Rep. Rob Chase

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the official title of "physician assistants" to "physician associates" in Washington state law, administrative rules, and billing systems. It requires state agencies, health plans, and healthcare facilities to update all contracts, materials, and regulations to use the new term, while allowing both titles to be used interchangeably during a transition period. The change aligns with national professional standards and aims to better reflect the education, training, and collaborative role of these healthcare providers. The bill amends multiple sections of state law to implement this terminology shift across licensing, billing, and healthcare operations.

Maddy summaryHB 2010 creates a state grant program to help public water systems in economically distressed communities fix unsafe drinking water infrastructure. Eligible systems must be located in distressed areas and fail to meet current state drinking water standards. The program provides grants covering capital costs for building, repairing, or redesigning water systems, requiring applicants to first secure a planning grant or submit construction documents. Projects will be prioritized based on water quality issues and financial need, with applications due by 2026 and funding requests starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Washington State Sound Money Act, clarifies tax treatment and voluntary use of gold/silver bullion and bullion coins (monetized bullion). It requires courts to enforce contracts specifying payment in such bullion, but prohibits forcing anyone to use bullion as payment or accept it. The bill exempts bullion transactions from sales tax under RCW 82.04.062 and removes bullion from taxable property under RCW 84.36.070. It directly affects businesses selling bullion, contract parties, and taxpayers handling these assets, with effective date July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1658 redirects $1 of a $5 surcharge on recorded documents in Washington counties to fund history and heritage museums and historic preservation programs. It requires counties to establish a historic preservation fund using this revenue, which supports nonprofit museums (501(c)(3) organizations) and county preservation activities under state law. Fifty percent of the remaining surcharge revenue goes to a state-level "centennial document preservation" account for county historical document preservation, while the other half stays with counties for similar purposes. The bill directly affects county governments, local museums, and historic preservation programs by creating dedicated funding streams from existing document recording fees.

Maddy summaryHB 1637 requires Washington public schools to implement nonfirearm safety measures, directly affecting all public schools and school districts in the state. Key provisions include creating a public school safety dashboard to track and rate incidents by severity (e.g., bullying, violence), establishing security grants for physical improvements like keycard access and panic buttons, and mandating a full-time school resource officer at every public school. The bill also requires an evaluation of prior school safety reforms enacted in 2019. These changes aim to improve transparency, fund physical security upgrades, and ensure consistent safety staffing to address reported safety concerns among students and staff.

Maddy summaryHB 1929 requires Washington's Senate to confirm the governor's appointments to vacancies on the Court of Appeals. It mandates a two-thirds Senate vote for confirmation, with specific deadlines for votes during legislative sessions or the next session if the legislature is adjourned. This directly affects the governor (who makes appointments), the Senate (which must confirm), and Court of Appeals judges (who fill vacancies until the next general election). The bill also prohibits reappointing rejected candidates for two years and clarifies that this process does not apply to other judicial vacancies covered by separate law.

Maddy summaryThis Washington State Joint Memorial (HJM 4006) requests Congress to enact legislation reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act's separation of commercial banking from investment banking. It specifically asks for laws like H.R. 2714 (the Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2023) that would prohibit commercial banks from investing in stocks, underwriting securities, or handling derivative transactions using customer deposits. The request aims to prevent taxpayer-funded bailouts of financial institutions by restricting banks from using depositors' funds for high-risk investment activities. The memorial cites bipartisan support for this policy shift but notes it is a non-binding request to federal lawmakers, not a state law.

Maddy summaryHB 1586 modifies Washington's joint administrative rules review committee structure and expands how agency rules can be reviewed. It requires the committee to hold quarterly meetings and specifies its composition (four senators, four representatives, max two per party). The bill creates two new review pathways: (1) allowing petitions for review of emergency rules or rules lacking adequate public input (e.g., insufficient testimony time or short hearing notice), and (2) enabling legislators to request review of any rule filed under state rulemaking rules or emergency rules adopted in the past five years. These changes directly affect state agencies creating rules and the legislative committee responsible for oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 2052 allows Washington agricultural employees to voluntarily waive overtime pay for up to 15 workweeks per calendar year during peak harvest seasons. This directly affects farmworkers who choose to work more hours without receiving the standard 1.5x overtime rate, potentially increasing their earnings during busy periods. The bill amends state law to add this voluntary waiver option for agricultural employees, replacing previous seasonal overtime caps that limited hours during harvest. It does not change the standard overtime rate but provides a temporary, worker-initiated exception to overtime requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1700 grants Washington cities and counties a six-month extension to update their comprehensive land use plans and development regulations, addressing delays caused by staffing shortages and new requirements. It also creates an opt-out option for very small cities (under 500 people meeting specific population and location criteria) to conduct partial updates instead of full reviews, requiring them only to revise critical areas and transportation elements. The bill amends state law to adjust review timelines while maintaining core requirements for land use planning consistency. This affects all local governments responsible for zoning and growth management under Washington’s Growth Management Act.