Requesting that the Brown Farm Road Northeast bridge at exit 114 over I-5 be named the "Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans Bridge."

Requesting that the South Tacoma Way bridge at exit 127 over I-5 be named the "World War I Veterans Memorial Bridge."

Requests that the South Tacoma Way Bridge at exit 127 over I-5 be named the World War I Veterans Memorial Bridge.

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 5	Public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 1:30 PM.
Feb 6	TR - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Referred to Rules 2 Review.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 11:30 AM.

by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hunt, Baumgartner, and Mullet)

Concerning teachers' postretirement employment options.

Authorizes a teacher in plan 2 or plan 3 who retired under alternate early retirement provisions to be employed for up to eight hundred sixty-seven hours per calendar year without suspension of his or her benefit if he or she is employed exclusively as an athletic coach, a mentor to teachers, an advisor to students in teacher preparation programs, or a counselor.

Strengthening the initiative process by providing for more comprehensive review before initiatives receive ballot titles.

Concerning Washington state's 529 college savings plans.

Changes the composition of the committee on advanced tuition payment and college savings.

Establishing the mental health field response teams program.

Encouraging the disclosure and discussion of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace.

Creating a pilot program for outdoor burning for cities or towns located partially inside a quarantine area for apple maggot.

Creates an outdoor burning pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of allowing certain cities and towns to burn brush and yard waste under the supervision of local fire authorities.

Allows a city or town, located partially inside a quarantine area for apple maggot, to conduct outdoor burning of brush and yard waste if certain requirements are met.

Concerning efficiency updates for capital budget appropriations allocated for public art.

Requires at least eighty-five percent of the money spent by the state arts commission during each biennium, for certain purposes, to be expended solely for direct acquisition of works of art.

Authorizes the state arts commission to use up to two hundred thousand dollars to conserve or maintain existing pieces in the state art collection.

Authorizes, for projects funded in the capital budget, state agencies and institutions of higher education, working with the state arts commission, to expend up to ten percent of the projected art allocation for a project during the design phase in order to select an artist and design art to be integrated in the building design.

Facilitating transportation projects of statewide significance.

Establishes a formal process of coordination to expedite the completion of transportation projects of statewide significance.

Requires the department of transportation to: (1) Develop an application for designation of transportation projects as transportation projects of statewide significance; and

Concerning emerging internet technology applications and consumers utilizing the services of carrier network companies and carrier network company operators.

Regulates carrier network companies, which use emerging technology-based platforms to prearrange for small personal property moves, and carrier network company operators, which use the companies to broker the moves.

Requires a carrier network company and a carrier network company operator to obtain a permit from the utilities and transportation commission before operating for the transportation of property for compensation.

States that carrier network companies are public service companies that must be regulated in a manner similar to forwarders and brokers.

Establishing a clean, efficient, renewable energy standard.

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 electric utilities and market customers to: (1) Reduce the total number of megawatt hours from fossil fuel generating resources used to serve the utility's load;

(2) Pay a pollution mitigation charge to the department of commerce for fossil fuel megawatt hours in excess of certain limits;

(3) Seek to achieve their targets at the lowest possible costs, avoid the imposition of the pollution mitigation charge, and rely on renewable or clean resources; and

(4) Report to the department on progress towards the reduction in the total number of megawatt hours from fossil fuel generating resources.

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

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, county, 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 person causes a vessel to exceed a speed over ground of seven knots within four hundred yards 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

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

(2) In consultation with the Puget Sound partnership and the pilotage commission, complete a report of vessel traffic and vessel traffic safety within the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound area that includes the San Juan archipelago, its connected waterways, Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, Rosario Strait, and the waters south of Admiralty Inlet.

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

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

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.

Concerning an employee's right to publicly file a complaint or cause of action for discrimination in employment contracts and agreements.

Allowing the sale of wine by microbrewery license holders.

Promoting renewable energy by advancing the development of geothermal resources.

Advances the development of geothermal resources to promote renewable energy.

Requires the department of natural resources to develop, periodically revise, and publish an inventory and map of state-owned lands suspected of having great potential for geothermal resource production.

Prohibits the department from constructing or operating commercial geothermal facilities.

Directs the joint center for deployment and research in earth-abundant materials to promote research of methods and technologies that will allow for the economical extraction of metals, minerals, and rare earth elements from underground fluids brought to the surface by geothermal power plants.

Improving transition planning for students in special education who meet criteria for services from the developmental disabilities administration.

Includes the developmental disabilities administration and the division of vocational rehabilitation in the expansion of interagency agreements for postsecondary transition planning for students in special education.

Coordinates efforts among multiple agencies to efficiently arrive at a meaningful transition plan into adult services for students aged sixteen to twenty-one, or earlier if appropriate, which both minimizes disruption at the time of the student's graduation and the risk of isolation and loss of acquired skills.

Includes the following in the plan: Skill development, job interest sampling and job exploration, and may include other activities explored by students and young adults before job development.

Requires the developmental disabilities administration to coordinate with the office of the superintendent of public instruction to provide training to schools regarding curriculum, eligibility criteria, and application processes relating to services from the developmental disabilities administration.

Requires the developmental disabilities administration, the division of vocational rehabilitation, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction to: (1) Develop a plan of implementation to build statewide capacity among school districts to meet the requirements of this act by January 1, 2021; and

Authorizing certain cities to establish a limited tax expenditure from local property taxes for the value of new construction to encourage redevelopment of vacant lands in urban areas.

Encourages the redevelopment of vacant or undeveloped land in targeted urban areas to increase employment opportunities for family living wage jobs and help accomplish the planning goals of cities in the state.

Concerning the handling of child forensic interview and child interview digital recordings.

Provides a definition of "child forensic interview" for purposes of chapter 26.44 RCW (abuse of children).

Requires each county to revise and expand its existing child sexual abuse investigation protocol to include the handling of child forensic interview digital recordings.

Subjects any and all audio and video recordings of child forensic interviews, disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding, to a protective order or other order as appropriate.

Concerning paraeducators.

Concerning school safety.

Requires a first responder agency, when notifying a school of a situation that may require an evacuation or lockdown, to: (1) Determine if schools in the vicinity are similarly threatened; and

(2) Notify schools in the vicinity for which an evacuation or lockdown appears reasonably necessary.

Requires two educational service districts, selected by the office of the superintendent of public instruction in coordination with the nine educational service districts, to: (1) Establish regional school safety centers as part of a statewide network;

(2) Provide regional coordination of school safety efforts related to behavioral health threat assessment and suicide prevention across the state; and

(3) Provide school safety resources related to behavioral health threat assessment and suicide prevention to the school districts in the region.

Requires the two selected service districts to employ a behavioral health threat assessment coordinator.

Requires the regional school safety centers to provide technical assistance to school districts seeking funding for first aid, health, and safety and security resources including defibrillators and saws with automatic braking systems.

Updating the environmental and sustainability literacy plan.

Requires the superintendent of public instruction to convene a work group to update the environmental and sustainability literacy plan and develop grade appropriate model lessons that connect to adopted state standards.

Authorizing an alternative form of regulation of electrical and natural gas companies.

Authorizes the utilities and transportation commission to, under certain conditions, regulate an electrical or gas company by authorizing an alternative form of regulation.

Requires electrical companies, gas companies, and the commission to use the greenhouse gas planning adder when evaluating and selecting conservation policies, programs, and targets.

Requires electrical companies to use the greenhouse gas planning adder in developing and evaluating integrated resource plans.

Requires gas companies to use the greenhouse gas planning adder in developing integrated resource plans that describe a mix of natural gas, biogas, or synthetic gas and conservation.

Requires electrical companies and gas companies to use the greenhouse gas planning adder in evaluating and selecting intermediate-term and long-term resource options.

Requires the commission to use the greenhouse gas planning adder in evaluating integrated resource plans and intermediate-term and long-term resource options selected by electrical companies and gas companies.

Requires a multistate electric company with retail customers and generation located outside the state to use the greenhouse gas planning adder beginning January 1, 2020.

Requires the following to be considered a nonemitting resource: (1) Gas consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons derived from the decomposition of organic material in landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and anaerobic digesters; and

Clarifying the collection process for existing vehicle service transactions.

Providing postsecondary education to enhance education opportunities and public safety.

Concerning legal support for kinship caregivers.

Authorizes the department of social and health services to: (1) Also purchase legal representation for kinship caregivers of children who are at risk of being dependent, or who are dependent, to establish or modify a parenting plan; or

(2) Secure orders establishing other relevant civil legal relationships authorized by law.

Requires the purchase to be within the department's appropriations.

Creating a pilot program to allow certain counties to provide additional family services through community truancy boards and site secure crisis residential center facilities.

Requires the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the office of juvenile justice or its successor agency, in consultation with the state center for court research, to conduct a pilot program to address the shortage of available secure crisis residential centers in the state as alternatives to juvenile detention and the ability of community truancy boards to provide services to prevent nonoffender youth from entering the juvenile court system.

Provides a July 1, 2020, expiration date for the pilot program.

Improving access to mental health services for children and youth.

Reestablishes the children's mental health work group to: (1) Identify barriers to and opportunities for accessing mental health services for children and families; and

(2) Advise the legislature on statewide mental health services for this population.

Provides a December 30, 2020, expiration date for the work group.

Expands the duties and responsibilities of the following: (1) The state health care authority;

(2) The department of social and health services;

(3) Behavioral health organizations;

(4) Regional service areas;

(5) The department of children, youth, and families;

(6) The child and adolescent psychiatry residency program at the University of Washington; and

Changing the baseball stadium based special license plate.

Repeals RCW 46.18.215 (baseball stadium license plates) and creates a Seattle Mariners special license plate that will display the Seattle Mariners logo.

Creates the academic, mentoring, and innovation grant account.

Requires receipts from special license plate fees in this act to be deposited in the account and requires money in the account to only be used for grants to support youth to stay in school, participate in sports, and receive mentorships.

Increasing transparency and accountability for intercollegiate athletic programs.

Concerning the legal and geographical review requirements for the conditional release of sexually violent predators to a less restrictive alternative.

Establishes a sexually violent predator review group.

Requires the state sex offender policy board to establish and provide oversight, staff support, research, and consultation to the sexually violent predator review group, led by the sexually violent predator section chief in the attorney general's office.

Requires the review group to, at a minimum: (1) Identify regional differences and challenges to developing appropriate treatment and facilities for persons released to less restrictive alternatives;

(2) Recommend methods to promote and increase the development of appropriate treatment and facilities for persons released to a less restrictive alternative statewide, targeting counties that do not currently have appropriate services;

(3) Develop a statewide repository to identify all certified treatment providers by county; and

Ensuring compliance with the state's fiduciary duty in managing state trust lands.

Requires the department of natural resources to: (1) Endeavor to generate an average of two hundred thirty million dollars from state lands and state forestlands each year;

(2) Evaluate its lands portfolio and revenue streams, management practices, and transaction processes, and develop options and recommendations designed to ensure the state's fiduciary duty is being met and increase the amount and stability of revenue from state lands and state forestland over time;

(3) Seek to account for the volatility of forest product markets and consider ways to mitigate the impact of market downturns on its revenues;

(4) Annually adjust the two hundred thirty million dollar goal for inflation, however, it may not count trust land transfer funds towards the goal; and

(5) Prepare an evaluation of use authorizations and leases of state-owned aquatic lands for industrial and commercial uses.

Ensuring that no youth is discharged from a public system of care into homelessness.

Concerning juvenile offenses.

Modifies crimes regarding depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Requires the Washington coalition of sexual assault programs, in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the Washington association for the treatment of sexual abusers, the department of children, youth, and families, the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys, representatives from public defense, and other relevant stakeholders, to convene a work group to make recommendations to the legislature regarding age-appropriate prevention and intervention strategies to address potential harms caused by exchange of intimate images by minors.

Concerning funding for the support of common schools.

Modifies provisions regarding the aggregate rate for property tax levies and the support of common schools.

Requires the state treasurer to transfer the sum of two hundred thirteen million dollars on July 1, 2018, and one hundred ninety million dollars on July 1, 2019, from the budget stabilization account to the state general fund.

Requires the money transferred into the general fund to be used for the support of common schools.

-- 2018 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 19	First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Feb 20	Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. (Subject to change)