Sen. Sharon Shewmake

Maddy summarySB 6318 sets maximum annual fees for commercial shellfish operations in Washington State, directly affecting harvesters, shippers, and processors. It establishes specific fee limits based on business type and scale, such as $416 for harvesters, $752 for large shellstock shippers, and up to $1,912 for large shucker-packers. The bill also caps biotoxin testing fees (e.g., $733 for harvesters with multiple sites) and export certificate fees at $75. These provisions amend existing shellfish fee laws to standardize and limit costs for the industry.

Maddy summarySB 6325 aims to fix Washington's higher education funding system by ending the "fund split" methodology, which forces public colleges and universities to use tuition revenue to cover mandatory costs like faculty raises and benefits instead of state funds. This change would restore state funding for these costs, allowing institutions to use tuition revenue to improve educational quality rather than cover fixed expenses. The bill also requires a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to define essential student services (like academic support, mental health resources, and career counseling) and determine the per-student cost needed to provide them. This study, due by June 2027, will create a "student service adequacy index" to guide future budget decisions. The bill directly affects public four-year colleges, community colleges, and students through improved program access and faculty stability.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows public hospital districts in Washington to form cooperative agreements without competing with each other, enabling shared services, combined equipment purchases, and joint contracts to support their public mission. It specifically amends laws to permit these arrangements for serving vulnerable populations, including low-income and uninsured patients. Additionally, the bill creates a new $0.75 annual assessment per insurance coverage month for insurers, with penalties for late payment, to fund public hospital infrastructure. The policy directly affects public hospital districts, publicly owned health care entities, and health insurers in Washington.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public Washington universities to provide medication abortion access through student health centers by the 2027-28 academic year, or offer referral services if they lack a health center. It mandates three specific pathways: connecting students to reproductive health programs, partnering with safety-net abortion providers for telehealth, or using other cost-effective methods. Additionally, all institutions must create a dedicated webpage with clear resources for reproductive health services, including appointment scheduling, academic accommodations, and direct links to state abortion care information. The law directly affects over 196,000 college students at Washington's public institutions who face significant travel and wait-time barriers to abortion care.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 8676), not a legislative bill with policy provisions. It formally congratulates the Seattle Mariners baseball team for winning the 2025 American League West Division title and reaching the American League Championship Series, with specific recognition for catcher Cal Raleigh's record-breaking season (60 home runs, 125 RBI). The resolution has no legal effect or policy changes - it serves solely as a symbolic honor from the Washington State Senate. It directly affects the Mariners organization and Cal Raleigh by publicly acknowledging their achievements.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses the Washington State Senate's support for the fishing community. It extends condolences to families of fishers lost at sea, wishes the commercial fishing fleet a safe and prosperous 2026 season, and hopes all fishers return home safely. The resolution directly affects Washington's commercial and tribal fishing industries and their communities. As a ceremonial resolution, it makes no policy changes or funding commitments - it is a symbolic gesture of respect and support.

Maddy summarySB 5852 requires Washington employers to notify workers and their representatives within 72 hours if a federal agency conducts an inspection of employment verification forms (I-9) or worker records. It mandates posting multilingual notices in workplaces and sending written notices to all current and recent workers (within the last three years), including details about the federal agency and inspection. The law aims to ensure immigrant workers are informed during federal immigration enforcement actions, with notices required in the five most commonly used non-English languages in the state. Employers must also provide affected workers with copies of federal inspection results. This applies to all Washington employers, including state agencies and businesses.

Maddy summarySB 5884 expands a sales and use tax deferral program to incentivize redevelopment of underutilized property in qualifying cities (with populations of 135,000-275,000). It directly affects property owners who develop affordable housing - both rental and homeownership - for low- or moderate-income households, as defined by federal income thresholds. The key mechanism allows qualifying developers to defer paying sales and use taxes on eligible projects, provided they maintain affordable housing for at least 10 years. This applies to vacant land, partially used land, or underutilized property (like surface parking lots) identified by city authorities as suitable for affordable housing redevelopment.

Maddy summarySB 5978 establishes Washington's Guaranteed Admissions Program, requiring public four-year colleges to simplify admissions applications and set clear eligibility criteria starting in 2027-28. It mandates high schools to use a statewide digital system to securely share student transcripts with participating colleges for eligible 11th/12th graders, while allowing families to opt out of data sharing. The bill directly affects public universities (with optional participation), high schools, and students applying to college through this program. Key provisions include streamlined admissions forms, annual review of eligibility criteria, and free data transfer via the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative.

Maddy summarySB 5842 explicitly permits state legislators to display old campaign items (like signs, buttons, or posters from past elections) in their legislative offices, as long as the items are from inactive campaigns and used for historical, commemorative, or decorative purposes. This amendment to Washington state law (RCW 42.52.180) adds the display of such "previous campaign memorabilia" as a specific exception to broader rules prohibiting the use of public resources for campaign activities. It directly affects legislators and their office staff who maintain official legislative spaces. The bill does not permit displaying current campaign materials or using offices for active electioneering.