the passport to college promise program to include youth experiencing homelessness and foster youth thirteen and older.

Revises provisions of the passport to college promise program to include a student who: (1) Has spent at least one day in foster care subsequent to his or her thirteenth birthday;

(2) Has spent at least one day experiencing homelessness subsequent to the student's thirteenth birthday; and

(3) Meets certain other requirements in this act.

Requires the office of homeless youth to devise and implement procedures for: (1) Identifying students and applicants who are eligible for services under the program; and

Regulating contracts by institutions of higher education with private entities.

Creating a pinto abalone recovery initiative.

States that the legislature will establish a pinto abalone recovery initiative, building on previous efforts of the state and certain federal, tribal, and nongovernmental partners.

Requires the department of fish and wildlife to, in implementing the initiative, coordinate with its federal, tribal, and nongovernmental cooperating partners and develop an action plan to: (1) Develop a new or expanded hatchery program building on previous and current hatchery operations and studies;

(2) Identify an implementation plan and timeline; and

Concerning loot boxes in online games and apps.

Requires the gambling commission to: (1) Conduct a study on the use of loot boxes and similar types of mechanisms in online games or apps;

(2) Consider and gather information, related to the problems and concerns described in this act, and legislation and regulation from other jurisdictions; and

(3) Other matters the gambling commission determines are relevant.

Providing for an emergency response system that provides for an emergency response towing vessel.

Creating the orca protection act.

Establishes the orca protection act.

Requires the department of fish and wildlife to: (1) In order to facilitate the enforcement of RCW 77.15.740, provide extra protection to newborn calves, and protect critical feeding areas, conduct a minimum of one hundred patrols during the twenty-two most active weeks for southern resident killer whale viewing activity each year and prioritize Wednesday through Monday patrols when the activity is most active;

(2) Coordinate with appropriate federal, tribal, and nongovernmental partners to identify research and management actions undertaken that relate to impacts from human-generated marine noise; and

(3) Identify relevant research findings and management actions undertaken and identify options and recommendations on potential actions the state can take.

Includes as a natural resource infraction, when a vessel exceeds a speed of seven knots within one-half mile of a southern resident orca whale.

Requires the Salish Sea institute at Western Washington University to: (1) Convene a meeting to improve the coordination of recovery strategies for southern resident killer whales between Washington and British Columbia; and

(2) Establish timelines for recovery actions.

Strengthening oil transportation safety.

Addresses oil transportation safety.

Finds that the department of ecology's oil spill program faces a critical funding gap due to the lack of adequate revenue to fully fund the prevention and preparedness services required by state law, including the 2015 oil transportation safety act.

Declares an intent to: (1) Provide adequate revenue to fully fund prevention and preparedness services required by state law;

(2) Direct the department of ecology to specifically address the risks of oils submerging and sinking; and

(3) More extensively coordinate with our Canadian partners in order to protect the state's economy and its shared resources.

Requires the department of ecology to: (1) Establish the Salish Sea shared waters forum to address common issues in the cross-boundary waterways between Washington state and British Columbia such as: Enhancing efforts to reduce oil spill risk, addressing navigational safety, and promoting data sharing; and

Restricting the social security offset to disability compensation.

Concerning the administration of irrigation districts.

Creating a military benefit zone program.

Concerning state charity care law.

Helping foster and homeless youth complete apprenticeships.

Establishes the passport to apprenticeship opportunities act.

Creates the passport to apprenticeship opportunities program to: (1) Encourage foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness to prepare for, enroll in, and successfully complete an apprenticeship; and

(2) Provide foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness with the planning, information, institutional support, and direct financial resources necessary for them to succeed in a preapprenticeship or apprenticeship.

Requires the employment security department to: (1) Design and implement a program of assistance for residents who emancipated from the state foster care system after having spent at least one day in care or who experienced homelessness for one day between the ages of thirteen and eighteen;

(2) Convene and consult with an advisory committee to assist with program design and implementation; and

(3) With input from the state apprenticeship and training council and the foster care partnership, develop and maintain a web site and outreach program to serve as a portal for foster and homeless youth to obtain information regarding apprenticeships and preapprenticeships.

Requires the department of social and health services and the department of commerce to devise and implement procedures for: (1) Identifying applicants eligible for services; and

Authorizing craft distilleries to ship or deliver customer orders to certain retail licensees.

Modernizing fuel content standards and references.

Creating a graduated reentry program of partial confinement for certain offenders.

Authorizes the secretary of the department of corrections to transfer an offender from a department correctional facility to home detention in the community if it is determined that the graduated reentry program is an appropriate placement and requires the secretary to assist the offender's transition from confinement to the community.

Concerning the use of seed certification fees.

Limiting the application of certain civil penalties to protect landowners from incurring penalties based on the actions of the landowner's lessee.

Issuing an identicard for offenders released from prison facilities.

Requires the department of corrections, working in conjunction with the department of licensing, to create and implement an identicard program to provide offenders, released within the state, with a state-issued identicard.

Authorizes the department of licensing to charge the department of corrections a fee of eighteen dollars for an identicard.

Authorizes the department of corrections and the department of licensing to: (1) Enter into a memorandum of understanding to meet the requirements of this act; and

Allowing specified offenders to earn positive achievement time on community custody.

Authorizes an offender, who is sentenced under chapter 9.94A RCW (the sentencing reform act of 1981) or chapter 9.94B RCW (sentencing with regard to crimes committed before July 1, 2000) and is supervised by the department of corrections, to earn positive achievement time in accordance with procedures that are developed and adopted by the department.

Authorizes the department of corrections to reduce the period of time an offender is supervised by the earned award of positive achievement time.

Calculating the benchmark rate for certain community residential services.

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

Repealing an expiration date that affects state fire service mobilization.

Allowing fire protection district annexations and mergers within a reasonable geographic proximity.

Creating the hazardous substance tax stabilization act.

Creates the hazardous substance tax stabilization act to support and provide financial reliability for local governments to implement large-scale environmental clean-up construction projects managed by a single local government with construction expected to span multiple biennia.

Adding members to the school employees' benefits board.

Making technical changes regarding the department of children, youth, and families.

Regarding the school employees' benefits board.

Addresses the school employees' benefits program.

Addressing the need for substitutes in schools.

Allows a narrow exception to the 2008 early retirement structure to allow those retired school employees to serve as substitutes in roles that directly serve students.

Addressing cost-of-living adjustments for teachers' retirement system plan 1 and public employees' retirement system plan 1 retirees.

Modifying local government marijuana regulations and revenue provisions.

States that this state has sole authority to regulate marijuana retailers, licensed under the uniform controlled substances act, and counties, cities, and towns are preempted from engaging in the regulation of state licensed marijuana retailers.

Authorizes a registered voter of a county, city, or town to submit a petition calling for the county, city, or town to prohibit the siting or operation of a business or facility to be used for the retail sale of marijuana products.

Concerning electronic monitoring of domestic violence perpetrators.

Modifies the sentencing reform act of 1981 to include electronic monitoring with victim notification technology which is capable of notifying a victim or protected party, either directly or through a monitoring agency, if the monitored individual is at or near a location from which the monitored individual is required to stay away.

Requires the administrative office of the courts to: (1) Develop a list of vendors or enter into a contract with a vendor that provides the technology;

(2) Create an informational handout on the opportunity to request the technology to be provided to individuals seeking a protection order; and

Addressing the creation of a deferred prosecution program for nonpayment of license fees and taxes for vehicle, vessel, and aircraft registrations.

Exempting impact fees for low-income housing development.

Authorizes a local ordinance, by which impact fees are imposed, to provide an exemption from the impact fees for low-income housing up to one hundred percent, with no explicit requirement to pay the exempted portion of the fee from public funds other than impact fee accounts.

Concerning the sale of horses.

Requires a seller, in a transaction for the sale of a horse, to include on a bill of sale, a list of any medications prescribed and given to the horse: (1) During the previous one hundred eighty days from the date of the sale; and

(2) At any point since he or she has owned the horse that would cause the horse to be unsuitable for human consumption.

Requires the buyer in the transaction to include on a bill of sale: (1) If the horse is being sold for slaughter; and

Concerning the deduction of union dues and fees.

Concerning provisions governing firearms possession by persons who have been found incompetent to stand trial and who have a history of one or more violent acts.

Adding domestic violence harassment to the list of offenses for which a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Nullifying the imposition of certain taxes within regional transit authority boundaries.

Concerning the creation of a property tax exemption for spouses of military members or first responders killed in the line of duty.

Modifying the election and authority of regional transit authority board members.

Incentivizing the development of commercial office space in cities with a population of greater than fifty thousand and located in a county with a population of less than one million five hundred thousand.

Provides certain cities with local options to incentivize the development of commercial office space in urban centers with access to transit, high capacity transportation systems, and other amenities.

Establishing a vehicle valuation method for a regional transit authority collecting a motor vehicle excise tax that is based on Kelley blue book or national automobile dealers association values.

Requires a regional transit authority, that includes portions of a county with a population of more than 1.5 million and imposes a motor vehicle excise tax, to establish a market value adjustment program.

Continuing access to medicaid services.

Requires medical assistance to be provided for pregnant women who reside in the state and whose family income at the time of application is no greater than one hundred ninety-three percent of the federal poverty level.

Addressing retiree benefits for participants in the public employees' retirement system, the teachers' retirement system, and the public employees' benefits board.

Clarifying the use of the Puget Sound taxpayer accountability account to include facilities to improve educational outcomes in early learning, K-12, and higher education.

Providing a tax preference for nonrural data centers.

Provides a sales and use tax exemption to qualifying businesses and qualifying tenants of: (1) Eligible server equipment to be installed, without intervening use, in an eligible computer data center;

(2) Charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing equipment; and

Requiring hospitals to provide notice of charity care.

Requires a hospital to: (1) Post and prominently display a summary of its charity care policy in areas where patients are admitted and in financial services or billing areas; and

Extending the timeline for completing a family assessment response.

Concerning medical assistant credential fees.

Concerning lost or destroyed state warrants, bonds, and other instruments.

Modifies provisions relating to the loss or destruction of state warrants, bonds, and other instruments.

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 11	First reading, referred to Financial Institutions & Insurance.
Jan 18	Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance at 8:00 AM. (Subject to change)

by Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Hunt, Carlyle, Miloscia, Darneille, Palumbo, Rossi, Keiser, Becker, Zeiger, Liias, Kuderer, Saldaña, Pedersen, Conway, Hobbs, Walsh, Billig, Cleveland, Nelson, Sheldon, McCoy, Hasegawa, Wellman, Ranker, and Pearson)

Naming the 1063 Building the "Helen Sommers Building."

Names the "1063 Building" (at 1063 Capitol Way) the "Helen Sommers Building."

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 10	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations & Elections at 8:00 AM.
Jan 12	SGTE - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations & Elections at 8:00 AM.
Jan 15	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.