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March 06, 2023
MAR. 2, 2023 
AWB Hopeful About Legislative Priorities
Yesterday marked the halfway point of the 105-day legislative session. AWB is encouraged to see key bills around housing, energy and workforce move forward, and there’s still time for lawmakers to address the urgent issue of public safety.
Eighteen AWB-supported housing bills are still alive. This includes House Bill 1110, which would allow more duplexes, triplexes and townhomes in single-family neighborhoods statewide. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, cleared the House Appropriations Committee on Friday, with yes votes from all Democrats plus five Republicans.
House Bill 1216, the clean energy siting bill, is also moving forward. The bill creates an expedited permitting process to make it easier to permit certain types of energy and clean manufacturing projects, helping meet the state’s clean energy goals.
Finally, Senate Bill 5499, which allows Washington to join the interstate Nursing Licensure Compact, cleared cutoff. The bill speeds up licenses for nurses to practice across state lines, helping address workforce shortages.
AWB remains concerned about bills on ergonomics and staffing quotas for warehouses, as well as multiple tax proposals still under consideration. If you have any questions about these or other bills, please contact Dru Garson.Contact:Dru Garsondru@awb.org