Rep. Natasha Hill

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1774 allows the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to consider social, environmental, or economic benefits when determining lease terms for unused highway land. This applies when WSDOT leases property to public agencies, tribes, historical societies, or community-based nonprofit organizations for specific "community purposes." These purposes include providing housing, shelter programs, parks, public recreation, salmon habitat restoration, or public transportation uses. The bill outlines factors for WSDOT to evaluate such lease agreements and requires lessees to maintain the property and use it solely for the designated community purpose. WSDOT must also provide annual reports to the legislature on these active lease agreements.

Maddy summaryHB 1162 requires all health care settings in Washington to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan to protect their employees. These plans must address factors such as physical security, staffing patterns, employee training, and procedures for reporting violent acts. The bill mandates annual reviews and updates of these plans and requires health care settings to conduct timely investigations into every workplace violence incident. Findings from these investigations, along with incident data, must be regularly summarized and submitted to a relevant workplace committee to identify systemic causes and recommend plan modifications.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1409 modifies Washington's clean fuels program, directing the Department of Ecology to establish rules that reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. It assigns compliance obligations to fuel providers whose products exceed carbon intensity standards and awards credits to those whose fuels are below standards, allowing these credits to be traded. The bill sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels to 55 percent below 2017 levels by no earlier than January 1, 2038, following a specified annual reduction schedule. It also outlines penalties for non-compliance with reporting and credit requirements, while exempting exported fuels.

Maddy summaryHB 1382 modernizes Washington's statewide all-payer health care claims database, which collects medical and pharmacy claims data from various public and private health care payers. The bill updates reporting requirements and data disclosure standards for this database, aiming to improve transparency in health care costs and quality. It revises the process for selecting and overseeing the "lead organization" responsible for managing the database, allowing the Health Care Authority to either act as the lead or select one through a competitive process. Additionally, it specifies criteria for the lead organization and outlines entities, such as health plans or hospitals, that are ineligible for the role. The bill also details responsibilities for data vendors who collect and process the claims information to ensure data quality and security.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1497 aims to enhance waste material management systems, particularly for organic materials, in Washington State. It directs the Department to develop a statewide education and outreach program by January 1, 2029, focusing on residential organic waste separation and contamination reduction, providing resources for local governments. The bill also updates eligibility for grant programs that support waste management initiatives for various entities, including local governments and businesses. Additionally, it mandates that new waste collection containers provided to customers, such as for residential and commercial services, be color-coded starting January 1, 2028, to help reduce contamination.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1733 increases the maximum reimbursement amounts for moving and relocation expenses for individuals, businesses, farms, and nonprofit organizations displaced by government agency projects. The bill raises the general cap for reestablishing a displaced business, farm, or nonprofit to $200,000. Additionally, it sets a temporary cap of $100,000 for state agency displacements until August 1, 2030, and mandates an annual 2% inflation adjustment to these caps starting in August 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1213 expands protections for workers in Washington's state paid family and medical leave program. The bill requires the department to enhance outreach to employees, explaining their eligibility, application process, and reinstatement and nondiscrimination rights. It also mandates increased outreach to employers about their responsibilities and authorizes the department to audit employer records for compliance. Additionally, the bill clarifies premium collection and calculation methods, and ensures the confidentiality of employee information within the program.

Maddy summaryHB 1633 modifies bidding requirements for prime contractors on public works projects costing $1,000,000 or more for state and local entities. It requires prime contractors to submit the names and proof of license for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical subcontractors *at* the bid submittal time, allowing 48 hours for license corrections. Additionally, prime contractors must submit names of structural steel and rebar subcontractors within 48 hours after the bid submittal. The bill prohibits "bid shopping" or "bid peddling" and specifies valid reasons for substituting a listed subcontractor.

Maddy summaryHB 1912 establishes a system for tracking and reporting sales of fuel used for agricultural purposes, which are exempt from the state's Climate Commitment Act. Fuel sellers, including retail stations and suppliers, can register with the Department of Ecology to track and report these exempt sales. Registered sellers must make exempt fuel available at a differential rate or credit purchasers to reflect the absence of associated compliance costs under the climate act. This ensures the agricultural exemption is properly applied and monitored, affecting fuel sellers, suppliers, and agricultural users starting January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1258 establishes a system for certain counties to share 911 emergency communication tax revenues with local governments. It requires counties east of the Cascade mountains with populations between 530,000 and 1,500,000 that operate regional 911 systems to transfer a portion of their collected 911 excise tax revenues. These transfers go to local governments that operate municipal public safety answering points or receive 911 calls transferred for dispatch. Quarterly transfers, calculated using a specified percentage, are scheduled to begin in calendar year 2026.