Governor signs a package of bills on housing, courts, public safety and education at Brewster ceremony

The governor signed a package of state bills in Brewster that included measures on affordable housing, court procedures, public safety monitoring and education access.

"In every part of the state, the issue I hear the most about is the need for more affordable housing," the governor said before signing House bill 10 75, which the governor described as clarifying public‑private partnership rules and reserving half the units for households earning 80% or less of area median income. The governor thanked Representative Amy Wallen as the prime sponsor.

The ceremony covered multiple bills with brief remarks on each and photo opportunities with sponsors and visiting students. Among the measures the governor signed were: House bill 11 91 (allowing owners of mobile or manufactured homes in parks to apply to the Department of Licensing to remove a vehicle title, creating a pathway to homeownership); House bill 14 57 (requiring real‑time electronic monitoring of ******** violent predators conditionally released to less restrictive alternatives); House bill 10 07 (clarifying small‑claims notice language so defendants understand a default judgment may be entered for failure to appear); and House bill 1 1 1 2 (removing a Seattle Municipal Court residency requirement for pro tem judges).

The governor praised bipartisan cooperation in passing the measures and singled out first‑time bill sponsors, including Representative Natasha Hill for House bill 13 61, and other legislators receiving pens and photos. The event also included representatives of ferry counties in recognition of House bill 10 54, which allows certain counties that operate ferries to extend maintenance and repair contracts up to 10 years to reduce procurement costs.

At a glance — signed measures covered at the event: - House bill 10 75: Clarifies public‑private housing partnerships; requires half of units be reserved for households at or below 80% AMI (prime sponsor: Representative Amy Wallen). - House bill 11 91: Enables removal of vehicle titles for manufactured/mobile homes to help owners pursue first‑time buyer loans (prime sponsor: Representative April Connors). - House bill 14 57: Requires real‑time electronic monitoring of ******** violent predators on conditional release (prime sponsor: Representative Griffey). - House bill 10 07: Revises small‑claims notice language to reflect court discretion about default judgments (prime sponsor: Representative Sam Lowe; companion sponsor Senator Keith Wagner). - House bill 1 1 1 2: Removes Seattle Municipal Court residency requirement for pro tem judges (prime sponsor: Representative Farvar). - House bill 11 57: Adds great‑grandchildren to those eligible to request relatives' birth or death records (prime sponsor: Representative Mike Steele). - House bill 11 72: Allows fire districts and employees to opt out of civil service if both parties agree (prime sponsor: Representative Suzanne Schmidt; companion sponsor Senator Leonard Christian). - House bill 13 04: Clarifies timelines and process for boundary review board proposals (prime sponsor: Representative Brandy Donhey). - House bill 13 61: Modernizes service‑of‑process procedures for businesses and nonresident motorists (prime sponsor: Representative Natasha Hill). - House bill 15 53: Extends dairy assessment funding for milk inspection through June 30, 2031 (prime sponsor: Representative Addison Richards; companion sponsor Senator Mike Chapman). - House bill 15 56: Expands access to high‑school‑equivalency programs at community and technical colleges by removing the adult‑only fee waiver limitation (prime sponsor: Representative Deborah Entenmann; companion sponsor Senator Matt Behnke). - House bill 19 47: Clarifies requirements for small water systems to avoid unnecessary satellite management when not needed for public health (prime sponsor: Representative Andrew Engel). - House bill 1 0 0 3: Allows in‑state housing providers to mail tenant notices from their county of residence with prepaid certified postage and adds five days for recipient response (prime sponsor: Representative Peter Barno).

Officials present emphasized that most bills were noncontroversial, focused on technical fixes or administrative changes, and reflected bipartisan sponsorship. The governor repeatedly thanked sponsors and staff, invited students and family members into the signing photos, and noted several legislators were signing their first bills into law.

The governor closed the event after photo opportunities and moving through the remaining pens and signings; most bills were signed on the spot and will take effect pursuant to statute or as otherwise specified in the individual bills.