[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6116280,"mediaKeyId","2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c","parentId",2733527,"title","Bill would expand redactions for employment-investigation records; sponsors say it protects witnesses","audioSeconds",1760,"startMs",2726000,"endMs",4486000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c&start=2726&end=4486","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c/thumbnail_2726000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6116280/Washington/Bill-would-expand-redactions-for-employment-investigation-records-sponsors-say-it-protects-witnesses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116280-c2e4ffd6906a8bbb05edc4d906fb2e17/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038705&Signature=koVIHvfdGRQshNfyIhfvl1cTRH-K9UNONDTD7VxbVXf9na~5ZRoqaPFvcJI2lEe2IAZz8rTNU7vpRcMpoaiMZf9j5W3LLDcSeeADed8fGUaJwlkVefiGLYxeNg1en185UQBdtZiNTQrux7YHBq~3u6ma-131N-U-J07~AmSelrbuNBy~gRxRiIITwaJ7H0vLewzsDJH8WEBx9KC7Y0xBWrOzQMXPRV1QPzeQ1c-YpRCHmQr2-d2XSY5fXWCmwrw2tlL5NGFOzNcrqNGYQDBqfUgQC77ogqhfB74L8spCUlTNd1ML3kFO0JF77jhoCgWJg-NuOxGKYVmQFnuROjMiMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington State Legislature","date","2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 1934, heard March 21 by the Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee, would expand the Public Records Act exemption for investigative records compiled by employing agencies in connection with complaints of discrimination or harassment.

William, committee staff, summarized the bill: beyond existing redaction of names, agencies would be required to redact images, employee job titles, email addresses and phone numbers of complainants, accusers and witnesses; audio recordings’ voices must be altered while retaining inflection and tone. Those additional redaction requirements would not apply if a person consents to disclosure. William also noted a fiscal note: the Criminal Justice Training Commission estimated costs of $128,880 over four years for compliance, while OFM indicated no fiscal impact for its agency.

Representative Rob Chase, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the measure grew from a situation in Spokane Valley where complainants and witnesses reported harassment and asserted that identifying details released via public records requests led to retaliation. \"This protects whistleblowers,\" Chase said, adding that email addresses and other identifiers made it easy to deduce who had provided information.

City officials and employee witnesses from Spokane Valley testified in support. Candace Bach of the Association of Washington Cities told the committee the bill is intended to prevent the Public Records Act from being used as a tool for harassment. John Whitehead, human resources director for the City of Spokane Valley, and Kelly Concrete, the city attorney, described employees’ fear of retaliation and said additional redaction will encourage reporting and participation in investigations. Several current and former Spokane Valley employees described how records released in the cited case were used on social media and on a council member’s campaign site to identify and publicly criticize city employees who had participated in an investigation.

Representatives of news organizations, including Roland Thompson of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters and Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, said they negotiated narrowing language in the bill and warned the committee that the proposal raises questions about whether the object of an investigation (the respondent) would be able to learn the identity of accusers or witnesses in order to confront them; Thompson recommended clearer criteria for how agencies should handle internal notification when records are withheld under the exemption.

The committee heard multiple in‑person and remote witnesses; the transcript recorded many pro submissions (29 pro, 0 con, 1 other among non‑testifiers). Committee members asked staff to check how frequently identifying information has been released under current law; staff offered to follow up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections - 3/21/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 1934 would require agencies to redact job titles, email addresses, phone numbers, images and alter audio voices of complainants, accusers and witnesses in investigative records produced under the Public Records Act unless there is consent to disclose.","taxTitle","State Government & Elections, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20511,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116285,"Committee hears bill to expand veteran service officer support and outreach",1134,1567000,2701000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c&start=1567&end=2701","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c/thumbnail_1567000.jpg","/articles/6116285/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-to-expand-veteran-service-officer-support-and-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116285-40a8cb4f43cc95aecdb090c08c2b160f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038705&Signature=gpKd5I0O7Uy0kHo3dRtnRRpnFhhKBv~hu91p5WBtKfeW~R1JjM4GuQrASZwTfKrqAp2SaBwoLCoIiraD6uIglWPwFBEgDCTBF6SxL1Elb0ycnjP3eojcYaSegb2TIILM8haITNl06pK6BTvWjaHgNhppHUioqNET2B5SkZQxDaNzqA84NmyRpUGl~OEwtG2jHif2wF1gyeMHHHlo~6w1eC39jFWEMTPYg8KEe3mGrdyFy5hpGE2E5NIFsYhOaiz1AnyEKsrF14SHoF9hEo5BjrFubCQ5UgjTMyZNmut5FWN27OJ4SkffnKJl31RbT9PlVzTCuwLCsxaqKtioZWHGhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee on March 21 heard Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1102, which expands the veterans service officer (VSO) program and adds outreach requirements for recently discharged service members.

William, committee staff, explained the current program (created in 2019) funds VSOs in underserved counties and that the bill would require the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) to contact discharged veterans within 90 days after receiving a discharge notice from the Department of Defense to inform them about available benefits and services. The bill would also change the definition of an eligible county from one with population under 100,000 to one where the percentage of veterans receiving federal disability or pension compensation is below the national average, and would prioritize placement of VSOs in counties with the lowest percentage of veterans receiving federal benefits. The bill contains an intent section to expand the program by one or two VSOs per biennium, requires WDVA to adopt rules, mandates that participating counties allow adjacent-county veterans access to funded VSOs, and requires biennial reporting beginning December 2026. William reported a four‑year outlook fiscal impact of approximately $820,000 tied to notification and reporting requirements; the fiscal note did not include costs for creating new VSO positions because that would be subject to appropriation.

Representative Shavers, the prime sponsor, said the bill addresses gaps in veteran access to earned benefits across Washington and the importance of proactively connecting recently separated veterans to services. David Fuente, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, testified in support and outlined the economic and individual benefits of ensuring veterans access federal disability and other VA benefits, noting the national average for veterans receiving VA disability compensation is about 32 percent and that Washington has 25 counties below that rate.

Representatives of veterans service organizations — including Alan Acosta of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Susan Woods of the Veterans Legislative Coalition, and Charles Horton of AMVETS — testified in support, describing how VSOs help veterans obtain compensation, health care and other benefits and arguing the program produces economic and health outcomes for veterans and local communities.

The committee closed the hearing; testimony included a large number of pro submissions (101 pro non‑testifiers and two con non‑testifiers were recorded).","House Bill 1102 would require outreach to recently discharged service members and prioritize expansion of county veteran service officer (VSO) support in counties where fewer veterans receive federal disability or pension benefits than the national average; supporters said the measure would connect more veterans to earned benefits.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116290,"Committee hears bill allowing local jurisdictions to hold swearing-in after election certification",547,1125000,1672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c&start=1125&end=1672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c/thumbnail_1125000.jpg","/articles/6116290/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-allowing-local-jurisdictions-to-hold-swearing-in-after-election-certification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116290-6594e6001a8d307dbd4095a9fb777419/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038705&Signature=GdgdUV~EkzfBL8~2LIWfiRF~PlP1Wedt9LHk0WvjtyGnbQzm-odRFSplx~gB~0iITbl8BkJZSx0If3ukJM-PI2gZOfjPaXe6rljLC8BSNNM7pMjG92xjh1n1fyUzS5lMdx5ri-XMMVyBqSd4tSjkkdl2DI~ZV6De~nsoLkno1zNpSol~S2Ed3YwyI6hh3IBw3N5RMrOJ~lPis0d6EvqP6Ibf4fwiHbyJQJb1OYeqLM6kU7iYA18CEXK8dX9ZeaOH82LUiTM0NQkrmHvnHlwYqcTAtooTeilZRylHsZbP~j888pOlBgxO0npXZTItA3PdAalLKZgin1V11exGDYYRXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee on March 21 heard House Bill 1573, a measure that would revise when newly elected local officials may take the oath of office.

William, committee staff, summarized the bill’s change: under current law jurisdictions may administer the oath up to 10 days before the scheduled term start (usually Jan. 1) or at the governing body's last regular meeting before the term begins. The bill would allow the oath to be administered any time between the final certification of the election and the day before the term begins, while retaining the option to swear officials in at the governing body’s regular pre‑term meeting. William noted a fiscal note was not requested.

Representative Lisa Parsley, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the change was requested by county auditors to avoid scheduling ceremonial swearing‑in events between the winter holidays and New Year’s. \"This would allow jurisdictions, as soon as the election is certified, to hold their ceremony and avoid costly, inconvenient mass ceremonies between Christmas and New Year’s,\" Parsley told the committee.

Thurston County Auditor Mary Holland, testifying in support, said the change would allow larger community participation in swearing‑in events without changing when the term of office begins. Committee members asked whether the bill would affect seniority rules; Parsley and staff repeatedly clarified that the bill does not change the official start of office (January 1) and therefore does not alter seniority dates.

The public record showed 16 pro, 0 con non‑testifiers in addition to the in‑person testimony. The committee closed the hearing on HB 1573 and moved to the next item on the agenda.","A bill that would let counties, cities and special districts administer oaths between the final election certification and the day before a term begins was heard; proponents said it eases scheduling and can save local governments money, and speakers clarified the bill does not change the official term start date.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116295,"Senate State Government committee advances eight House bills to rules committee",637,607000,1244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c&start=607&end=1244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733527-817b0313558f055ff4b08eb76b025b8c/thumbnail_607000.jpg","/articles/6116295/Washington/Senate-State-Government-committee-advances-eight-House-bills-to-rules-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116295-29d7880faf7e709ad79ff4cfedf26ea0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038705&Signature=XxxlwWN0xZ0qbIJJtSyJ1bG81LBNXticP6JzOjF~jwnyQsa1kozTk-bcC~kEChlnLz8INGcNQbB-KITn1ScraFUDUx-7kTAgKxxgjJlRcjA5IN8yxOl2k0awvlkbnXe3dtwe9z7aa69yHZgXBCGrJNXX7K5ywvblmXR5IRJOQMQmcw~qyuV64Op4brxpQ98143wdjOiqMCp1tiV-UrdBoAqNm9kmo8AKZs1vKu3z2eBrhQJzmGsQA3ePBPvRU65x5ItMp6-MpfdcGXRgdv4Ga3R-8I0Ij1kaVnZFuksyV4LupAwsOpLVs6c~FaZ9KWBmgvbASLHSqihAiBxgnQJHhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee on March 21 voted in executive session to give due-pass recommendations and send eight House bills to the rules committee, subject to signatures.

Committee staff briefed members on each bill before voice votes. The bills advanced covered matters including authorization for the Washington State Women’s Commission to accept gifts (House Bill 1012), an exemption of certain Department of Social and Health Services positions from civil service (HB 1013), expanded public-records exemptions for gaming records (HB 1222), adjustments to the Sunset Act and JLARC review requirements (HB 1372), designation of a commemorative day (HB 1759), creation of a fire service policy board with an amendment offered to add the state fire marshal as a nonvoting ex officio member (HB 1628), a study on state employee access to peer‑reviewed journals (HB 1606), and designation of Bull Kelp Forest as a state marine forest (HB 1631).

One amendment—Senator Wilson’s amendment B to House Bill 16‑28 (creating the fire service policy board), which would have added the state fire marshal as a nonvoting ex officio member—was offered and defeated after committee members sought additional fiscal-impact information. An amendment A to House Bill 13‑72 (JLARC/sunset act) was adopted and rolled into a striking amendment before the bill received a due pass recommendation.

All eight bills were reported out with the committee chair ruling each “passed subject to signatures.” The committee paused for caucus during the meeting and returned to complete the executive session votes.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 1012: Authorizes the Washington State Women’s Commission to solicit gifts, grants and endowments. Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note not requested).
- House Bill 1013: Exempts certain Department of Social and Health Services positions from state civil service. Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note not requested).
- House Bill 1222: Expands public-records disclosure exemptions for gaming records submitted to or obtained by the Gambling Commission (four categories). Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note shows no fiscal effect).
- House Bill 1372 (as amended): Extends the Sunset Act expiration date and revises JLARC study requirements; amendment A adopted to add a consideration about delaying review until sufficient data is available. Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note shows no fiscal impact).
- House Bill 1759: Designates December 12 as “Day of the Twelves.” Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note shows no fiscal impact).
- House Bill 1628 (engrossed): Creates a fire service policy board; amendment B (to add the state fire marshal as a nonvoting ex officio member) was offered and defeated for further fiscal review; bill otherwise received due pass to rules (fiscal note: indeterminate impact; one amendment offered).
- House Bill 1606 (substitute): Requires a study on state employee access to peer‑reviewed journals (Washington State Institute for Public Policy study); passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note estimates approximately $81,000).
- House Bill 1631: Designates Bull Kelp Forest as a state marine forest. Passed (due pass to rules; fiscal note not requested).

The committee recorded no roll-call tallies in the transcript; chair rulings were taken by voice and noted as \"passed subject to signatures\" where applicable. The committee moved on after reporting the executive session items and opened the public‑hearing portion of the agenda.","In executive session on March 21 the Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee recommended due pass for eight House bills and sent them to the rules committee, with one proposed amendment rejected and one adopted.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would expand redactions for employment-investigation records; sponsors say it protects witnesses

Committee hears bill to expand veteran service officer support and outreach

Committee hears bill allowing local jurisdictions to hold swearing-in after election certification

Senate State Government committee advances eight House bills to rules committee