Overview
State senators and representatives from across the state convened in Olympia on January 11 for a 60-day legislative session. Lawmakers met in committees to consider legislation and hear public comments on issues such as civil rights, education, health & human services, and economic development. The Legislature adjourned on March 29, concluding a 20-day special session, after agreeing on a supplemental budget.
2016 Supplemental Budget
The Legislature approved a $191 million net increase to the $38 billion 2015-2017 operating budget (view the 2015 session recap). The new investments address urgent needs and costs related to mental health, homeless services, teacher recruitment and retention and last summer’s wildfires. The supplemental budget has been delivered to the governor’s desk. The following changes in the budget are subject to the Governor’s signature.
| 2016 Supplemental Budget | Changes |
| Early Learning | $16 million increase for early learning and child care, which includes $13 million for the family child care provider collective bargaining agreement. |
| K-12 | $15 million increase including $5 million for staff recruitment and retention, $1.2 million to implement HB 1541, and a net increase of $4 million for Charter Schools. |
| McCleary Decision | Legislators did not provide state funding for the remaining court-ordered basic education or McCleary obligations, particularly in the area of teacher and staff salaries, which are currently paid for through local school levies. SB 6195 passed to create an Education Funding Task Force to develop recommendations to comply with the remaining basic education obligations. |
| Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements
| The Caseload Forecast Council will submit a report to the governor and legislature outlining recommendations for procedures to conduct racial and ethnic impact statements to criminal justice, human services, and education caseloads. |
| Higher Education | $31 million increase including $18 million for the State Need Grant. |
| Mental Health | $41 million increase including $11 million for Western State Hospital, $10 million for staff compensation, $2 million for mobile crisis teams, and $2 million for supportive housing services. |
| Homeless Services | $11 million is provided for an increase in HOPE beds, Crisis Residential Center beds, street youth services, family reconciliation services, and the Consolidated Homeless Grant. |
| Temporary Assistance for Needy Families | $49 million one-time reductions to reflect underexpenditures for WorkFirst and the TANF employment and training programs in FY 2016. |
| Forest Fires | $230 million from the general fund, Disaster Response Account, and Budget Stabilization Account for wildfire suppression, firefighting resources, and recovery efforts. |
Legislation
Below is a list of bills identified by CAPAA that may be of interest to the Asian Pacific Islander communities. For more information, visit www.leg.wa.gov.
| Bill | Description | Status | Sponsor |
| Civil Rights & Justice | |||
| HB 2362 | Recordings made by law enforcement: Develop policies and creates a Task Force on body camera use, includes two members appointed by CAPAA. | Signed into law | Hansen |
| HB 2908 | Community policing standards: A Task Force is created on the use of deadly force and is to include a member representing CAPAA. | Signed into law | Ryu |
| HB 1553 | Prohibits the state and local governments from disqualifying an applicant for a license, certificate, or other qualification to engage in certain professions or businesses solely based on the applicant’s criminal history if the applicant possesses a Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity. | Signed into law | Walkinshaw |
| HB 1745 | Washington Voting Rights Act: Creates a state voting rights act to protect the equal opportunity for minority groups to participate in local elections. | Did not pass | Moscoso |
| HB 2791 | Washington statewide reentry council is created for the purpose of promoting successful reentry of offenders after incarceration. | Signed into law | Pettigrew |
| SB 6376 | January 11th is recognized as Human Trafficking Awareness Day | Signed into law | Fraser |
| Economic Development | |||
| HB 2334 | Martial arts excise taxation | Did not pass | Ryu |
| SB 6180 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) advisory committee | Did not pass | King |
| Education | |||
| HB 1541 | Opportunity gaps: Implements EOGOAC recommendations | Signed into law | Santos |
| HB 1408 | Definition and model for “family engagement coordinator” | Signed into law | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1682 | Improves educational outcomes for homeless students | Signed into law | Fey |
| HB 2449 | Truancy reduction: Providing court-based and school-based intervention and prevention efforts to promote attendance | Signed into law, partial veto | Orwall |
| SB 6194 | Charter schools: Provides funding from lottery revenues | Enacted without Gov’s signature | Litzow |
| SB 6195 | Creates a Task Force to fund basic education without relying on local levies | Signed into law | Rivers |
| SB 6408 | Paraeducator professional development and credentialing | Did not pass | Hill |
| SB 6455 | Expanding professional educator workforce through teacher recruitment, certification of out-of-state teachers, expanding alternative routes, mentoring programs, and scholarship programs | Signed into law | Dammeier |
| Health and Human Services | |||
| HB 1448 | Procedures for responding to reports of threatened or attempted suicide | Signed into law | Riccelli |
| HB 1713 | Integrating treatment systems for mental health and chemical dependency | Delivered to Gov | Cody |
| HB 2793 | Suicide awareness and prevention education | Signed into law | Orwall |
| SB 5689 | Concerning the diabetes epidemic and development of a reduction plan | Signed into law | Becker |
| SB 6328 | Concerning vapor products in respect to youth substance use prevention | Signed into law | Dammeier |
| SB 6398 | Evaluation of safety standards for Asian rice-based noodles and cakes | Veto overridden; enacted into law | Hasegawa |
| SB 6530 | Providing public notices in a language other than English | Did not pass | Hasegawa |
Asian Pacific American Legislative Day
Each year, members of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Yakima, and Spokane counties and South Puget Sound convene in Olympia to voice concerns to state leaders during APA Legislative Day. Below is a summary of legislative or agency action related to the agenda APIC leaders presented to the governor and lawmakers on January 26.
| APIC Agenda Items | Legislative or Agency Action |
| Climate Change & Clean Air Rule: Support the governor’s executive order to cap carbon emissions.
| The Department of Ecology withdrew its proposal and will draft a new version in the coming months based on feedback from business and environmental advocates. |
| K-12 Opportunity Gaps: pass HB 1541 | HB 1541 passed; $1.2 million was provided in the operating budget for implementation |
| Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC): invest $1.5 million in the capital budget | $200,000 grant in the capital budget for project coordination and financial plan |
| Naturalization Services: add $1 million to expand services | No changes to the existing program |
| Dental Coverage for Elderly Immigrants: add $250,000 to provide coverage to vulnerable immigrants | No changes to the existing program The Health Care Authority will develop a plan to increase access to care by expanding the Medicaid dental network by contracting out the administration of the program. |
| Behavioral Health: Integration with primary care, culturally appropriate care, increase Medicaid reimbursement rates. | $41 million increase for mental health: $11 million for Western State Hospital, $10 million for staff compensation, $2 million for mobile crisis teams, $2 million for supportive housing services |
| Nursing Home Support: Support a modified SB 6335, which would target individuals who can be safely discharged. The proposed amendment would keep the payment penalty in place but would ensure that it only targets those who have the lowest skilled nursing needs based on their assessment scores. | SB 6335 was incorporated into the operating budget and elements were modified to mitigate the impact. Beginning July 1, 2016, a nursing home provider’s direct care rate shall be set so that it does not exceed 118% of its base year’s direct care allowable costs except if the provider is below the minimum staffing standard established in RCW 20 74.42.360 |
| Health Care for All | HB 1321 and SB 5305 did not pass |
| Automatic Voter Registration | HB 2682 and SB 6379 did not pass |
| Reform Legal Financial Obligations | HB 1390 and SB 5713 did not pass |
| Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP) | Not included in budget |
| Key: HB (House Bill); SB (Senate Bill) | |