Nine cannabis-related bills remained active after the prior cutoff as legislators turned their attention to moving remaining legislation out of the chamber of origin over the following week and half.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Monday March 3rd, the 50th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 3 takeaways:
- At the House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff on Friday February 28th, four cannabis-related bills were not advanced leaving nine bills active.
- The WA Legislature House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff was the second cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.
- Legislation referred to fiscal committees had to be heard, potentially amended, recommended, and a report read during a chamber floor session before the close of business Friday to continue advancing.
- 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 has been projected to have a measurable fiscal impact.
- See the Cannabis Observer 2025-26 biennium landing screen for a complete list of cannabis-related and -adjacent legislation being tracked.
- Legislation referred to fiscal committees had to be heard, potentially amended, recommended, and a report read during a chamber floor session before the close of business Friday to continue advancing.
- Four cannabis-related bills referred to fiscal committees were not advanced before the cutoff and became effectively inactive for the remainder of the 2025 regular session.
- HB 1449 - Cannabis Home Grow
- The legislation was heard in the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) on Tuesday February 25th but was not granted an executive session.
- HB 1940 - Out of State Ownership + Social Equity Tax Preference
- The legislation was not scheduled for a public hearing in the Washington State House Finance Committee (WA House FIN) prior to that committee’s last meeting for the week on Wednesday February 26th.
- During the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting on Wednesday February 26th, Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster claimed the bill was a source of “consternation” for legislators and indicated he would be joined by Director Will Lukela for a meeting with the prime sponsor, Representative Melanie Morgan, as well as “the supporters and the detractors, just getting everybody in a room, not long after this meeting” (audio - 2m, video - TVW).
- SB 5547 - Cannabis Excise Tax Local Distributions
- On Tuesday February 4th, the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) hosted a hearing on the bill to increase distributions of State cannabis excise tax and fee revenue to counties, cities, and towns. An executive session was not granted.
- SB 5650 - Local Retail Excise Tax
- The legislation was not scheduled for a public hearing in WA Senate WM.
- HB 1449 - Cannabis Home Grow
- At publication time, nine cannabis-related bills remained active.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- HB 1141 - Cannabis Production Unions
- HB 1341 - DOH Patient Data Sharing
- HB 1347 - WSLCB Lab Certification Authority
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- SB 5206 - Cannabis Retailer Advertising
- SB 5403 - Cannabis Retailer Financial Interest
- SB 5700 - DOH Patient Data Sharing
- SB 5758 - Social Equity Buffer Zones
- The WA Legislature House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff was the second cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.
- There were no introductions of cannabis-related legislation on Friday, and none planned for Monday.
- The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Monday March 3rd did not appear to include new cannabis-related legislation, reflecting the complications besetting introduction of legislation after the House of Origin Policy and Fiscal Committee Cutoffs.
- On Monday, legislators would orient their work to the House of Origin Cutoff on Wednesday March 12th, centering movement of legislation out of rules committees towards chamber floor debate and passage.
- The WA Legislature House of Origin Cutoff was the third cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.
- Legislation must be calendared by or pulled out of the chamber rules committees; scheduled in an order of consideration during a floor session; potentially amended, debated, and passed by the chamber before 5pm PT on Wednesday March 12th to continue advancing.
- Policy and fiscal committee activity would be largely suspended until after the House of Origin cutoff, with some exceptions for work sessions or impromptu movement of NTIB legislation.
- 10am: WA Senate - Session
- 10:30am: WA House - Session
- [ TVW - Morning, TVW - Afternoon, TVW - Evening ]
- At publication time, one cannabis-related bill was positioned for floor activity in the House.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- On Friday February 28th during the House pro forma session, chamber leadership pulled HB 1551 out of the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) and added it to the chamber second reading calendar.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- 11:45am: WA Senate RULE - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Members would be granted one personal pull in addition to the opportunity to accept the calendaring of a set of gubernatorial appointment confirmations and a regular package of legislation selected by chamber leadership.
- At publication time, four cannabis-related bills had been referred to WA Senate RULE and awaited calendaring:
- As well, two adjacent bills were positioned for movement:
- The WA Legislature House of Origin Cutoff was the third cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.