Rep. Kevin Waters

Maddy summaryHB 1085 strengthens school safety by increasing penalties for interference with school activities through force or violence, and for threatening intimidation, specifically targeting disruptions at athletic events. It requires schools to post clear signage at entrances and athletic fields explaining these penalties, including fines up to $1,000 or jail time for adults, and exclusion from school or events for 12-18 months. The bill directly affects students, athletes, spectators, and school staff (including athletic officials and volunteers), expanding protections previously limited to general school settings to cover extracurricular sports. These changes aim to prevent escalation of harmful behavior by making consequences explicit and enforceable.

Maddy summaryHB 1384 exempts Washington wineries selling fewer than 20,000 gallons of wine annually from most state wine excise taxes on their first 20,000 gallons of sales. This directly benefits small wineries, which often struggle with higher costs compared to larger producers due to limited economies of scale. The bill modifies existing tax rules to apply a reduced $0.0528 per liter tax rate on the first 20,000 gallons instead of the standard tax rate, while exempting them from other taxes under the section for that volume. The policy aims to support small winery growth and job creation in the industry.

Maddy summaryHB 1993 exempts child care providers in Washington from paying the 0.484% business and occupation tax on income from caring for children under 13 or under 19 with verified special needs (as defined by state law). The bill modifies tax code to remove this tax for providers primarily operating child care services for short-term care (under 24 hours), applying until January 1, 2035. This directly affects licensed child care centers, home-based providers, and family child care homes serving eligible children. The key provision eliminates a specific tax burden on these providers’ gross proceeds, without changing other tax obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 1661 establishes a pilot project to provide $25,000 grants to eligible Washington residents born into poverty. It directly affects individuals who were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP before age one and remain enrolled at application, are Washington residents, and are 18-36 years old. The grants, administered through the State Treasurer's Office, can be used for education, home purchases, or starting a business in Washington, with funds not counting as assets for public assistance eligibility. The pilot will randomly select participants across geographic regions, require financial coaching, and include impact evaluations by the University of Washington. This is a limited-time study to test whether such grants improve economic stability for people facing intergenerational poverty.

Maddy summaryHB 1310 eliminates the enrollment cap on students eligible for state special education funding in Washington, directly affecting all public school districts and students with disabilities. The bill increases funding multipliers for districts serving students with disabilities in inclusive settings (80%+ time in general education), raising the multiplier from 1.12 to 1.5289 for those students, while lowering it to 1.447 for less inclusive placements. It also requires the state superintendent to monitor racial disproportionality in special education identification and provide technical assistance to districts. These changes aim to ensure equitable state funding without requiring local district contributions and support inclusive educational practices.

Maddy summaryHB 1869 prohibits Washington state funds from covering capital costs - such as construction, transit vehicle purchases, or major equipment - for transit agencies created under the laws of neighboring states (e.g., Oregon or Idaho). It directly affects regional transit agencies operating across state lines, restricting state funding for capital projects but not ongoing operational expenses. The law, effective July 1, 2025, ensures Washington taxpayers’ money cannot subsidize infrastructure built by out-of-state transit entities.

Maddy summaryHCR 4403 is a concurrent resolution proposing to rename the "Joel Pritchard State Library" to the "Joel Pritchard Building." This change applies to a state office building at 415 15th Avenue Southwest in Olympia, which has functioned as legislative offices for over 20 years (not a library) and causes visitor confusion. The resolution cites the legislature's authority under RCW 43.34.090 to rename capitol campus buildings and aims to align the name with the building's current use. It does not alter policy or affect residents; it is solely a procedural naming update.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 aims to increase Washington's recycling rate to 65% for packaging by requiring producers to use more recycled content in their products and establishing a single statewide list of accepted recyclable materials to reduce confusion. It mandates a state-specific needs assessment to identify funding and infrastructure needs, addresses contamination in recycling streams, and expands recycled content requirements for packaging and paper products. The bill directly affects manufacturers (producers) of packaging and paper goods, as well as local governments managing curbside recycling programs. Key provisions include standardizing what can be recycled across the state, studying non-recyclable packaging labels, and ensuring equal access to affordable recycling services. The legislation builds on Washington's existing recycling infrastructure while targeting greenhouse gas reductions in the solid waste sector.

Maddy summaryHB 1307 would remove Washington state sales and use tax on diapers and essential child care products starting January 1, 2026. The bill specifically exempts items like car seats, baby clothing (size 5T and smaller), incontinence products for infants and adults, baby monitors, strollers, and other products designed for children under five. It defines "essential child care products" to include items commonly recognized as necessary for infant and toddler care, as well as products for adults needing incontinence supplies. This tax exemption directly affects families with young children and caregivers of vulnerable adults who face high costs for these essentials. The policy aims to reduce financial strain without altering existing tax rates for other goods.

Maddy summaryHB 1988 allows retirees from Washington's public employees' retirement system (PERS), teachers' retirement system (TRS), and school employees' retirement system (SER) to work in school districts without losing pension benefits for up to 1,040 hours per year. This replaces a previous limit of 867 hours for non-administrative school staff and certain administrators in second-class school districts. Retirees can continue receiving full pension payments while working these hours, but benefits would be reduced if they exceed the 1,040-hour annual threshold. The change applies between March 2022 and July 2029 and affects current retirees working in eligible school roles.