WA Legislature - Update
(April 16, 2025)

WA Legislature - Update (April 16, 2025) - Takeaways

The social equity program bill was well positioned for consideration ahead of the final cutoff gateway on Wednesday at 5pm PT, but two other cannabis-related bills remained relegated to rules.

Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Wednesday April 16th, the 94th day of the 2025 regular session.

My top 3 takeaways:

  • On Tuesday, the Washington State Senate Rules Committee (WA Senate RULE) calendared the gubernatorial appointment confirmation of Jim Vollendroff, Chair of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB).
    • Members voted on a regular package of bills and a package of gubernatorial appointment confirmations selected by committee leadership.
    • SGA 9188 - Confirmation - Jim Vollendroff
      • The legislation would be added to the Senate confirmation calendar where it would join SGA 9203, the confirmation of WSLCB Board Member Pete Holmes, also awaiting consideration during a chamber floor session.
    • At publication time, one cannabis-related bill had not been calendared in the WA Senate RULE.
      • HB 1347 - WSLCB Lab Certification Authority
        • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
        • On Tuesday afternoon, amendment S-3157.1 by Senator Rebecca Saldaña was published and described as having the following effects:
          • “Restricts LCB's authority over testing laboratories to establishing requirements for the reporting of mandatory quality assurance test results; exercising oversight to prevent a certified laboratory from holding any direct or indirect financial interest in a licensed cannabis producer or processor; a laboratory's possession, transportation, or delivery of cannabis; and investigating fraudulent conduct, including the falsification or manipulation of test results, misrepresentation of data, or submission of false information to the board or the public.”
    • At publication time, WA Senate RULE members had not announced their intent to convene on Wednesday before the Opposite House Cutoff at 6pm PT.
  • On Wednesday, legislators planned to convene floor sessions in advance of the Opposite House Cutoff at 5pm PT; one cannabis-related bill had been calendared in the Senate; two more were at risk if not calendared and advanced through the gateway.
    • 10am: WA House - Session
    • 10am: WA Senate - Session
      • [ TVW - Morning, TVW - Afternoon, TVW - Evening ]
      • At publication time, there were 96 bills on the Senate floor calendar including one cannabis-related item.
        • HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
          • See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal note for more details.
          • On Friday April 11th, 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 language was identical to the text of SB 5758 (Social Equity Buffer Zones), a Saldaña bill which was not advanced by the WA House CPB prior to the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff.
          • In the early hours on Wednesday morning, amendment S-3160.1 by Senator Curtis King was published which would modify Saldaña’s striker to the following effect:
            • “Removes the extension of the expiration date for the cannabis social equity program from July 1, 2032, to July 1, 2034.”
      • At publication time, there were 47 bills on the Senate confirmation calendar including two gubernatorial appointments of interest.
        • SGA 9188 - Confirmation - Jim Vollendroff
        • SGA 9203 - Confirmation - Pete Holmes
      • At publication time, there were 42 bills on the Senate concurrence calendar including one cannabis-related item.
    • 5pm: WA Legislature - Opposite House Cutoff
      • To continue being advanced, legislation assigned to the opposite chamber must be calendared, added to an order of consideration, potentially amended, debated, and passed before the cutoff.
        • There are exceptions.  Legislation can be designated “necessary to implement budgets” (NTIB) by chamber leaders to exempt it from the regular rules of order, loosely interpreted to mean a bill was projected to have a measurable fiscal impact.
      • At publication time, one cannabis-related bill had been calendared but remained at risk if not advanced:
        • HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
      • At publication time, two cannabis-related bills awaited calendaring in rules committees:
      • After Wednesday, legislators would take up legislation during floor sessions before adjournment sine die on Sunday April 27th.