House approves Mosquito Fleet Act to enable passenger-only ferry districts
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Summary
The House passed second substitute House Bill 19-23, the Mosquito Fleet Act, 84-11-3, allowing local jurisdictions to form passenger-only ferry districts to expand short-distance ferry service around Puget Sound and other coastal communities.
The Washington State House on the floor approved second substitute House Bill 19-23, known in debate as the Mosquito Fleet Act, by a recorded vote of 84 yays, 11 nays and 3 excused. Sponsor Representative Josh Nance urged colleagues to back the measure as a way to restore reliable passenger-only ferry connections disrupted in recent years.
Representative Nance, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation aims to “relaunch passenger ferries, to reconnect communities all around the Sound so that counties, cities, ports can actually launch a solution that works for their community.” He told members that communities from the San Juans to Vashon Island need options to get residents to jobs, health care and schools when standard ferry service is delayed or canceled.
Supporters said the bill fills a gap by allowing local jurisdictions to form districts specifically for passenger-only ferry service. Representative Barkas described the measure as “workable” after stakeholder input and said a local option could help communities tailor services to local needs. Representative Griffey and others cited county-level ferry dependence and local job growth as reasons to support the policy.
Opponents warned the bill could create overlapping taxing districts. Representative Orcutt said there is “some potential for stacking, where you could have multiple jurisdictions all stacked on top of each other, which could lead to disparities and taxation depending on where you live,” and signaled he would vote no to ensure further work on taxing rules in the other chamber.
The bill was advanced by unanimous-consent procedures and taken up on third reading; the clerk recorded the roll-call result and the Speaker declared the bill passed. With final passage on the House floor, HB 19-23 will move to the next steps of the legislative process as specified by chamber rules.
The passage marks a policy step aimed at expanding short-haul passenger ferry options in Puget Sound and other water-dependent districts; proponents said the authority will let local leaders design services to fit their communities without waiting for a statewide fix.