* Some of these bills technically haven’t been completely passed out of the state legislature yet. They’ve been passed by both the State House and the State Senate, but each chamber passed their own version and made their own amendments. These different versions need to be reconciled before it can be considered fully passed out of the legislature.
Housing
HB 1593: If a renter suddenly needs to terminate their rental contact because they’re a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking, they can do so without any warning period or penalty. They’ll need to pay for the last month they lived there, but not for any future months. Landlords can also seek reimbursement for unpaid rent or damages through the Landlord Mitigation Program.
HB 1643: If property is being sold or transferred to a nonprofit or government entity so that it can be used for low-income housing, the seller is exempt from having to pay the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET).
HB 1769: Removes community councils. We’re especially excited about this one because KCYD passed a resolution supporting this bill! Here’s an article written by one of our members, Chris Randels, about how community councils block necessary reforms.
Environment
HB 1099: Encourages cities to reduce greenhouse gases and vehicle miles traveled, as well as think about how to mitigate climate change when they make land use decisions. This one’s a bit wonky; it updates the Growth Management Act (GMA) to require cities and counties make climate change mitigation a priority. The GMA already existed to regulate growth, prevent urban sprawl, and protect the environment by requiring cities to follow a bunch of rules. This will add rules to reduce greenhouse gases and reduce car usage.
* This bill has some significant differences between the House and Senate versions, so we’ll be watching closely to see what happens during the reconciliation! The Senate version stripped all the language about climate change and greenhouse gases, essentially completely defanging it.
State Government / Labor
SB 5793: Provides compensation for low-income or underrepresented people serving on state boards, commissions, committees, etc. This is amazing because those with relevant lived experience deserve to be compensated for their expertise, especially when serving on these boards can be time-costly.