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2014 Bill Tracker
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We update the Bill Tracker weekly. Follow us on Twitter and/or Like us on Facebook to find out when we last updated this Bill Tracker. Updated February 27, 2014.
These items are listed in no particular order.
Looking for our budget priorities like the Housing Trust Fund and HEN/ABD? Check out our Budget Tracker here.
Name |
Status/Description |
Advocacy |
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| L E A D |
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Fair Tenant Screening Act, Part III |
This bill would ensure that if an applicant can supply a landlord with a secure, current, and comprehensive tenant screening report, the landlord would not be able to charge the tenant for a new report. Learn more here. | |||
| SHB 2537 Robinson |
SHB 2537 was passed on the House floor on Thursday, February 13, (53 Yeas, 45 Nays, 0 Absent, 0 Excused). It did not pass out of the Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance Committee on Thursday, February 27. | |||
| SB 6291 Frockt |
SB 6291 did not pass out of the Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance Committee. HB 2537 is the vehicle for the act's passage on the floor. | |||
Document Recording Fees |
Washington State has embraced the use of modest recording fees on some real estate related documents as a significant source of funds for homelessness programs. This fee is set to reduce in 2015 and then in 2017. This would result in a loss of 62.5% of total current funding for homelessness. Learn more here. | |||
| ESHB 2368 Sawyer |
ESHB 2368 was amended and passed on the House floor on Thursday, February 13, (62 Yeas, 45 Nays, 0 Absent, 0 Excused). It did not pass out of the Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance Committee on Thursday, February 27. | The bill did not pass the Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance Committee by the cutoff deadline. But it is way too early to give up! On Friday, February 28 we need you to call the legislative hotline at (800) 562-6000 and leave this message with your legislators: | ||
| SB 6313 Darneille |
SB 6313 did not pass out of the Ways & Means Committee. HB 2368 is the vehicle for the act's passage on the floor. | "Please make sure the homeless housing and assistance surcharge fees don’t sunset by supporting ESHB 2368. And neither the House nor the Senate Capital Budget invests enough in affordable housing. Please help ensure all Washington residents have opportunities for safe, healthy affordable homes by making a deeper investment in affordable housing." | ||
Medicaid Expansion |
Creating a Medicaid Supportive Housing Services Benefit would allow more chronically homeless people to access these services, would improve the integration of behavioral and health services, and would help individuals with severe and chronic health conditions stay off the street and be in a healthy home. Learn more here. | This issue may be addressed outside the legislative process. | ||
Yes to New Revenue, No to Cuts |
The Housing Alliance encourages our elected officials to continue exploring new sources of revenue, including taxes, to preserve critical programs like Washington Families Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Working Connections Childcare, and others. | Please call (800) 562-6000 and urge your lawmakers to explore and support new sources of revenue in order to protect and strengthen critical homelessness safety net and affordable housing programs. | ||
| S U P P O R T |
The Homeless Children Education Act |
HCEA would improve data collection on the educational outcomes of homeless students and provide teachers and school staff with improved training to help them identify and serve homeless students in school. Note: SB 6365 and HB 2763 are both new bills related to the HCEA by covering the housing pilot portion of the proposal. Learn more here. | ||
| HB 2373 Parker |
HB 2373 was passed on the House floor on Friday, February 14, (92 Yeas, 4 Nays, 0 Absent, 2 Excused). It passed out of the Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on February 27. | Please call (800) 562-6000 and urge your lawmakers to vote yes on HB 2373. | ||
| SB 6074 Frockt |
SB 6074 was passed on the House floor on Wednesday, February 12, (48 Yeas, 0 Nays, 0 Absent, 1 Excused). It passed out of the Committee on Education on February 26. | Please call (800) 562-6000 and urge your lawmakers to vote yes on SB 6074. | ||
| HB 2763 Kagi |
HB 2763 did not pass out of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. | |||
| SB 6365 Frockt |
SB 6365 did not pass out of the Ways & Means Committee. | |||
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) |
TANF is a critical program that prevents and ends homelessness. The program has been significantly cut and changed over the past several years. Learn more here. | Please call (800) 562-6000 and urge your lawmakers to protect and strengthen the TANF cash grant in the supplemental budget. | ||
Foreclosure Fairness Act |
The state legislature passed the Foreclosure Fairness Act in April 2011, creating the Foreclosure Fairness Program, which offers homeowner foreclosure assistance that includes free housing counseling, civil legal aid, education and outreach, and the opportunity for mediation. Learn more here. | |||
| HB 2723 Gregerson |
House passed HB 2723 on Thursday, February 13 unanimously! It passed out of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance on February 27. | Please use this online legislative comment tool to thank your legislators for passing this bill. | ||
| SB 6507 Hobbs |
SB 6507 did not pass out of the Rules Committee. HB 2723 is the vehicle for the act's passage on the floor. | |||
Extended Foster Care |
Allow youth working 80 hours per month or more and youth with a documented medical condition to remain in the foster care system until the age of 21. Passing this legislation will ensure all youth aging out of care will have the opportunity to maintain safe housing. Learn more here. | |||
| HB 2335 Roberts |
HB 2335 did not pass out of the Appropriations Committee. | Contact both Senator Andy Hill (45th LD) at (360) 786-7672 and Representative Ross Hunter (48th LD) at (360) 786-7936 with this message: | ||
| SB 6101 Fain |
SB 6101 did not pass out of the Ways & Means Committee. | "Please support HB 2335 and SB 6101 to extend foster care to vulnerable young adults aging out of the foster care system. Please find the funds to cover the cost of extending foster care support to both the young adults facing medical issues and those working part time. Both groups are vulnerable and keeping them in the foster care system helps ensure a successful path into adulthood." | ||
Match State Definition of Service Animal with Federal |
The Washington State Human Rights Commission is proposing legislation to remove the definition of service animal from the real estate section of the state law so that it matches federal law, which is being used by HUD in investigating state cases. Learn more here. | |||
| 2SHB 1024 Moeller |
2SHB 1024 did not pass out of the Rules Committee. | |||
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