Senate State Government committee advances eight House bills to rules committee

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.