WA Legislature - Update
(April 11, 2025)

The WSLCB request legislation was being delivered to the Governor as legislators prepared for more floor activity, including the overnight publication of two amendments on cannabis-related bills of interest.

Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Friday April 11th, the 89th day of the 2025 regular session.

My top 3 takeaways:

• As of Thursday, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) request legislation granting constrained access to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) patient data which had been passed by the legislature had obtained signatures from both chamber leaders and was sent on its way to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
  • HB 1341 - DOH Patient Data Sharing
    • Representative Sharon Wylie introduced the legislation authorizing limited agency access to DOH patient data.
      • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
    • On Friday April 4th, senators nearly unanimously passed HB 1341, the first cannabis-related bill passed by the legislature in 2025.
    • Following final passage, the legislation was signed during floor sessions of each chamber by Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins and Senate President Denny Heck prior to delivery to the Governor’s Office for consideration.
    • As the legislation would be delivered to the Governor’s Office more than five days prior to the end of the regular session, the executive would have five calendar days to act upon the bill.  The legislation must be scheduled for bill action, then signed or vetoed by Governor Bob Ferguson.

• There were no introductions of cannabis-related legislation on Thursday, and none staged for Friday.
  • There were no introductions staged in the House for Friday April 11th.
  • The draft introduction report in the Senate for Friday April 11th did not appear to include any cannabis-related legislation.

• On Friday, legislators would continue to focus on floor activity through the end of the regular session, periodically replenishing second reading calendars with bills pulled from chamber rules committees.
  • 9am: WA House - Session
    • [ TVW - Morning, TVW - Afternoon, TVW - Evening ]
    • At publication time, there were 84 bills on the House floor calendar including two of relevance positioned for floor activity.
      • SB 5167 - Operating Budget and Supplemental Operating Budget
        • On April 3rd, senators refused to concur with House changes to the operating budgets and requested a conference committee be formed.  At publication time, representatives had yet to formally accept the conference request.
      • SB 5403 - Cannabis Retail Financial Interest
        • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
        • On Thursday evening, amendment CLOD 371 by Representative Kristine Reeves was published and described as having the following effects:
          • “Adds management agreements entered under existing authorization for cannabis licensees to have their place of business conducted by a manager or agent to the types of agreements subject to the bill's prohibition on agreements conferring a financial interest across more than five retail cannabis licenses. Specifies that the bill applies both retroactively and prospectively.”
    • Twotranches of legislation were pulled from the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) on Thursday, but neither included the one cannabis-related bill remaining to be calendared.
      • SB 5206 - Cannabis Retailer Advertising
        • See the bill text, bill report, and previous fiscal note for more details.
  • 9:30am: WA Senate - Session
    • [ TVW - Morning, TVW - Afternoon, TVW - Evening ]
    • At publication time, there were 73 bills on the Senate floor calendar including one of relevance positioned for floor activity along with 39 bills on the confirmation calendar including one gubernatorial appointment of interest.
      • HB 1141 - Cannabis Production Unions
        • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
        • At publication time, no amendments on the legislation had been published.
      • SGA 9203 - Confirmation - Pete Holmes
  • TBD: WA Senate RULE - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
    • According to the announcement, members would convene at the Senate Rostrum “immediately following adjournment on Friday” to vote on a regular package of legislation and a set of gubernatorial appointment confirmations selected by chamber leadership.
      • On Wednesday April 9th, members acknowledged that for the remainder of the session they would not convene in the committee meeting room but hold brief, stand-up meetings at the rostrum to move packages of bills selected by chamber leadership.
    • At publication time, two cannabis-related bills were eligible for calendaring.
      • HB 1347 - WSLCB Lab Certification Authority
        • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
      • HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
        • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
        • In the early hours on Friday morning, striking amendment S-2845.1 by Senator Rebecca Saldaña was published which appeared to keep the bill largely as written with the addition of the following effect:
          • “Prohibits a city, town, or county from requiring a cannabis retailer licensed through the Cannabis Social Equity Program to locate more than 250 feet from the premises of any other licensed cannabis retailer.”
        • The revised language was pulled from SB 5758 (Social Equity Buffer Zones), a Saldaña bill which was not advanced by the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) prior to the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff.
    • At publication time, one gubernatorial appointment confirmation was eligible for calendaring.
      • SGA 9188 - Confirmation - Jim Vollendroff