Rep. Gerry Pollet

Maddy summaryHB 1768 restricts large corporations and investment firms from purchasing additional manufactured housing communities to prevent displacement of low-income and senior residents. It prohibits business entities owning five or more communities (or 200+ lots) and bans all investment entities from acquiring such properties. The law aims to stop sharp rent hikes and community displacement by limiting corporate ownership, with violations carrying civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation. This directly affects existing manufactured housing communities, where residents often face affordability challenges due to corporate takeovers.

Maddy summaryHB 2068 prohibits the sale of all flavored tobacco and nicotine products (including menthol cigarettes, flavored vapes, cigars, and hookah) and entertainment vapor products with gaming features. It increases taxes on all tobacco products to reduce youth access and addiction, directly affecting retailers who must stop selling these items and youth who use them. The bill targets products marketed with kid-friendly flavors like cotton candy or bubble gum, which the legislature cites as driving youth initiation. Key provisions include banning flavored products, raising tobacco excise taxes, and requiring retailers to verify ages for all tobacco sales.

Maddy summaryHB 1134 establishes a voluntary "Washington state green schools program" within the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to promote student-led resource conservation in public schools. The program provides limited stipend funding ($600 max per school annually) for school-based advisors to support student education and leadership in waste reduction, energy conservation, water efficiency, and urban forestry initiatives. Schools with over 50% of students eligible for free/reduced-price meals receive priority for funding, and the program aligns with state science curriculum standards on climate and sustainability. It is funded using revenues from the Climate Commitment Act and complements existing district conservation efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 1810 requires Washington state to study financial incentives for seismic retrofits of older brick buildings (unreinforced masonry structures) and create a statewide inventory of such buildings. It directly affects building owners of vulnerable historic properties, local governments using the inventory for planning, and taxpayers through potential tax changes. Key provisions include a 2026 study on tax modifications (like special valuation or exemptions) to reduce retrofit costs, and a 2030 deadline to catalog all such buildings using existing data and on-site verification. The bill aims to make retrofits more affordable to protect public safety and preserve affordable housing, without mandating retrofits. It expires in 2026 for the study and 2030 for the inventory work.

Maddy summaryHB 2082 aims to increase funding for public K-12 education, early learning, child care, and higher education in Washington state. The bill proposes to do this by modifying the state's capital gains tax and estate tax. It introduces an additional 2.90% excise tax on an individual's Washington capital gains that exceed $1,000,000, effective January 1, 2025. For the estate tax, it increases the exclusion amount to $3,000,000 for estates of decedents dying on or after January 1, 2025, and intends to raise the top-tier rates up to 35 percent. Revenues generated from these changes would be dedicated to the education legacy trust account.

Maddy summaryHB 1943 requires Washington public high schools (grades 9-12) to include blood donation awareness instruction in at least one required health class starting in the 2025-26 school year. The bill directs schools to use programs from approved organizations like the American Red Cross or Bloodworks Northwest, which must be posted on the state education website. It also allows schools serving grades K-8 to offer age-appropriate versions of this instruction. The bill aims to educate students about blood donation’s life-saving impact and eligibility, complementing existing health education without mandating certified staff delivery.

Maddy summaryHB 1120 sets new minimum state salary allocation targets for school staff in Washington's basic education program, directly affecting all public school districts. It requires the state to gradually increase minimum salary allocations to reach $67,325 (adjusted for inflation from 2023-24) for classified staff (e.g., office, support roles) starting in the 2025-26 school year, with further increases to $99,164 for classified administrative staff by 2027-28. The bill mandates annual inflation adjustments and regional cost-of-living adjustments based on school district housing values, as specified in the annual budget. These changes aim to align state funding with actual staffing costs, replacing previous formulas that expired after the 2017-18 school year. The bill is currently pending in the Appropriations Committee after being prefaced in December 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 1598 establishes rules for community solar programs in Washington to ensure equitable access to clean energy. It requires community solar projects (max 5,000 kW capacity) to have at least 30% of their capacity subscribed by low-income households (defined as 80% of area median income or 200% of federal poverty level) and 50% by residential subscribers. The bill creates "community solar bill credits" that automatically apply to subscribers' utility bills, allowing renters and income-qualified households to benefit without installing rooftop solar. It also sets site requirements (e.g., avoiding farmland) and defines key terms like "low-income service provider" to standardize program implementation. This directly affects low-income residents, renters, and communities unable to access traditional solar installations.

Maddy summaryHB 1070 creates a legal presumption that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an occupational disease for correctional facility workers in Washington state, directly affecting staff employed at prisons, jails, or community corrections facilities. The bill establishes that after 90 consecutive days of full-time, compensated employment, PTSD claims for these workers are presumed work-related unless the employer provides evidence to the contrary. It also requires employers to cover reasonable appeal costs (including attorney fees) if workers win their claims in court or before the Industrial Insurance Appeals Board. This applies to claims filed within three months per year of employment, up to a maximum of 60 months after leaving the job. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1727 requires all Washington school districts to adopt policies by September 1, 2026, guaranteeing every K-12 student access to school library information and technology programs staffed by qualified teacher-librarians. The bill defines "teacher-librarian" as a certificated educator with a library media endorsement and mandates that programs support state learning standards, digital citizenship, and information literacy. Districts with fewer than 3,000 students may use non-certified staff temporarily if they’ve made reasonable efforts to hire certified librarians and partner with other districts or libraries. The legislation aims to address current gaps, as 60% of districts lack certified librarian staffing, disproportionately impacting low-income and students of color. It emphasizes programs must be school-based and align with educational technology integration and literacy goals.