On April 5th, the House Appropriations Committee hosted a public hearing on the bill. On April 8th, the committee hosted an executive session for SB 5605.
- Committee Chair Timm Ormsby’s amendment SB 5605 AMH APP FRAS 999 was adopted.
- Adds a null and void clause. The bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.
- According to the legislation’s fiscal note, unless lawmakers budget $453,000 to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) for implementation, the bill won’t go into effect.
- Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, who sponsored the bill’s House companion HB 1500, told fellow members he was happy the bill had finally gotten momentum after several years. He added that passing the bill would “enable all those people who are guilty of something that the voters of our state no longer think should be criminalized to move on with their lives.”
- Representative MacEwen promised his support, but admitted his caucus would be “mixed” due to costs and resistance to forgiving acts that were illegal at the time.
- Committee Chair Timm Ormsby’s amendment SB 5605 AMH APP FRAS 999 was adopted.