A substantively changed WSLCB data dashboard bill was recommended out of committee, schedule changes included an additional 5 public hearings next week, and the DUI bill was up anew in the Senate.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday January 30th, the 18th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 5 takeaways:
- On Wednesday afternoon, Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) members amended and advanced legislation directing the development of Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) data dashboards.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- While previously scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday January 21st, action was deferred on the regulated substances data dashboard bill due to a pending amendment by Reeves, the prime sponsor.
- On Wednesday morning, the amendment was published and described as having the following effects:
- “(1) Authorizes the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to reference and link to other state agency websites for the information required to be published on the LCB's website, to avoid duplication. Requires the LCB to report to the Legislature if information required to be published by the bill is unavailable. Requires the LCB, the Department of Health, and the Health Care Authority, within existing resources, to identify and collect data that, if available, would be required to be published on the LCB's website.
- “(2) Requires the implementation and administration of the proposed data dashboard on the LCB's website to be within the LCB's and the other agencies' existing resources. Includes examples of types of expenditures that may not be made to implement and administer the proposed data dashboard, other than with funds within the agencies' existing resources. Provides that if information or data is unavailable to, or unobtainable by, an agency within its existing resources, the data or information is not required to be published on the LCB's website.”
- During the committee meeting on Wednesday, Reeves indicated her amendment was intended to avoid duplication of effort between agencies and preclude the collection of new data, although a report to the Legislature would be required in the latter circumstance.
- The committee voted to adopt the amendment and recommended the substitute language.
- A new fiscal note would likely be requested given the substantive changes to the bill language, which would appear to lower agency projected costs to zero. If so, the bill would likely bypass consideration by a House fiscal committee and be referred directly to the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) for calendaring by that body or more likely House leadership from the floor.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- Introductions went as planned on Wednesday and no cannabis-related bills were staged for introduction on Thursday.
- HB 1704 - “Increasing cannabis revenue distributions to local governments.”
- Cannabis Excise Tax Local Distributions
- Assistant Minority Whip Suzanne Schmidt introduced legislation aiming to immediately increase the two State cannabis revenue distributions to localities encoded in RCW 69.50.540 from 5% combined to 17%.
- According to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Dedicated Cannabis Account revenue dashboard, the agency collected $458M in excise tax revenue and fees in fiscal year 2024 for deposit into the account. 5% of that amount would be $22.9M; 17% would be $77.9M.
- By the end of the day, Schmidt was joined by a bipartisan group of five co-sponsors: Assistant Majority Whip Janice Zahn, Representative Carolyn Eslick, WA House CPB Chair Amy Walen, Representative Sam Low, and Representative Stephanie Barnard.
- The legislation was referred to the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) as planned and a public hearing had not been announced by publication time.
- The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Thursday January 30th did not appear to include any cannabis-related legislation.
- HB 1704 - “Increasing cannabis revenue distributions to local governments.”
- An executive session on legislation to create more predictable “treatment off ramps” for justice-involved individuals assessed as having a substance use disorder (SUD) was removed from the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee (WA Senate LAW) meeting planned for Thursday.
- SB 5290 - Pre-Hearing SUD Treatment
- During the public hearing on Tuesday, prime sponsor Senator Jesse Salomon described his legislation as a renewed effort to create “treatment off ramps” which had been compromised out of SB 5536, the “Blake fix” bill passed during a special session in May 2023.
- Diversion of cases regarding minor possession or public drug use to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment regimes had been left to the discretion of prosecutors, and Salomon sought to empower judges to refer defendants to State-certified programs.
- A representative of public defenders testified in support of the legislation, whereas representatives of prosecutors and narcotics investigators opposed the change.
- An executive session on the legislation had been planned for Thursday January 30th. In the late afternoon on Wednesday, it was announced that the executive session had been removed from the meeting agenda.
- At publication time, the legislation had not been rescheduled in WA Senate LAW.
- During the public hearing on Tuesday, prime sponsor Senator Jesse Salomon described his legislation as a renewed effort to create “treatment off ramps” which had been compromised out of SB 5536, the “Blake fix” bill passed during a special session in May 2023.
- SB 5290 - Pre-Hearing SUD Treatment
- The preliminary schedule for the following week was published on Wednesday near close of business; five cannabis-related bills were listed as receiving public hearings while the WSLCB bill requesting patient data access and the House version of the driving under the influence (DUI) bill were granted executive sessions.
- Tuesday February 4th
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- 4pm: WA Senate WM - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- SB 5547 - Cannabis Excise Tax Local Distributions
- Public Hearing
- Wednesday February 5th
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- HB 1341 - DOH Data Sharing
- Executive Session
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Thursday February 6th
- 8am: WA House CS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- HB 1315 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Executive Session
- 8am: WA House CS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Tuesday February 4th
- On Thursday, the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee (WA Senate TRAN) was scheduled to host a work session on impaired driving before the second policy committee public hearing on the agency request version of the DUI bill in that chamber.
- 4pm: WA Senate TRAN - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Work Session
- "Impaired driving impacts."
- Invited speakers for the work session would include NORC Principal Research Scientist James Fell who provided an extensive presentation deck titled “Countermeasures That Reduce Impaired Driving” in advance of the event.
- Representatives from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC), the agency which requested the legislation, would also sit on the panel (presentation).
- "Impaired driving impacts."
- Public Hearing
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- The legislation focused on lowering the BAC limit to 0.05, informing the public about the change, and a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) which would likely be inclusive of data on impaired driving more broadly.
- See the WA Senate LAW bill report, the WA Senate TRAN bill analysis, and partial fiscal note for more details.
- WA Senate TRAN would be the second policy committee to hear public comment on the legislation in that chamber, testifying to the far reaching impacts and momentum of the bill.
- The legislation focused on lowering the BAC limit to 0.05, informing the public about the change, and a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) which would likely be inclusive of data on impaired driving more broadly.
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Work Session
- Also on Thursday, the House would convene a floor session at 10:30am [ TVW ] and the Senate would convene a pro forma floor session at 12:30pm [ TVW ].
- 4pm: WA Senate TRAN - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]