Rep. Jenny Graham

Maddy summaryHB 1454 appropriates $7 million from the state general fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to create a grant program for multijurisdictional drug task forces in Washington State. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs will administer the grants, requiring recipients to follow peer review and reporting standards identical to those used for Edward Byrne grant recipients as of January 1, 2023. The program allows the administering association to retain up to 5% of the funds for administrative costs. This funding directly supports local law enforcement task forces tackling drug-related crimes across multiple jurisdictions.

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 1221 changes how Washington's state of emergency declarations end. It requires that any emergency proclamation automatically terminate 60 days after the governor signs it unless the legislature passes a concurrent resolution extending it. If the legislature isn't in session, only the top four legislative leaders (senate majority/minority leaders and house speaker/minority leader) can temporarily extend the emergency for up to 60 days until the legislature acts. The bill also prevents the governor from redeclaring the same emergency after it's terminated without legislative approval. This directly affects governors' emergency powers and requires legislative action to maintain long-term emergency declarations.

Maddy summaryHB 1656 allows Washington electrical companies to recover wildfire-related costs through special bonds (securitization) instead of immediate rate increases. If approved by the Utilities and Transportation Commission, companies could spread these costs over time, potentially lowering long-term rates for customers. The bill defines eligible costs as those from disasters like wildfires (excluding fines or penalties) and includes safeguards to prevent state debt or impairment of customer rates. This policy aims to stabilize utility rates while covering emergency expenses tied to climate events.

Maddy summaryHB 1851 prohibits public colleges and universities in Washington from using state funds or tuition/fee revenue to repair property damaged during demonstrations, riots, or other disruptive activities that disrupt campus operations. The bill applies directly to public higher education institutions that permit such events causing property destruction. Key provisions require institutions to cover repair costs themselves using non-state, non-tuition funds, rather than relying on public or student-generated revenue. This policy change specifically targets funding sources for repairs, without restricting protest activities themselves.

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 1678 imposes a 10-cent fee per gallon on municipal wastewater treatment plants and combined sewer systems discharging untreated sewage into Puget Sound or connected waterways. The funds collected will be deposited into a dedicated account to provide grants for municipalities to upgrade infrastructure that removes excess nutrients from discharges. This aims to improve water quality by reducing nutrient pollution that harms salmon habitats and causes low-oxygen conditions in Puget Sound. The bill directly affects municipal wastewater systems within the Puget Sound watershed and requires annual reporting on untreated sewage discharges.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 1802 makes it a crime to intentionally obstruct law enforcement officers or other first responders (like firefighters, EMTs, or emergency dispatchers) while they are performing their duties. The bill specifically prohibits: (1) hindering or delaying officers/responders in their work, or (2) approaching within 25 feet after being verbally warned not to, if the person intends to interfere, threaten, or harass them. It defines "first responder" broadly to include emergency medical personnel, firefighters, and others, and clarifies that people intervening to help an officer in immediate danger are exempt. Violating this law is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail or a fine.

Maddy summaryHB 1584 would end automatic mail-in voting for nonabsentee voters (those not absent from their county, such as most registered voters) in Washington, requiring them to vote in person at polling places or voting centers on election day. The bill maintains limited absentee voting for voters who are absent (e.g., military personnel or overseas citizens) but removes mail-in ballots as the default option for all registered voters. It aims to address ballot security concerns and restore public trust in elections, as stated in the legislature’s findings. The bill amends multiple election laws to implement these changes, including updating voting definitions and ensuring accessibility for voters with disabilities at in-person locations.