WSLCB data dashboard and patient data access bills were advanced before the preliminary schedule for next week was published detailing action on eight cannabis bills and two work sessions of interest.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday February 6th, the 25th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 5 takeaways:
- On Wednesday morning during the House floor session, the WSLCB data dashboard legislation was calendared for further consideration in the chamber.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- In December, Representative Kristine Reeves pre-filed a reprise of her 2023-24 legislation HB 2182 which was passed by the House but did not receive a policy committee hearing in the Senate. The identical bills directed the creation of particular data dashboards by the WSLCB across the range of regulated substances, calling out specific dataset sources.
- In the interim, the WSLCB Research Program undertook the development of public-facing data dashboards, presenting the first two on cannabis use and revenue on January 7th.
- On Tuesday January 14th, Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) members hosted a public hearing on the legislation which saw cannabis sector, public health, and prevention interests unified in support of more transparent reporting of data collected by the WSLCB and affiliated agencies.
- While previously scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday January 21st, action was deferred due to a pending amendment by Reeves.
- During the executive session on January 29th, 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.
- As the substantive changes to the bill text appeared to lower agency projected costs to zero, the bill bypassed consideration by a House fiscal committee and was referred directly to the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL).
- On Wednesday during the WA House floor session, HB 1066 was included among a set of bills selected by House leadership for calendaring. At publication time, the legislation was available to be called up during a subsequent House floor session for amendment, debate, and a vote on passage by the chamber.
- HB 1066 became the first cannabis-related bill to be calendared in either chamber during the 2025 regular session.
- In December, Representative Kristine Reeves pre-filed a reprise of her 2023-24 legislation HB 2182 which was passed by the House but did not receive a policy committee hearing in the Senate. The identical bills directed the creation of particular data dashboards by the WSLCB across the range of regulated substances, calling out specific dataset sources.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- On Wednesday afternoon, the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) recommended the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) request legislation seeking access to patient data to audit excise tax exempt transactions.
- HB 1341 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- Representative Sharon Wylie introduced the WSLCB request legislation to authorize agency access to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) patient data. See the bill analysis and fiscal note for more detail.
- On Tuesday January 28th during the public hearing, WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster spoke in support of the legislation, conveying a legal interpretation that a statutory change was necessary to authorize the same access to protected DOH patient data as granted to the Washington State Department of Revenue (WA DOR) to validate excise tax exempt sales of DOH compliant cannabis products.
- On Wednesday, Minority Caucus Vice Chair and Ranking Minority Member Stephanie McClintock first asked if the legislation would enable WSLCB staff access to personally identifiable information (PII) such as patient names, and committee staff confirmed it would not. No amendments to the legislation were presented and the members unanimously recommended the bill.
- As the fiscal note detailed no expected financial impacts, the standing committee report would likely recommend referral to WA House RUL for calendaring.
- HB 1341 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- Introductions went as planned on Wednesday and no new cannabis-related nor -adjacent legislation was staged for introduction on Thursday.
- SB 5664 - “Concerning impaired driving.”
- Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- On Wednesday, Senator Phil Fortunato introduced a variation on SB 5067, the agency request version of the driving under the influence (DUI) bill, which would additionally create a new tier of penalties for drivers with higher measured BAC levels.
- On Wednesday, Senator John Lovick—the prime sponsor of SB 5067—joined as the only additional co-sponsor on Fortunato’s legislation.
- The legislation was referred to the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee (WA Senate LAW) and a public hearing had not been announced at publication time.
- The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Thursday February 6th did not appear to include any cannabis-related legislation.
- SB 5664 - “Concerning impaired driving.”
- Late on Wednesday, legislative staff published the preliminary schedule for the following week which included executive sessions on seven cannabis-related bills and a hearing in the senate on the retailer advertising bill which would be preceded by work sessions on ownership structures and zoning constraints impacting social equity licensure.
- Monday February 10th
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Work Session
- "Overview of cannabis retail ownership."
- "Overview of social equity licenses and zoning."
- WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster mentioned the work sessions during his update at the board caucus meeting on Tuesday February 4th (audio - 1m, video - WSLCB, video - TVW).
- Director of Licensing Becky Smith was expected to build on the social equity program presentation staff made as a final request of the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) in December 2024, likely detailing outreach to local jurisdictions with bans, moratoria, and restrictive zoning ordinances which some have likened to a form of reverse redlining akin to “liquorlining.”
- Licensing Deputy Director of Administration Nicola Reid was expected to present on "cannabis business structures…ownership versus management agreements, maybe franchising and IP agreements" to address questions that had been raised about some entities controlling more than five retail stores in the state.
- WSLCB Chair Jim Vollendroff followed up to inquire more about the ownership work session, adding, “I just want to go on record as saying that I share some of those concerns” (audio - 2m, video - WSLCB, video - TVW).
- WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster mentioned the work sessions during his update at the board caucus meeting on Tuesday February 4th (audio - 1m, video - WSLCB, video - TVW).
- Public Hearing
- SB 5206 - Cannabis Retailer Advertising
- Work Session
- 1:30pm: WA House CS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- HB 1276 - Organized Retail Theft Sentencing Enhancement
- Public Hearing
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Tuesday February 11th
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Wednesday February 12th
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Friday February 14th
- 8am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- SB 5403 - Cannabis Direct Sales
- Executive Session
- 8am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Monday February 10th
- No cannabis-related bills were scheduled for activity on Thursday, although senators would learn more about contemporary psilocybin research and hear testimony on legislation aiming to establish a regulatory framework for psychedelic substances.
- On Thursday, the House planned to convene a floor session at 10:30am [ TVW ] and the Senate would convene a pro forma floor session at 12:30pm [ TVW ].
- In the House, HB 1066 (WSLCB Data Dashboard) was positioned on the second reading calendar for further action by the chamber.
- Additionally, the Washington State Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee (WA Senate HLTC) planned to host a work session beginning at 8am PT to hear an “Update on psychedelic drug research” from University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (UW Psychiatry) Center for Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry (NTAP) Director Nathan Sackett. Members would then host a public hearing on SB 5201 (“Concerning access to psychedelic substances”), legislation by Senator Jesse Salomon which, as written, envisioned a regulatory role for the WSLCB directing the agency to “license cultivators and laboratories, and establish rules for production, testing, labeling, packaging, tracking, and testing of psilocybin.” The hearing would address proposed substitute language by Senator Jessica Bateman [ TVW ].
- On Thursday, the House planned to convene a floor session at 10:30am [ TVW ] and the Senate would convene a pro forma floor session at 12:30pm [ TVW ].