Maddy summarySenate Bill 5014 enhances election security for Washington state's county election offices and their vendors. It requires county election offices to use the ".gov" domain for official communications and to partition their election-related IT networks from other county systems. The bill also mandates that counties implement 24/7 intrusion detection systems to monitor for malicious activity. Additionally, it expands the types of election equipment requiring state approval and strengthens requirements for counties and their vendors to immediately report security breaches or malicious activity to the Secretary of State and Attorney General. These new security measures are intended to be adopted by county election offices by July 1, 2027.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySenate Bill 5079 addresses the burden of unintentional overpayments for older adults and adults with disabilities who receive services from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Beginning July 1, 2025, the bill allows DSHS to waive efforts to collect unintentional overpayments from clients in the aged, blind, or disabled assistance program and functionally disabled clients receiving specific services. DSHS must adopt rules to establish the circumstances for granting these waivers. This measure provides a mechanism for DSHS to reduce financial hardship in specific unintentional overpayment cases.
Maddy summarySB 5303 extends a key water supply milestone for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan from 2025 to 2035. This bill changes the deadline for securing permits and funding to begin construction on water supply facilities designed to provide at least 214,000 acre-feet of water. It also prolongs the State of Washington Water Research Center's role in reviewing cost-benefit analyses for large water supply projects within the plan until July 1, 2035. The legislation maintains the requirement that at least half of the plan's total costs must be funded by federal, private, and other non-state sources.
Maddy summarySB 5323 increases the penalties for stealing or possessing stolen property that belongs to firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) providers. It expands the definitions of first-degree theft and first-degree possession of stolen property to include essential equipment taken from fire stations, EMS buildings, or their vehicles. These actions become a Class B felony if the equipment is critical to emergency work and its loss significantly delayed a response, or if the equipment is valued over $1,000. This bill aims to protect the vital tools first responders use by applying stricter penalties to those who steal or possess their equipment under these specific circumstances.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 5294 consolidates the financial management of several professional licenses by transferring their dedicated accounts into a single "Business and Professions Account." It directly affects professionals such as architects, real estate appraisers, and geologists, whose licensing fees will now be deposited into this centralized account. The bill repeals the separate statutory accounts for these specific professions and mandates that any remaining funds from those accounts be transferred into the consolidated Business and Professions Account by February 28, 2026. The Department of Licensing will manage this unified account and is required to provide annual reports detailing the revenues and expenditures for each profession. This legislation aims to streamline the financial operations related to various professional licensing activities, taking effect on January 1, 2026.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 5343 modifies the uses of the northeast Washington wolf-livestock management account. It allows funds to be continuously used for nonlethal wolf deterrence, general wolf-livestock management, and grants to the sheriffs' offices in Stevens and Ferry counties for local wildlife specialists. This removes a previous limitation that restricted these uses to specific fiscal biennia. The bill itself, including these updated provisions, is set to expire on July 1, 2031.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 5317 exempts actions taken by cities and counties from certain appeals related to energy facility projects. This exemption applies when local governments provide technical assistance, advice, or review services for the construction or operation of certified energy facilities, under an agreement with the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC). Specifically, these local government actions cannot be appealed on the grounds of being inconsistent with a local code that has been preempted by state law for such projects. The bill clarifies the process for local governments assisting with state-approved energy developments.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 5036 strengthens Washington's climate policy by transitioning to annual reporting of statewide greenhouse gas emissions data. It requires the Washington State Department of Ecology and Department of Commerce to annually report total emissions to the Governor and legislative committees, moving from a previous biennial schedule. These reports must include emissions data from major economic sectors and now specifically include greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires. The bill aims to improve accountability and better track progress toward Washington's established goals for reducing emissions and achieving net zero by 2050.
Maddy summarySB 5165 amends the existing law regarding compensation for damage caused by wild deer and elk to commercial crops, and by bears, wolves, or cougars to livestock. The bill mandates that at least 20% of the available funds for commercial crop damage caused by deer and elk must be awarded to claims from "frontier one counties." It also establishes a minimum economic loss of $500 for commercial crop or livestock damage to be eligible for compensation. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is tasked with adopting rules and criteria for these damage claims, as well as for mitigating actions to reduce wildlife interactions.
Maddy summarySB 5669 updates the process for elections within irrigation districts, affecting district electors and the districts themselves. The bill allows irrigation districts to conduct elections entirely by mail-in ballots, offering an alternative to traditional polling places and absentee voting. It streamlines absentee and mail-in voting by removing the requirement for electors to state they cannot conveniently be present and replaces the need for a witness signature with certification under penalty of perjury. Additionally, the bill extends the window for receiving mailed ballots and modernizes language regarding voter qualifications for spouses and land-owning entities.