75 business related bills

The following legislation brought onto the floor in Olympia is business related. The list was extrapolated from a much larger list of hundreds of possible bills, some destined to become laws, others to fall by the wayside as so much more red tape. The WBJ is listing 75 bills here brought to the State House floor in February with the introducing legislator, their district and the date it was introduced. They have been randomly selected. To look at any particular bill up, go to the legislative website, http://www.washingtonvotes.org/Legislation.aspx? and input the ID of the bill. There you will also find the "Official Text and Analysis."
Many, of the bills that have an actual chance of passing both Houses, may have a duplicate bill in the Senate and House.
Some bill titles have surprising names and may attract support from the left or right political fringe such as a bill calling for the "reduction of minimum wage" and another "allowing cultivation and transfer of marijuana plants and product from one adult to another inside a private residence." A tax on capital gains to pay for education is just another way of complying with the infamous  McCleary Decision, according to some analysts. While vapor products, water rights (read Hirst Decision) and numerous ways to tax retail services and products are also popular in a state government struggling to find enough money to pay for the State Supreme Court's fining the state for not funding education to its liking (aka McCleary).
Even the business of running a municipal government and the hundreds if not thousands of non-profits in the state, are being subjected to a variety of potential harm as well as windfall in the state's attempt at meting out meaningful regulations. These subjects include an eclectic mix of issues from cattle inspection to fish harvests. The list below covers a huge variety of topics including car wash taxation, mobile home parks, marijuana legislation ad nauseam, government contracting, recycling exemptions for "innovative activities" and a multitude of education reform bills that may affect the "business of education," but are too numerous to mention here.
Health care with contraceptive coverage provided by employers is also on the floor coincidentally with the Trump administration's SCOTUS nomination of the judge (Neil Gorsuch) that upheld Hobby Lobby's right to not provide such coverage because of religious objections. Besides Hobby Lobby (East Wenatchee) another local business in the headlines lately has been Carl's Jr. (East Wenatchee) CEO Andy Puzder who withdrew his name for the post of Secretary of Labor due to numerous calls for his rejection from both sides of the isle. Puzder's stance on labor issues, especially when he said he'd prefer robots to people as employees, caused a massive mobilization of pro-union citizens as well as politicians from both parties.
Not every bill introduced has obvious business value until closer scrutiny is performed. Outdoor burning, brought to the floor by our own Mike Steele (R-Chelan) may benefit orchardists and a bill concerning forest wildfire management by our own Senator Brad Hawkins (R-East Wenatchee) is also business-based in regards to future tourism revenues as well as protection for agricultural interests.
As ridiculous as it may sound, there is even a bill about naming Sasquatch the state's official "cryptid" and that too will affect tourism in the state. Tourism and agriculture form the backbone of the Chelan and Douglas  counties economy, especially since the stand-down of the Alcoa smeltering plant in Malaga. The state's construction industry, already heavily regulated, is in line to be pelted by another group of regulations. Cremation via chemicals, wine auctions and the right for marijuana retail stores to sell other products are all on this year's legislative menu.
Stay informed of the goings-on in the halls of Olympia with the WBJ. In our April edition we will summarize the remaining bills in Olympia brought to the floor during late February and March. Contact Managing Editor Gary Bégin: gary@ncwmedia.net for business leads and testimonials on how any of these bills may be affecting your company.
 
1) House Bill 1850: Addressing the review of investment options to be included in the small business retirement marketplace. Introduced by Rep. Derek Stanford (Bothell) (D) on February 1  ID=175850

2) House Bill 1846: Authorizing the development of new manufactured housing communities outside of urban growth areas under the growth management act.
Introduced by Rep. Dan Griffey (Allyn) (R) on February 1 ID=175846

3) House Bill 1851: Protecting taxpayers by providing for accountability and transparency in government contracting. Introduced by Rep. Laurie Dolan (Olympia) (D) on February 1 ID=175851

4) House Bill 1856: Creating a sales and use tax exemption for commercial car wash facilities. Introduced by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (West Seattle) (D) on February 1  ID=175856

5) House Bill 1862: Addressing the final approval of subdivisions of land.
Introduced by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (West Seattle) (D) on February 1  ID=175862

6) House Bill 1857: Addressing provisions concerning marijuana with respect to research licenses, local authority notifications, the retail licensing application process, processor wholesale events, and jurisdictional requirements.
Introduced by Rep. Shelley Kloba (Bothell) (D) on February 1  ID=175857


7) House Bill 1858: Increasing marijuana license fees and adding a temporary additional fee on marijuana licenses issued by the Washington state liquor and cannabis board. Introduced by Rep. David Sawyer (Tacoma) (D) on February 1  ID=175858

8) House Bill 1868: Investing in water infrastructure on tribal lands to protect the environment by imposing a tax on oil shipped into Washington via pipeline.
Introduced by Rep. Strom Peterson (Edmonds) (D) on February 1  ID=175868

9) Senate Bill 5630: Reinstating tax preferences for certain high-technology research and development. Introduced by Sen. John Braun (Centralia) (R) on February 1 ID=175895

10)  Senate Bill 5634: Concerning aggregating counts of retail theft with special circumstances. Introduced by Sen. Mike Padden (Spokane Valley) (R) on February 1  ID=175899

11) Senate Bill 5642: Concerning a pilot program that provides incentives for investments in Washington state job creation and economic development.
Introduced by Sen. Sharon Brown (Kennewick) (R) on February 1  ID=175907

12) Senate Bill 5647: Creating a low-income home rehabilitation revolving loan program. Introduced by Sen. Jim Honeyford (Grandview) (R) on February 1  ID=175912

13) House Bill 1823: Concerning business improvement districts
Introduced by Rep. Strom Peterson (Edmonds) (D) on January 31  ID=175756

14) House Bill 1826: Exempting certain innovative activities relying on recycled carbon fiber materials from solid waste handling facility permit requirements.
Introduced by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (West Seattle) (D) on January 31  ID=175759

15) House Bill 1724: Reducing the minimum wage.
Introduced by Rep. Brad Klippert (Kennewick) (R) on January 27  ID=175572

16) House Bill 1730: Enacting an excise tax on capital gains to improve the fairness of Washington's tax system and provide funding for the education legacy trust account.
Introduced by Rep. Laurie Jinkins (Tacoma) (D) on January 27  ID=175578

17) House Bill 1744: Concerning the use of perfluorinated chemicals in food packaging. Introduced by Rep. Joan McBride (Kirkland) (D) on January 27  ID=175592

18) House Bill 1758: Concerning the business of child care
Introduced by Rep. Tana Senn (East King County) (D) on January 27  ID=175607

19) Senate Bill 5011: Concerning the business corporation act
Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on January 26. Establishes a statutory procedure for ratifying and validating defective corporate actions. Authorizes forum selection provisions for internal corporate disputes. Permits asset drop-down transactions without approval by parent corporation's shareholders. Eliminates ten-year term limits on voting trusts and voting agreements. Permits short-form downstream mergers.  ID=174108

20) Senate Bill 5040: Making revisions to the uniform business organizations code
Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on January 26. Aligns and clarifies the contents of a certificate of registration for a foreign entity doing business in this state with the contents of a certificate of existence for a domestic entity.  ID=174233

21) Senate Bill 5531: Providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnant women. Introduced by Sen. Michael Baumgartner (Spokane) (R) on January 27  ID=175631

22) Senate Bill 5541: Addressing teen wages. Introduced by Sen. Michael Baumgartner (Spokane) (R) on January 27  ID=175641

23) Senate Bill 5551: Requiring periodic certification elections for labor unions representing public employees. Introduced by Sen. Dino Rossi (East King County) (R) on January 27.  ID=175651

24) Senate Bill 5555: Addressing wage and salary information
Introduced by Sen. Lisa Wellman (Mercer Island) (D) on January 27.  ID=175655

25) Senate Joint Resolution 8204: Amending the Constitution to prohibit the taxation of individual income. Introduced by Sen. Phil Fortunato (Auburn) (R) on January 27  ID=175671

26) House Bill 1885: Clarifying the roles of state and local governments in the regulation and mitigation of water resources. Introduced by Rep. Larry Springer (Kirkland) (D) on February 2  ID=175966

27) House Bill 1890: Concerning the plumbing industry. Introduced by Rep. June Robinson (Everett) (D) on February 2  ID=175971

28) House Bill 1891: Prohibiting contributions to gubernatorial candidates by entities that collectively bargain with the state. Introduced by Rep. Matt Manweller (Ellensburg) (R) on February 2  ID=175972

29) House Bill 1895: Prohibiting the use of public resources to assist the federal government in any activity that might impede or interfere with Washington state's regulation of marijuana and marijuana-related products as prescribed by the laws of the state of Washington. Introduced by Rep. David Sawyer (Tacoma) (D) on February 2  ID=175976

30) House Bill 1902: Modifying tavern license provisions. Introduced by Rep. Steve Kirby (Tacoma) (D) on February 2  ID=175983

31) House Bill 1912: Improving the community economic revitalization board program. Introduced by Rep. Cindy Ryu (Shoreline) (D) on February 2   ID=175993

32) House Bill 1918: Addressing treatment of groundwater under state water codes to support rural development while protecting instream flows. Introduced by Rep. Derek Stanford (Bothell) (D) on February 2  ID=175999

33) Senate Bill 5671: Simplifying the process for bona fide charitable and nonprofit organization to engage in activities and social pastimes, and raise funds for their authorized purposes. Introduced by Sen. Phil Fortunato (Auburn) (R) on February 2  ID=176013

34) Senate Bill 5679: Concerning the authority of port districts to provide telecommunications services. Introduced by Sen. Judy Warnick (Grant) (R) on February 2,   ID=176021

35) Senate Bill 5688: Concerning the temporary sale of liquor at special events
Introduced by Sen. Ann Rivers (VanCouver) (R) on February 2  ID=176030

36) Senate Bill 5689: Establishing a statewide policy supporting Washington state's economy and immigrants' role in the workplace. Introduced by Sen. Lisa Wellman (Mercer Island) (D) on February 2  ID=176031
37) Senate Bill 5692: Prohibiting requiring employees to pay dues or fees to a labor union as a condition of employment. Introduced by Sen. Michael Baumgartner (Spokane) (R) on February 2  ID=176034
38) Senate Bill 5587: Addressing the linked deposit program. Referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee on February 6. Increases the overall Linked Deposit Program by $20 million per year and adds prioritization criteria for awarding loans to qualified businesses. Dedicates an additional $10 million per year for loans to veteran-owned businesses, and an additional $10 million for loans to minority-owned and women-owned businesses.  ID=175741
39) House Bill 1300: Simplifying and enforcing employee status under employment laws to ensure fairness to employers and employees and address the underground economy. Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 6. ID=174586
40) House Bill 2000: Equalizing differences in the distillery and winery industries by authorizing certain private label spirits. Introduced by Rep. Strom Peterson (Edmonds) (D) on February 7.  ID=176187
41) House Bill 2001: Concerning taxes on in-state broadcasters. Introduced by Rep. Terry Nealey (Dayton) (R) on February 7. ID=176188
42)  House Bill 2002: Making a technical correction in Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 6057 from 2015 to provide that the business and occupation tax rate for newspapers takes effect as of July 1, 2015. Introduced by Rep. Terry Nealey (Dayton) (R) on February 7.  ID=176189
43) House Bill 2005: Improving the business climate in this state by simplifying the administration of municipal general business licenses. Introduced by Rep. Kristine Lytton (Anacortes) (D) on February 7. ID=176192
44) House Bill 2015: Modifying the lodging excise tax to remove the exemption for premises with fewer than sixty lodging units and to tax certain vacation rentals, short-term home-sharing arrangements, and other compensated use or occupancy of dwellings. Introduced by Rep. Eric Pettigrew (Seattle) (D) on February 7. ID=176202
45) Senate Bill 5408: Increasing the notice of termination for tenancies under the residential landlord-tenant act. Substitute offered in the Senate on February 2. Increases the notification requirements for terminating a residential rental agreement from 20 days to 30 days.
ID=175239

46) House Bill 2020: Concerning limitations on liability for agritourism activities
Introduced by Rep. Matt Manweller (Ellensburg) (R) on February 8  ID=176231

47) House Bill 2026: Providing a business and occupation tax credit for live arts performances. Introduced by Rep. Eric Pettigrew (Seattle) (D) on February 8.  ID=176237

48) House Bill 2041: Making existing local government authority to seek voter approval to raise property tax revenue more useful. Introduced by Rep. John Koster (Arlington) (R) on February 8.  ID=176252

49) Senate Bill 5755: Simplifying the population growth criteria for planning required by the growth management act. Introduced by Sen. Shelly Short (Addy) (R) on February 8. ID=176258

50) Senate Bill 5760: Declaring that it is an unfair practice for any employer who provides health insurance to its employees as part of an employee's benefit package to not include contraceptive coverage as part of the benefit package
Introduced by Sen. Kevin Ranker (Orcas Island) (D) on February 8.  ID=176263

51) House Bill 2038: Clarifying the applicability of RCW 70.345.080 to only vapor products. Introduced by Rep. William (Bill) Jenkin (R) on February 8. ID=176249

52) Senate Bill 5750: Concerning livestock inspection. Introduced by Sen. Judy Warnick (Grant) (R) on February 8.  ID=176253

53) Senate Bill 5752: Conducting a study of the costs and funding sources for the core services and functions provided by county offices. Introduced by Sen. Ann Rivers (VanCouver) (R) on February 8. ID=176255

54) Senate Bill 5760: Declaring that it is an unfair practice for any employer who provides health insurance to its employees as part of an employee's benefit package to not include contraceptive coverage as part of the benefit package.
Introduced by Sen. Kevin Ranker (Orcas Island) (D) on February 8.  ID=176263

55) Senate Bill 5761: Exempting certain confidential fish and shellfish harvest information from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, the public records act.
Introduced by Sen. John McCoy (Tulalip) (D) on February 8. ID=176264

56) House Bill 1489: Concerning private wildland fire suppression contractors.
Substitute offered in the House on February 8. Makes adjustments to the process by which the Department of Natural Resources (Department) compiles and updates the master list of wildland fire suppression contractors. Requires the Department to coordinate with federal wildland firefighting agencies to prioritize the use of local wildland fire suppression contractors as well as other local resources.  ID=175034

57) House Bill 1597: Increasing revenue to the state wildlife account by increasing commercial fishing license fees and streamlining wholesale fish dealing, buying, and selling requirements. Substitute offered in the House on February 8. Increases commercial fishing license fees and streamlines requirements for wholesale fish dealing, buying, and selling to increase revenue to the state wildlife account.  ID=175290

58) House Bill 2047: Concerning outdoor burning. Introduced by Rep. Mike Steele (Chelan) (R) on February 9. ID=176310

59) Senate Bill 5816: Designating Sasquatch the official cryptid or crypto-animal of Washington. Introduced by Sen. Ann Rivers (VanCouver) (R) on February 15. ID=176507

60) Senate Bill 5814: Concerning asphalt pavement sealer products. Introduced by Sen. Maralyn Chase (Edmonds) (D) on February 15.  ID=176505

61) Senate Bill 5502: Modifying Washington state's motion picture and film industries tax credit. Substitute offered in the Senate on February 14, 2017 Extends the current Motion Picture Competitiveness Program business and occupation (B&O) tax credit an additional ten years. Authorizes an additional B&O tax credit for a major motion picture that portrays a significant event in Washington.  ID=175445

62) Senate Bill 5338: Concerning registration enforcement for off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on February 14.  ID=175069

63) Senate Bill 5281: Concerning rules for on-site sewage systems. Substitute offered in the Senate on February 14. Prohibits the State Board of Health from making specific use permit, easement, and replacement rules regarding on-site sewage systems. ID=174903

64) Senate Bill 5251: Concerning tourism marketing. Substitute offered in the Senate on February 14. Creates the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority to manage financial resources for the development of a statewide tourism marketing plan. Directs a percentage of retail sales taxes collected on lodging, car rentals, and restaurants to fund the implementation of the statewide tourism marketing plan.  ID=174808

65) House Bill 2111: Concerning the protection of military installations operated by the United States armed services from incompatible development. Introduced by Rep. Kristine Reeves (Algona) (D) on February 15.  ID=176496

66) House Bill 2023: Addressing the effective date of certain actions taken under the growth management act. Substitute offered in the House on February 14. Addresses the growth management act with regard to initial effective dates of actions that: (1) Expand an urban growth area; (2) Remove the designation of agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands; (3) Create or expand a limited area of more intensive rural development; (4) Establish a new fully contained community; or (5) Create or expand a master planned resort. ID=176234

67) House Bill 2021: Authorizing the sale of marijuana plants and seeds to qualifying patients and designated providers. Substitute offered in the House on February 14, 2017 Authorizes a licensed marijuana producer to produce, process, package, label, and sell plants and marijuana seeds at retail, at the premises of the producer, to a qualifying patient or designated provider with a valid authorization or a valid recognition card. ID=176232

68) House Bill 1740: Using the state environmental policy act to encourage development that is consistent with forward-looking growth plans. Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 14. ID=175588

69) House Bill 1718: Creating a special permit for certain wine auctions. Referred to the House Rules Committee on February 14. ID=175530

70) House Bill 1700: Concerning cremation by biochemical hydrolysis. Referred to the House Rules Committee on February 14. ID=175512

71) House Bill 1376: Concerning paint stewardship. Substitute offered in the House on February 14.  Creates an architectural paint recovery program that will be enforced by the department of ecology. Requires all producers of architectural paint selling in or into the state to participate in an approved state paint stewardship plan. ID=174737

72) House Bill 1347: Concerning the creation of a countywide port district within a county containing no port districts. Referred to the House Finance Committee on February 14. ID=174708

73) House Bill 1343: Modifying the Washington main street program by increasing the total amount of tax credits allowed under the program and making administrative changes to the program. Referred to the House Finance Committee on February 14. ID=174704

74) House Bill 1225: Requiring planning for the availability of mineral resources for future generations under the growth management act. Substitute offered in the House on February 14. Adds the maintenance and enhancement of mineral resource lands and industries as a component of the natural resource goals of the Growth Management Act.
ID=174415

75) House Bill 2104: Addressing protection product guarantee providers. Introduced by Rep. Steve Kirby (Tacoma) (D) on February 14.   ID=176465