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Judiciary committee advances term-limits amendment, offender-registry study and trespass bill
Summary
With brief discussion, the committee adopted amendments and voted to advance several bills: House Bill 1300 (term-limits clarification) as amended, House Bill 1231 (offender-registry study) as amended, and House Bill 1305 (trespass/squatting changes) as amended. Committee members described intent and procedural next steps.
The Judiciary Committee took votes to move several bills out of committee after adopting amendments and, in one case, converting the measure into a study.
House Bill 1300: The committee adopted an amendment changing the effective benchmark date in statutory term-limit calculations and clarified language about when service begins. The amendment replaces an earlier arbitrary date with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2023, the date the constitutional measure took effect. Sponsors and supporters said the revision clarifies legislative intent on when an individual's service counts toward the term-limit calculation and reduces ambiguity that could prompt court challenges. Senator Merdahl moved to reconsider and then moved the amendment; the committee adopted the amendment and later voted to advance HB 1300 as amended. Recorded votes on the final motion included Senator Luke — Yes; Senator Paulson — Aye; Senator Brownberger — Aye; Senator Castaneda — Aye; Senator Cory — Aye; Senator Merdahl — Aye; Chair Rosa Larson — Yes. Motion carried. Senator Merdahl was assigned to carry the bill.
House Bill 1231: The committee accepted an amendment to convert the bill into a study concerning the sex-offender registry and related policies (amendment 3001). Supporters described the subject as complex and said a study would collect needed facts before major statutory changes. The adoption of the amendment and the committee's due-pass motion as amended were moved and seconded in committee; roll-call votes showed unanimous approval among senators who voted. Senator Merdahl was assigned to carry this bill as well.
House Bill 1305: The committee adopted an amendment removing language about "sleeping place by an individual" from a trespass/squatting provision, after witnesses worried the language was overly broad and could criminalize homeless people or shelter clients. The committee then advanced HB 1305 as amended. The final roll-call vote recorded included Senator Myrtle — Aye; Senator Brownberger — Aye; Senator Paulson — Aye; Senator Castaneda — Aye; Senator Luke — Yes; Chair Rosa Larson — Yes. Motion carried; Senator Brownberger agreed to carry the bill.
Across these actions, committee members said edits aimed to clarify legislative intent, avoid unintended consequences, and allow further study where facts were incomplete. Each bill will proceed to the next step in the legislative process with committee sponsors assigned to carry them.
