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Delegates advance Tenant Protection and Eviction Diversion Act after procedural hiccups
Summary
House Bill 0324 (Tenant Protection and Eviction Diversion Act) was tabled when no proponent initially rose, later untabled and presented by Sawyer Kunkle. Proponents said the bill would provide state-appointed counsel for eligible tenants and require pre-filing eviction assistance; delegates flagged RCW citation problems. After clarification the bill was announced passed by the chair.
House Bill 0324, introduced in the docket as the "Tenant Protection and Eviction Diversion Act," was initially tabled when no proponent rose. The bill was later untabled and Sawyer Kunkle rose as the presenting delegate.
Kunkle described the bill as "giving tenants the right to legal counsel appointed through the state, if they meet the state low-income eligibility requirements" for eviction proceedings and said there is a provision requiring landlords to offer tenants access to eviction assistance before filing. Delegates questioned the RCW citation quoted in the bill text; one delegate observed that the bill appeared to amend a formatting or non-existent RCW section. Kunkle acknowledged formatting issues in the printed bill and said the substance relates to residential landlord-tenant law.
Thomas Wenzel reported reviewing the RCW chapter and said the referenced section "more talks about just the 14 day notice for the pay in rent," then spoke in favor of the bill. Kunkle urged passage on the grounds that the bill "does fall into the correct category" and that many tenants lack access to counsel in eviction cases.
When the chamber voted the chair announced the bill "passes" and clapping was ordered. The transcript records objections about formatting and RCW line numbers but shows the bill carried after proponents clarified scope.
Why it matters: the bill would expand access to legal counsel for tenants facing eviction and require landlord-level outreach before filing, changes that advocates say can reduce wrongful displacement and curtail homelessness.
