 | WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE | |
| Legislative Digest No. 53 | ||
| SIXTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE | ||
| Friday, April 3, 2015 | 82nd Day - 2015 Regular Session | |
| SENATE |
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| HOUSE |
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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=2015.
HB 1106-S
by House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Hunter, Ormsby, Sullivan, Gregerson, and Reykdal; by request of Governor Inslee)
Making 2015 fiscal year and 2015-2017 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
Makes 2015 fiscal year and 2015-2017 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
| Mar 31 | APP - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Apr 1 | Placed on second reading. | |
| Apr 2 | 1st substitute bill substituted. | |
| Floor amendment(s) adopted. | ||
HB 1166-S
by House Committee on Capital Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Dunshee, Gregerson, and DeBolt; by request of Governor Inslee)
Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts.
Authorizes the state finance committee to issue general obligation bonds to provide funds to finance the projects described and authorized by the legislature in the omnibus capital and operating appropriations acts for the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium.
| Mar 31 | CB - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Apr 1 | Placed on second reading. | |
HB 1645-S
by House Committee on Commerce & Gaming (originally sponsored by Representatives Pollet, Harris, Carlyle, Cody, Johnson, Tharinger, Robinson, Lytton, Kagi, Ryu, S. Hunt, Farrell, Moscoso, Riccelli, McBride, and Jinkins; by request of Governor Inslee and Attorney General)
Concerning youth substance use prevention associated with tobacco and drug delivery e-cigarettes and vapor products.
Addresses vapor inhalation products.
| Mar 30 | COG - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Apr 1 | Referred to Appropriations. | |
SB 5042-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators O'Ban, Benton, Conway, Dammeier, Sheldon, and Warnick)
Providing a business and occupation tax credit for businesses that hire veterans.
Provides employment for unemployed veterans by providing employers with a credit against the business and occupation tax or public utility tax for hiring unemployed veterans.Expires July 1, 2023.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; without recommendation. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 5077-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hill and Hargrove; by request of Governor Inslee)
Making 2015 fiscal year and 2015-2017 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
Makes 2015 fiscal year and 2015-2017 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 5257-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove, Hill, Hatfield, and Braun)
Providing a reduced public utility tax for log transportation businesses.
Provides permanent tax relief to the forest products industry by lowering the public utility tax rate attributable to log transportation businesses.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 5315-S2
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Roach, Liias, McCoy, Pearson, and Benton; by request of Office of Financial Management)
Aligning functions of the consolidated technology services agency, office of the chief information officer, office of financial management, and department of enterprise services.
Transfers powers, duties, and functions of the office of the chief information officer within the office of financial management, pertaining to the office of the chief information officer, to the consolidated technology services agency.Transfers powers, duties, and functions of the department of enterprise services, pertaining to risk management and personnel services, to the office of financial management.Transfers powers, duties, and functions of the department of enterprise services, pertaining to statewide information technology services and applications, to the consolidated technology services agency.Requires the office of financial management to: (1) Convene a work group consisting of representatives of the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, legislative staff of the fiscal committees of the house of representatives and senate, consolidated technology services agency, and the department of enterprise services to review and update the central services model that allocates state funds for budgeting the costs of central services; and(2) Convene a task force to review the necessary qualifications, experience, compensation, benefits, professional development, and skills training required to recruit and retain a skilled state government information technology workforce.Requests the select committee on pension policy with the assistance of the office of the state actuary and the office of the state chief information officer to engage in a review of retirement options in the commercial information technology industry and develop recommendations for more attractive retirement benefit options for the state's information technology workforce who are less likely to vest their benefit in the state public retirement system.Creates the consolidated technology services revolving account, the statewide information technology system development revolving account, the statewide information technology system maintenance and operations revolving account, the shared information technology system revolving account, and the office of financial management central service revolving account.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 5541-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senator Hill; by request of Department of Revenue)
Improving tax fairness for businesses engaged in electronic commerce by eliminating inconsistent tax treatment of digital business inputs, ensuring that prewritten computer software developers remain eligible for the manufacturing machinery and equipment sales and use tax exemption, and providing greater clarity for out-of-state sellers concerning their tax obligations.
Eliminates inconsistent tax treatment of digital business inputs.Ensures that prewritten computer software developers remain eligible for the manufacturing machinery and equipment sales and use tax exemption.Provides greater clarity for out-of-state sellers concerning their tax obligations.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; without recommendation. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 5681-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hill and Angel; by request of Office of Financial Management)
Concerning state lottery accounts.
Places a limit of seven million dollars on unclaimed prizes transferred to the economic development strategic reserve account.Requires any balance of unclaimed prizes in excess of ten million dollars in the state lottery account to be transferred to the Washington opportunity pathways account on June 30th of each fiscal year.Authorizes money in the state lottery account to be used for distribution to the gambling revolving fund.Authorizes the lottery administrative account to be used to fund an independent forecast of the lottery revenues conducted by the economic and revenue forecast council.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 5708-S2
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Ericksen, Bailey, Sheldon, Becker, Baumgartner, Brown, Pearson, Warnick, and Padden)
Concerning the taxation of certain rented property owned by nonprofit fair associations.
Makes the property tax exemption permanent for nonprofit fairs that obtained a majority of their property from a city or county between 1995 and 1998.Requires the collection of leasehold excise tax on any rentals of their exempt property that exceed fifty consecutive days.Takes effect January 1, 2019.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 5827-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Warnick, Mullet, Conway, Hobbs, Litzow, Hatfield, Rivers, Brown, Parlette, Liias, McAuliffe, Habib, Ericksen, Baumgartner, Fain, and Hewitt)
Providing a sales and use tax exemption for eligible server equipment installed in certain data centers.
Increases investment in data center construction in rural counties by providing a sales and use tax exemption on eligible server equipment and power infrastructure installed in eligible computer data centers, charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing eligible server equipment, and for construction, installation, repair, alteration, or improvement of eligible power infrastructures.Removes the April 1, 2020, expiration of the sales and use tax exemption for eligible server equipment.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; without recommendation. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 5916-S2
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Brown, Chase, Angel, Kohl-Welles, Hatfield, Benton, and McAuliffe)
Enacting the tourism marketing act.
Establishes the statewide tourism marketing act.Establishes the framework and funding for a statewide tourism marketing program.Creates the Washington tourism marketing authority to act as a business management organization on behalf of the citizens of the state to manage financial resources and contract for statewide tourism marketing services.Creates the statewide tourism marketing account.Imposes a charge of fifteen cents per occupied room per night on every lodging business in this state and requires the charges to be deposited in the statewide tourism marketing account.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Minority; without recommendation. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
SB 6045-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Becker and Frockt)
Extending the hospital safety net assessment.
Delays, until July 1, 2019, the expiration of the hospital safety net assessment.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 6062-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senator Hill)
Concerning marijuana regulations.
Increases the marijuana excise tax rate to thirty-seven percent on sales at retail.Removes the marijuana excise tax on licensed marijuana producers and processors.Eliminates the dedicated marijuana fund.Changes the name of the state liquor control board to the state liquor and cannabis board.Changes distribution requirements of marijuana excise taxes collected by the state liquor and cannabis board.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Minority; without recommendation. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 6088-S
by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senator Braun)
Making K-12 education enhancements.
Addresses K-12 education enhancements.Provides for submission of this act to a vote of the people.
| Apr 2 | WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Passed to Rules Committee for second reading. | ||
| Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. | ||
SB 6090
by Senators Miloscia and Jayapal
Addressing the overpayment of wages by a municipal corporation.
Includes a municipal corporation in the definition of "employer" for purposes of the overpayment of wages.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Commerce & Labor. | |
SB 6091
by Senators Dammeier, O'Ban, Conway, and Becker
Changing the definition of slayer.
Revises the definition of "slayer," for purposes of chapter 11.84 RCW (inheritance rights of slayers or abusers), to include a person who is found not guilty by reason of insanity of a criminal offense constituting participation, either as a principal or an accessory before the fact, in the willful and unlawful killing of any other person.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Law & Justice. | |
SB 6092
by Senator Roach
Providing funding for certain commissioned court marshals of county sheriff's offices to be added to the definition of uniformed personnel for the purposes of public employees' collective bargaining.
Revises the definition of "uniformed personnel," for purposes of chapter 41.56 RCW (public employees' collective bargaining), to include court marshals of any county who are employed by, trained for, and commissioned by the county sheriff and charged with the responsibility of enforcing laws, protecting and maintaining security in all county-owned or contracted property, and performing any other duties assigned to them by the county sheriff or mandated by judicial order.Imposes an additional one-dollar surcharge on the filing fees for small claims. Twenty-five percent of the surcharge must be remitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the judicial stabilization trust account and seventy-five percent must be retained by the county for courthouse security.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6093
by Senators Chase and McAuliffe
Restoring the taxation of intangible property to provide additional funding for public schools.
Establishes the restore school funding through property tax fairness act of 2015.Levies a tax at the rate of one dollar per one hundred dollars of the fair market value of all intangible property owned by an individual resident in this state.Prohibits a county or municipality of this state from levying an ad valorem tax on intangible property.Requires all revenues collected by the department of revenue under this act to be deposited into the general fund.Declares an intent to ensure that the majority of funds generated by this act are devoted to public schools.Provides for submission of this act to a vote of the people.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6094
by Senators Kohl-Welles, Frockt, Hargrove, and McAuliffe
Freezing resident undergraduate tuition at the four-year institutions of higher education.
Declares an intent to lock tuition rates for students at the public baccalaureate institutions after their initial year of enrollment regardless of whether tuition-setting authority remains with the institutions of higher education or reverts to the omnibus appropriations act. If either the public baccalaureate institutions, or the legislature through the omnibus appropriations act, decreases tuition rates, the legislature intends for this to apply to all students.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Higher Education. | |
SB 6095
by Senators Kohl-Welles, Braun, Frockt, and Hargrove
Changing enrollment forecasts and budgeting for institutions of higher education.
Declares that: (1) The policy of the state is to improve the access to, and the quality of, the postsecondary educational system; and(2) The budgetary policy of the state is to provide a level of fiscal commitment to the postsecondary educational system commensurate with the responsibility of the state to the educational and professional improvement of its citizens and work force.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Higher Education. | |
SB 6096
by Senators Becker, Litzow, Parlette, Bailey, Hill, Fain, Dammeier, Brown, Rivers, Roach, and McAuliffe
Concerning cancer research.
Addresses cancer research.Creates the cancer research endowment authority and the cancer research endowment program.Requires school districts offering medical, vision, and dental benefits to assess an additional one hundred dollar per month surcharge in addition to the premium due from each employee of the school district or educational service district who uses tobacco products or covers an adult dependent who uses tobacco products and is covered by a health benefit plan offered by the district.Requires the public employees' benefits board to assess an additional one hundred dollar per month surcharge in addition to the premium due from each employee who uses tobacco products or who elects to cover an adult dependent who uses tobacco products.Creates the cancer research endowment fund match transfer account.
| Apr 2 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |