Washington House passes package on ferries, language access, oversight and consumer protections

The Washington State House on the floor Tuesday approved a bundle of bills affecting transportation, language access, law-enforcement oversight and consumer protections.

Representative Nance, sponsor of the Mosquito Fleet Act (second substitute House Bill 19 23), said the region is “entering year 7 of ferry disruptions” and urged lawmakers to empower local jurisdictions to reestablish passenger-only ferry routes. The House advanced the bill and then passed it on final passage, 84 yays, 11 nays, 3 excused.

Supporters said the measure would give counties, cities and ports a local tool to restore connections around Puget Sound; opponents warned of potential overlapping districts and added taxation for residents. Representative Orcutt said he voted no to signal the need for further work on preventing “stacking” of jurisdictions and taxation.

Lawmakers also approved substitute House Bill 24 75, a language-access bill that the clerk described as creating a new chapter in title 43 RCW. Representative Ortiz-Self said the proposal would improve access to health, education and other essential services for residents who do not speak English as a primary language and framed the…