Committee reports five bills out of State Government & Tribal Relations with due‑pass recommendations

The State Government & Tribal Relations Committee reported five bills out of committee with due‑pass recommendations after an executive session following a work briefing on gambling regulation.

The committee voted on the following measures: House Bill 1030 (post‑election audit procedures), House Bill 1012 (permits the women’s commission to solicit gifts, grants and endowments), House Bill 1017 (designates November 22 as Kimchi Day), House Bill 1116 (recognizes Election Day as a legislatively recognized day) and House Bill 1013 (revises certain Department of Social and Health Services civil‑service exemptions). Committee members moved each bill for a due‑pass recommendation; the committee adopted each motion as described below.

House Bill 1030 generated the most discussion. Desiree of OPR staff briefed the bill as modifying post‑election audit procedures by removing certain audit methods and allowing either a limited hand‑count audit or a risk‑limiting audit. Amendment Omni 184, moved by Ranking Member Waters, would have removed authority for counties to satisfy post‑election audit requirements using risk‑limiting audits and effectively required hand counts during audits. Ranking Member Waters said, “This amendment basically makes the bill to where everything has to be hand count, during an audit.” Vice Chair Stearns opposed the amendment, saying it would “have the effect of gutting the bill.” The committee rejected Amendment 184; the bill was then reported out of committee with a due‑pass recommendation.

Vote on HB 1030 (committee motion: report with due pass recommendation): Representative Mena — aye; Representative Stearns — aye; Representative Waters — aye; Representative Walsh — excused; Representative Chase — no; Representative Doolyo — aye; Representative Farvar — aye. Tally: 5 ayes, 1 nay, 1 excused. Outcome: approved (reported out with due‑pass recommendation).

The committee moved and voice‑voted the remaining bills without recorded roll calls. Staff announced the outcomes as 6 ayes, 0 nay, 1 excused for each of House Bills 1012, 1017, 1116 and 1013; each was reported out of committee with a due‑pass recommendation. Brief summaries provided in committee records are: HB 1012 allows the Washington State Women’s Commission to solicit gifts, grants and endowments; HB 1017 designates Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day; HB 1116 recognizes Election Day as a legislatively recognized day; HB 1013 revises exempt positions within the Department of Social and Health Services to aid hiring.

The committee closed the hearing after reporting the five bills. No final floor action is recorded in the committee transcript; the measures were sent forward with due‑pass recommendations to the next step in legislative processing.