Nineteen bills with North county support signed

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It’s bill-signing season for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and Southwest Washington legislators are well represented among laws getting past this year.

As of last week, Inslee had signed 16 bills with primary sponsors in the 17th, 18th and 20th districts, with three more having 49th District primary sponsors and several North County legislators’ support, according to the list of bill actions on the Office of the Governor’s website.

As of last week, more than 280 bills had been signed this year.

The bill with the most publicity that has been signed was introduced by a legislator to the south of The Reflector’s coverage area, though the majority of Clark County lawmakers have signed their support. Substitute Senate Bill 5806, the “bridge bill,” was signed by Inslee May 10.

Introduced by Sen. Annette Cleveland, R-Vancouver, the bill establishes a preliminary process for coming up with an Interstate 5 bridge replacement. The bill, and its House companion, had secondary sponsors in four North County legislators.

If one were “keeping score” regarding bills, recent chamber-hopper Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, is in the lead as of last week. Of her legislation, five bills had been signed by Inslee.

Of those bills, Substitute Senate Bill 5185 focuses around volunteer emergency workers, specifically affording them immunity for damages resulting from certain aspects of an emergency work event. Second SSB 5289 requires the state Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) to conduct a workforce assessment “for the agriculture, natural resources, outdoor recreation, and environment sectors,” as per the final bill digest.

SSB 5338 regards licensing for off-road vehicles and snowmobiles, while SB 5665 allows licensed beer, wine and liquor distributors to charge credit card processing fees onto customers with a serving liquor license such as restaurants.

Finally, Wilson’s SB 5778 pertains to relatives of military individuals, bringing the ability for spouses and children of members to receive in-state tuition rates in line with the federal Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.

Also coming in with several bills already signed is Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, all related to her position as chair of the Senate healthcare committee. 

Rivers’ SSB 5404 will allow the use of sunscreen products in schools. Another bill, SSB 5514, requires that hospitals with emergency departments submit emergency department patient information to the Washington State Department of Health “for collection, maintenance, analysis, and dissemination by DOH,” and in a way that allows it to be electronically aggregated.

Senate Bill 5715 reworks how Medicaid reimbursement rates on patients are determined. Finally, SSB 5815 regards the hospital safety net assessment, a fee on non-Medicaid inpatient days a facility has, extending the assessment program until July, 2021 while modifying some of the assessment’s provisions.



Both Rivers and Wilson are sponsors of SSB 5806.

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, has two pieces of legislation signed by the Governor as of last week. House Bill 1906, which expands the state’s farm internship pilot project through 2019 while also adding counties such as Clark, Cowlitz and Lewis to those a part of the program, has Inslee’s signature.

Orcutt’s other legislation, HB 1907, concerns abandoned cemeteries. It clarifies the definition of an abandoned cemetery and allows burial in those cemeteries.

Also representing the 20th District, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, has two pieces of legislation with Inslee’s name on it. Senate Bill 5097 regards the governing board for the Office of Chehalis Basin, clarifying appointment procedures for the board. Braun’s other legislation, SB 5125, “provides a definition for ‘independent contractor relationships’” regarding real estate brokers and managing brokers. 

A bill by Rep Brandon Vick, R-Felida, concerning small securities offerings, also bears Inslee’s signature. The bill is designed specifically to help small businesses with crowdfunding opportunities, removing “the investment limitations of accredited investors and conforms to new federal Security Exchange Commission requirements,” according to a release from the Washington House Republicans.

Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, has a bill signed as well. House Bill 1198 regards podiatrists and podiatric surgeons, specifically allowing for a voluntary substance abuse monitoring program for podiatrists or surgeons in lieu of formal discipline should it be determined unprofessional behavior is a result of such abuse.

Vick and Harris both sponsored the House’s companion bill for SSB 5806.

Freshman legislator Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, got her first bill signed by the governor. House Bill 2138 will benefit disabled veterans, allowing for a sales tax exemption for costs associated with adaptive housing.

Though not a “North County” legislator, Rep. Monica Jurado Stonier, D-Vancouver, had two bills that  received substantial backing from her North Clark County peers. House Bill 1201 regards financing Public Facilities Districts, specifically allowing the districts (defined as “corporate municipal bodies with independent taxing authority” in bill documents) to refinance debt at modern, lower rates. Facilities covered locally in PFDs include the Clark County Event Center.

Stonier had another bill receiving north county support in HB 1648, which modifies the duties of county treasurers, allowing them to accept partial payments in order to update the law on the books to work with updated technology regarding payment options.

Although the regular session for 2017 ended April 23, currently the Legislature is in a special 30-day session, primarily in order to get the biennial budget passed.