Legislative Updates

AN ACT Relating to the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compact.

Expands the use tax exemption for new residents and nonresident military personnel to include tangible personal property, with some exceptions.

Eliminates the age restriction for enlistment with the Washington State Guard (Guard).  Allows the adjutant general to extend the service age of an active member of the Guard under certain conditions.

Provides for various outreach and services related to preventing suicide among veterans and military service members. • Creates the Veterans and Military Members Suicide Prevention Account and a suicide prevention community-based services grant program. • • Extends and modifies the Suicide-Safer Homes Task Force. • Establishes a new special vehicle license plate emblem.

Authorizes a property tax exemption on leased land for tenants in a mobile home park or manufactured housing community that qualify for the senior citizen and disabled veterans property tax exemption program.

Authorizes a property tax exemption on land leased in a mobile home park or manufactured housing community to individuals who qualify for the senior citizen and disabled veterans property tax exemption program.

Adopting the psychology interjurisdictional compact.

Requires the county auditor to mail statewide and local voters' pamphlets to service and overseas voters who request them. • Changes the deadline for the Office of Financial Management to submit fiscal impact statements for state ballot measures.

Authorizing military surplus vehicles to operate on public highways.

Establishes requirements for certain state agencies and licensing authorities related to the professional licensing and employment of military spouses. Allows a military spouse to terminate an employment contract without penalty.

Adopts the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (compact) to allow professionals who are licensed in a compact state to provide interstate occupational therapy services.

Extends access to paid military leave to public employee members of the United States Space Force.

Reducing property taxes for gold star families.  The person claiming the exemption must own the residence on which the property taxes have been imposed. Be a gold star family member; Be the sole remaining dependent of the United States military member who dies in the line of duty; and Have resided in the residence prior to the incident which caused the military member's death

Eliminates the requirement that a National Guard member has not achieved a baccalaureate degree or higher. Adds a requirement that a National Guard member be enrolled in courses or programs that lead to a postsecondary degree or credential. Modifies the maximum grant to not exceed the maximum Washington college grant and additional stipulations.

Concerning employer tax incentives for the support of veterans and military families. Increases tax credits for employers who hire veterans or military spouses.

Expands the definition of veteran for purposes of veterans' benefits in state pension systems, legal assistance, scoring criteria on civil service exams, and other programs, to include members that were awarded an expeditionary medal.

Establishes a legislative work group to study and make recommendations on a monument to honor service members who died in the Global War on Terror.

Providing additional support and services for veterans' assistance and for persons with developmental disabilities or mental health needs.

Establishing an exemption from the payment of premiums to the long-term services and supports trust program based on certain veterans' benefits. (30%+ SCD)

Requires the Department of Health to create a business license for wilderness therapy programs. • • Provides parameters for wilderness therapy programs. Requires rulemaking for wilderness therapy programs to be completed by December 31, 2022

Expands the definition of monument to include property owned by the federal government, state, or other municipalities. • Raises the classification of defacing a monument to a gross misdemeanor.

Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact.

Increases each of the income thresholds for the senior citizen and disabled persons property tax exemption program, by $5,000.

Permitting holders of disabled American veteran license plates and holders of Purple Heart license plates to utilize parking spaces reserved for persons with physical disabilities.

Adopts the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (compact) to allow professionals who are licensed in a compact state to provide interstate occupational therapy services.

Providing an exemption to long-term care insurance for retired veterans and retirement eligible veterans.

Eliminates the requirement that a National Guard member has not achieved a baccalaureate degree or higher. Adds a requirement that a National Guard member be enrolled in courses or programs that lead to a postsecondary degree or credential. Modifies the maximum grant to not exceed the maximum Washington college grant and additional stipulations.

Exempts color guard and honor guard from liability when carrying a firearm or other weapon on the capitol campus while actively participating in, walking to, and leaving organized memorial events.

Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.

Creating the purple star award.

Establishes a legislative work group to study and make recommendations on a monument to honor service members who died in the Global War on Terror.

Providing additional financial relief for property owners using the senior citizen and disabled persons property tax exemption and deferral programs by increasing the income thresholds and lowering the interest rate for deferred property taxes. Modifies income threshold 1 from a combined disposable income of $30,000 to $60,000 for 2023.  For 2024 and beyond it is 45% of the county median income adjusted every 5 years.  Income threshold 2 goes from $35,000 to $65,000 and 55% of county median income.  Income threshold 3 goes from $40,000 to $70,000 and 65% of county median income.  Also modifies interest rate for deferred property taxes.

Concerning residency of students affiliated with the military

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

Designates March 22 to be a state legal holiday, recognized as Women's Suffrage Day.

Permits state agencies to purchase paper produced in a process that yields at least 40 percent less carbon dioxide than standard copy paper, rather than 100 percent recycled content paper.

Prohibits state agencies from selling personal data to third parties. Requires state agencies to provide a privacy notice that includes the categories of personal data collected by the state agency, and to whom and for what purposes the data is shared.

Requires the Department of Commerce to conduct a study regarding the use of aerial imaging technology. Requires that the study include several components, including an assessment of the ways in which state agencies and local governments currently use aerial imaging technology and an estimate of the cost of administering an aerial imaging program on a statewide basis.

Creates a disability benefit for members of the Public Safety Employees’ Retirement System totally disabled in the line of duty. Disabled members must be unable to perform any substantial gainful activity to qualify. Provides the totally disabled member with a benefit of up to 70 percent of final average salary.

Adds the option of Roth-qualified contributions to the public employee deferred compensation plan operated by the Department of Retirement Systems.

Concerning the capital budget.

Establishes the Care Worker Center under the authority of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

Establishes an additional 6.5 percent tax on the sale or use of outdoor power equipment that is not zero-emission and that is powered by a small engine, lasting through 2032. Exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from state and local sales and use taxes, and includes a tax preference performance statement. Prohibits state agencies and local governments from purchasing outdoor power equipment that is not zero-emission outdoor power equipment, beginning in 2025.

Addressing workplace bullying by making it an unfair practice to subject an employee to an abusive work environment.

Concerning vacation leave accrual for public employees.

Incorporating working families fiscal impacts in fiscal notes.

Concerning the protection of critical constituent and state operational data against the financial and personal harm caused by ransomware and other malicious cyber activities.

Requires public agencies to develop an algorithmic accountability report that meet certain requirements on the use of automated decision systems (ADS). Specifies minimum requirements when an agency develops, procures, or uses an ADS. Prohibits an agency from using ADS or equipment incorporating artificial intelligence-enabled profiling under certain conditions. Requires the Washington state chief information officer to adopt rulesregarding the development, procurement, and use of ADS by a public agency. Requires the algorithmic accountability review office inventory, review algorithmic accountability reports, post certain information on its website, and conduct audits for ADS.  Expands Washington's Law Against Discrimination to prohibit discrimination by automated decision systems. Delays facial recognition statutory provisions to July 1, 2026

Requires the Department of Commerce to conduct a study regarding the use of aerial imaging technology. Requires that the study include several components, including an assessment of the ways in which state agencies and local governments currently use aerial imaging technology and an estimate of the cost of administering an aerial imaging program on a statewide basis.

Prohibits employers from obtaining individually identifiable information regarding an employee's participation in an employee assistance program

Granting Washington management service employees the right to collectively bargain.

Directs the Health Care Authority (HCA) to provide reasonable oversight of all Medicaid program integrity activities required by federal regulation. Requires HCA to establish and maintain effective internal control over any state agency that receives Medicaid funding in compliance with federal regulation. Requires HCA to update managed care contracts to include appropriate program integrity requirements. Creates the Medicaid Expenditure Forecast Work Group.

Provides up to 14 calendar days of paid family leave, within existing leave limits, to certain employees in specified situations. Specifies that leave taken by certain employees in the first six weeks after giving birth must be medical leave, unless the employee chooses to use family leave. Expires the collective bargaining exception contained in the Paid Family and Medical Leave program. Authorizes the Employment Security Department (ESD) to issue a predetermination of eligibility and benefits prior to the employee's start of leave. Requires ESD to publish a list of employers with approved voluntary plans on its website.

Concerning the capital budget.

Establishing climate and labor standards for building materials used in state public works projects.

Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.

Provides an enhanced disability benefit for members of the Public Safety Employees' Retirement System members who are permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Authorizes stipends and reimbursement of other expenses for eligible individuals participating in a group formed by a state office, agency, board, commission or other similar entity. Requires the Office of Financial Management to establish model policies for stipends, reimbursements, and compensation for members of part-time groups.

Authorizes and requires the Office of Privacy and Data Protection (OPDP) to establish privacy principles and best practices by July 31, 2022. Requires states agencies, except as provided, to adopt OPDP established privacy principles and best practices by July 1, 2023.

Requires the Student Loan Advocate (Advocate) to create and provide information on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to public service employees (employees) annually. Requires the Office of Financial Management to develop a program for public service employers (employers) to certify employment for the purposes of PSLF. Requires employers to provide information created by the Advocate to employees as least annually. Establishes a calculation for part-time academic employees' duties outside of assigned in-class teaching to be counted towards full-time employment for the purposes of PSLF.

Providing hazard pay retention bonuses to certain health care employees.

Concerning the protection of critical constituent and state operational data against the financial and personal harm caused by ransomware and other malicious cyber activities.