Rep. Adam Bernbaum

Maddy summaryHB 1685 restructures Washington’s fish and wildlife governance by shifting executive leadership from a commission to a governor-appointed director with senate approval. The director becomes the department’s chief executive, responsible for day-to-day operations, while the commission remains an advisory body for public input and tribal collaboration. The bill requires the director to form an interagency work group (including state agencies and tribal representatives) to improve coordination on wildlife issues and submit a 2026 report to the legislature. It also updates statutes to clarify the department’s role in managing fish/wildlife resources and ensures the commission retains final approval over tribal agreements and the department’s budget. The work group provisions expire August 31, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1693 exempts WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program staff from standard medical licensing requirements to perform specific blood tests. The bill allows WIC clinic staff to conduct hematological screening tests using heel-stick, toe-stick, or finger-stick methods directly at clinics. This change enables WIC staff to quickly screen for conditions like anemia in infants and mothers without needing separate medical licenses, streamlining access to routine health evaluations. The exemption applies only to these limited, non-invasive tests within the WIC program's scope.

Maddy summaryHB 1125 allows judges to modify lengthy prison sentences in Washington state when a person's original sentence no longer serves justice. It directly affects incarcerated individuals who meet specific criteria, such as having served 7+ years for an offense committed as a juvenile (starting July 2026), 10+ years for offenses committed as young adults (starting July 2031), or having a terminal illness. The bill requires petitioners to show rehabilitation or low recidivism risk, and courts may only reduce sentences (not increase them), must maintain mandatory minimums, and mandate a 6-month minimum wait after a hearing before release. The law also requires new sentences to include five years of community supervision.

Maddy summaryHB 1951 caps fares for transportation network companies (like Uber or Lyft) during large-scale events, limiting charges to 120% of the driver's pay for prearranged rides. It directly affects passengers using these services at events defined as gatherings of 1,000+ people indoors or 10,000+ people outdoors with defined entrances/exits (excluding school or religious events). The bill requires companies to provide fare estimates before rides and prohibits excessive pricing during events, with "driver's pay" defined as base compensation excluding tolls or tips. This policy aims to prevent price gouging during high-demand gatherings while maintaining existing state preemption over local regulations for transportation network companies.

Maddy summaryHB 2024 creates a state property tax exemption for Washington homeowners' primary residences, reducing their state tax burden. It exempts either $100,000 of a home's assessed value or 60% of the county's median home value (whichever is greater), applied after other existing exemptions. This directly benefits primary residence owners - especially fixed-income households and those at risk of displacement - by lowering annual state property tax costs. The exemption applies only to state levies (not local taxes) and requires an annual application by April 1st, with verification to ensure it applies to only one residence.

Maddy summaryHB 1555 changes how Washington state pays nursing homes for services starting July 1, 2025. It replaces the current system with a new three-part payment structure: direct care (covering staffing and therapy), indirect care (administrative and maintenance costs), and capital (facility costs). Payment rates will be adjusted annually based on the most recent cost data, with specific caps limiting how much rates can increase compared to previous years (e.g., a 142% cap for 2025). The bill directly affects nursing home providers receiving state Medicaid payments across Washington, aiming to better align payments with actual operating costs while maintaining minimum staffing standards.

Maddy summaryHB 1204 requires manufactured home park landlords to include specific written disclosures in rental agreements for all tenants, including clear closure notices in bold text and historical rent data. It directly affects seniors aged 55+ by prohibiting park rules that block them from having roommates in shared housing arrangements - such as exchanges of services for room and board - while banning entrance/exit fees. The bill also restricts rent increases during closure periods to no more than 1% above the U.S. consumer price index and prohibits fees for guest parking or towing without prior notice. These changes aim to increase housing stability and affordability for seniors in manufactured home communities by standardizing tenant protections.

Maddy summaryHB 1097 clarifies that local governments (like cities and counties) may extend sewer services to properties outside urban growth areas under five specific, limited circumstances: to protect public health/safety/environment, connect landfills, replace failing septic systems, connect properties within a quarter-mile of existing sewer, or connect properties adjacent to existing sewer infrastructure. It does not create new requirements but explicitly states these extensions should be "liberally construed" as compliant with existing law. The bill directly affects local service providers and property owners seeking sewer access beyond urban boundaries. It focuses solely on sewer services, not other governmental services, and ensures extensions do not encourage urban development.

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 1388 establishes a mobile market program in Washington to expand access to fresh, healthy food for low-income households participating in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and senior farmers market nutrition programs. The bill allows nonprofit mobile markets - operating in areas without farmers markets - to accept these nutrition benefits, directly supporting rural and food desert communities. Key provisions require mobile markets to be nonprofit, serve underserved areas, and obtain USDA approval via waiver to accept benefits. This policy change modernizes existing federal nutrition programs by extending access to mobile food services, benefiting both participants and local farmers.