Rep. Greg Nance

Maddy summaryHB 1365 creates a state rental assistance program for low-income tenants in manufactured/mobile home parks who are over 55 and facing rent increases exceeding inflation. The program provides monthly assistance of up to $200 or 50% of their lot rent (whichever is lower), administered by the Department of Commerce. Tenants must reapply annually and report income or rent changes, with eligibility based on household income under 80% of local median income. The program is funded by a $2 million appropriation for fiscal year 2026, separate from existing relocation funds.

Maddy summaryHB 1485 increases the maximum allowable annual increase for student services and activities fees at Washington state's public colleges and universities from 4% to 6%. This change applies to all institutions, allowing governing boards to raise these fees by up to 6% yearly (instead of 4%) if deemed reasonable by committees, to help cover rising costs for services like health care, counseling, recreation, clubs, and events. Community colleges have a separate rule tying fee increases to tuition growth, but the bill's main change is the higher 6% cap for all institutions. The bill aims to help schools maintain essential student services amid inflation without altering the existing fee approval process.

Maddy summaryHB 1734 creates a state grant program to fund capital improvements for facilities used in outdoor learning. It provides competitive grants to tribes, local governments, nonprofits, and others to build, renovate, or rehab facilities that expand access to outdoor education for public school students, particularly in underserved communities. Key provisions require projects to increase student capacity or remove participation barriers, mandate facility maintenance for a set period, and ensure funds are used solely for outdoor learning. The grants are intended to complement existing outdoor education programs by improving infrastructure, not operating costs, with funding requests to be submitted starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1743 creates a state reimbursement program to help community-based health care providers offer medical services in local jails. It directly affects small health centers that struggle to get malpractice insurance in carceral settings, as they cannot self-insure and face limited coverage options. The bill provides state reimbursement for medical malpractice claims exceeding $50,000, covering defense costs and judgment amounts above that threshold, but only for claims related to health care services. To qualify, providers must be federally qualified health centers or approved clinics, and local jails must submit detailed claims through the state’s risk management process.

Maddy summaryHB 1448 establishes statewide rules for local governments adopting ranked choice voting (RCV) in elections. It allows counties, cities, school districts, fire districts, and port districts to use RCV for local offices, requiring ballots to let voters rank candidates in order of preference (with at least five rankings per office) and setting clear counting rules for single-winner (instant runoff) and multi-winner (single transferable vote) contests. The bill mandates that single-winner RCV elections must first hold a traditional primary to narrow candidates to five, while multi-winner contests skip primaries. It also requires local governments to implement RCV within two years of adoption and directs the Secretary of State to create rules for ballot design and vote tabulation by May 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1360 establishes a state advisory committee to advance quantum technology economic development, including members from the lieutenant governor's office, state agencies, higher education, aerospace companies, quantum hardware/software firms, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The committee must produce annual reports to the legislature and a workforce development plan by June 2026, with all activities expiring June 30, 2027. It also creates a state grant program to help organizations secure federal quantum technology funding, requiring applicants to provide matching funds at a 5:1 ratio (state grant to applicant contribution). The bill directly affects state agencies, Washington-based quantum technology companies, and research institutions collaborating on federal grant applications.

Maddy summaryHB 1748 requires Washington's Insurance Commissioner to study how insurers use credit history, credit-based insurance scores, and other rate factors when setting personal insurance premiums, particularly focusing on whether these practices disproportionately affect residents based on race, ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, or national origin. The study will collect data from insurers, analyze current practices and potential alternatives, and assess impacts on consumer costs and insurance availability. The Commissioner must submit a preliminary report by December 2025 and a final report by September 2026 with findings and policy options. This study does not change current insurance practices but aims to inform future legislative decisions about rate-setting factors. The bill expires December 31, 2033.

Maddy summaryHB 1235 requires Washington counties and cities to submit housing elements and development regulations to the state Department of Commerce for compliance review before they take effect. Jurisdictions must submit applications within 10 days of amendments or by six months after comprehensive plan updates, with the department issuing a final compliance decision within 90 days. The bill establishes a public compliance list showing each local government’s submission status and review outcome, and prohibits denying affordable housing projects without meeting specific conditions, such as having a state compliance determination. This directly affects all local governments required to plan under the Growth Management Act, ensuring their housing plans align with state laws on affordability, environmental standards, and zoning.

Maddy summaryHB 1108 proposed establishing a legislative task force on housing cost driver analysis in Washington state. This task force would have included legislators, economists, and representatives from various housing sectors, such as developers, landlords, tenants, realtors, and city/county officials. Its main purpose was to research and identify the primary factors contributing to the cost of homeownership and rental housing. The task force was intended to report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2026. However, the Governor vetoed this bill on May 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1296, "Promoting a safe and supportive public education system," enacts new requirements for public schools, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools in Washington. The bill prioritizes student safety, access to education free of discrimination, and privacy within the school system. It expands protected characteristics to include ethnicity, gender expression, gender identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, and neurodivergence in anti-discrimination policies. Furthermore, the bill mandates that schools develop and share a "Statement of Student Rights" through educational and promotional materials, including civics education, to inform students of their entitlements.