Legislative Updates

Providing employer tax incentives for the support of veterans and military families.

Promoting educational stability for children of military families.

Creates a down payment and closing cost assistance program for people who work in targeted professions and meet certain income requirements.

Enacts the cosmetology licensure compact.

Creates a Washington National Guard retention program.  Directs the Adjutant General to study retention needs, determine eligibility criteria, and determine the amount and schedule of retention bonuses. Requires the Military Department to report on retention needs and recommendations every three years.

Requires the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) to provide information to recently discharged veterans about veterans benefits, services, and available resources. Expands county eligibility for the WDVA's Veterans Service Officer Program (Program) to counties where the percentage of veterans receiving benefits is below the national average. Prioritizes counties with the lowest percentage of veterans receiving benefits for the Program. Requires the WDVA to provide reports every two years including county-specific information about the number of resident veterans and services available.

Recognizing the tremendous sacrifices made by our military veterans by phasing down the disability rating requirements to ensure more disabled veterans are eligible for property tax relief.

Enacts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact.

Creates the Veteran Employability Training and Career Advancement for Reentry Program to assist justice-involved veterans with civilian life.

Expanding access to property tax exemptions by increasing each median income category by 5% beginning in 2027.

Proving a property tax valuation freeze for seniors and disabled veterans.

Establishes the office of entrepreneurship within the Dept of Commerce and allows cooperation with the Dept of Veterans Affairs and others to improve access for statistically underrepresented demographic segments and geographic areas of the state (including VOBs) and others to state contracts.

Amends existing law regarding discrimination to include military spouses.

Allowing vehicles that have been an active part of military operations to operate on the public highways to be involved in parades, veterans' events, car club activities, community events, exhibitions, and other limited circumstances.

Providing eligibility to 70% or greater disabled veterans to disabled parking privileges.

By request of Secretary of State: Adopting national standards for uniformed and overseas civilian voting, including confirming amendments to existing statute.

Providing exemptions to allow for Veterans Medical Foster Homes as authorized by the Federal VA.

Allows one appointment to the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (VAAC) to a Veteran who is a member of a Native American Tribe recognized in WA State and one appointment to a National Guard Representative who can be either a current National Guard Member or a Veteran of the NG  

Retains the requirement for a VAAC Liaison to be appointed to represent individual State Veterans Homes and removes language referring to appointing a Resident of the Soldiers Home and Veterans Home.  Codifies the two Homes positions as At Large positions. 

Establishes the Joint Legislative Committee on Transparency (JLCT) to coordinate with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), the Office of the Attorney General, and the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee (Sunshine Committee) to conduct a study on the efficacy of establishing an independent state agency to assist individuals with accessing public records. Requires JLARC to submit a report on the findings of the study and recommendations by the JLTC.

Companion to SB 5345: Concerning access to personnel records.

Requires public works contracts to provide for the payment of prevailing wages at the time the work is performed

Permits law enforcement agencies, civil service agencies including city firefighters, city police, and county sheriff's offices, and prosecuting attorney's offices to consider application from persons legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law

Establishing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays.

Paying state retirement benefits until the end of the month in which the retiree or beneficiary dies.

Protecting agriculture (studies / Bill analysis).

Modifies the definition of employer for purposes of pregnancy and pregnancy-related accommodation. Requires an employer to pay an employee for break and travel time to express milk during work at the employee's regular compensation rate. Allows a person who is breastfeeding to request a delay or excusal from jury service if the person is unable to serve due to breastfeeding.

Companion to HB 1308