WSNA in Olympia — 2025 Legislative Session

As the iconic campus cherry blossoms bloom and the deadline for bills to be voted out of fiscal committees approaches on Tuesday, April 8, the Washington State Legislature is entering the final stretch of the 2025 regular session. This marks a crucial phase in the legislative process, where lawmakers race against time to advance their proposals before critical cutoff dates.

This past Wednesday marked the deadline for bills to advance out of policy committees in the opposite chamber. Any legislation that failed to meet this deadline is unlikely to move forward in the legislative process this session, pending extraordinary efforts by legislators to resurrect. While nearly anything is technically possible until the gavel drops on Sine Die (April 27), this milestone is a crucial step in the legislative timeline, as it determines which bills continue to be debated on the floor or in fiscal committees next week before potentially becoming law.

Following the April 8 fiscal deadline, legislators will shift their focus to intense floor debates and caucus discussions, working long hours to negotiate and pass bills before the opposite house floor cutoff on Wednesday, April 16. As the session winds down, the stakes are high, with advocates, stakeholders, and policymakers pulling out the stops and closely watching the fate of key measures that may either advance or pause until the next session.

Revenue Bills in Fiscal Committees

This week, the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Finance Committee held hearings on a series of revenue bills introduced by the majority Democrats. These proposals sparked an extraordinary level of public interest, drawing a record-breaking number of sign-ins from individuals and organizations eager to voice their opinions. The overwhelming engagement underscored the heightened work of business and advocacy groups on both sides of tax policy this year.

In the Ways & Means Committee, SB 5798, a bill addressing property taxes, attracted an astonishing 45,174 sign-ins (both pro and con) - an unprecedented level of participation in state history. In comparison, SB 5797, which deals with the taxation of intangible assets, saw 14,079 total sign-ins, while SB 5796, concerning payroll expense taxes, received 13,463 total sign-ins. The sheer volume of responses made even these remarkable figures appear modest. By way of context, it is absolutely normal to have a mere dozen or fewer sign-ins on a lower-profile bill.

HB 1162 had a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Thursday. Jessica Hauffe, WSNA’s Director of Government Affairs, testified before the committee sharing that the bill moves the needle forward on WPV, passed unanimously out of the House, and was funded in the House budget proposal. Thank you for signing in support – we had 235 individuals signing in PRO.

The bill is currently scheduled for executive session (committee vote) on Monday, April 7.

SB 5041 had a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Friday. The WSLC testified how this bill will give workers access to UI benefits if they are out on strike for more than two weeks. It will help level the playing field in negotiations, and workers will not have to face financial ruin if their employers provoke a strike.

The bill is currently scheduled for executive session on Monday, April 7.

HB 1430 had a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Friday. Justin Gill is a practicing NP, sharing that ARNPs and PAs can help address our lack of access to primary care services. However, they do not receive the full reimbursement from insurance companies. This bill would help solve that disparity.

The bill is currently scheduled for executive session on Tuesday, April 8.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Bob Ferguson outlined five key conditions that any budget must meet for him to sign it. Rejecting key components of the budgets proposed by majority legislative Democrats, he stressed the following requirements:

• The Rainy Day Fund (Budget Stabilization Account) must remain untouched. While the Senate’s proposal draws from these reserves, the House’s version does not.
• The budget must be based on realistic revenue projections, rather than the legally permitted 4.5% projection. Ferguson supports the Senate’s approach in this regard.
• New spending should be minimal due to current fiscal constraints. “This is not the time for major investments in any program, no matter how worthwhile,” he cautioned.
• The budget must include significant savings and efficiencies—amounting to billions—while preserving essential services like K-12 education and public safety.
• It cannot rely on revenue sources that may face legal challenges and risk being overturned in court.

Ferguson’s firm stance will be a challenge for lawmakers as they work behind closed doors as they always do at this point in the process towards a final budget agreement in the coming days by Sine Die.

Events/Rallies

• Saturday, April 5 at 12-3pm: Hands off Mass Mobilization Events at Seattle Center. This event is about uniting Seattle’s defenders of democracy and includes activities for children and youth. Learn more and register here.
• Tuesday, April 29: Healthcare Defense Day of Action. Stay tuned for more information.
• Find events, petitions, volunteer opportunities, fundraisers and more with AFT.

Upcoming Legislative Milestones

• April 8 - State Fiscal Committee Cutoff (Opposite House)
• All of April –State House and Senate budget negotiations
• April 16 – Opposite House Floor Cutoff
• April 14 to April 25 – Federal Senate recess
• TBD – State Final Budget Released
• April 27 – End of State Legislative session in Olympia (unless extended into a special session, TBD)
• September 30 – Deadline for Federal Budget
• November 4 – General Election

The legislature considers hundreds of bills outside our own legislative priorities. Below is a list of bills we’re watching as they move through the legislative process that may impact members. Click on any of the links to learn more about each bill and where it is in the legislative process.

DEAD HB 1784, concerning medical assistants

DEAD SB 5240, concerning anaphylaxis medication in schools

DEAD HB 1334, modifying the annual regular property tax revenue growth limit

DEAD HB 1416, increasing tobacco and vapor products taxes

HB 2045, investing in Washington families by restructuring the business and occupation tax on high grossing businesses and financial institutions

HB 2046, creating fairness in Washington’s tax by imposing a tax on select financial intangible assets

HB 2049, investing in the state’s paramount duty to fund K-12 education and build strong and safe communities

SB 5794, adopting recommendations from the tax preference performance review process, eliminating obsolete tax preferences, clarifying legislative intent, and addressing changes in constitutional law

 SB 5795, reducing the state sales and use tax rate

SB 5796, enacting an excise tax on large employers on the amount of payroll expenses above the social security wage threshold to fund programs and services to benefit Washingtonians

SB 5797, enacting a tax on stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible assets for the benefit of public schools

SB 5798, concerning property tax reform

HB 1879, concerning meal and rest breaks for hospital workers

SB 5101, expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents

SB 5503, concerning public employee collective bargaining processes

SB 5493, concerning hospital price transparency

HB 1531, preserving the ability of public officials to address communicable diseases

HB 1308, concerning access to personnel recordsHB 1022, creating a home for heroes program.

HB 1213, expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave

HB 1069, allowing bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits

HB 1686, creating a health care entity registry

HB 1622, allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence

How does a bill become a law?

Washington State Labor Council’s 2025 Legislative Priorities