We are a little over halfway through the Washington state legislative session, and crossover is this week – this is when most bills need to have been voted out of their chamber of origin to have a chance at passing this session. More than 2500 bills have been introduced this session and in an average session, between 400 and 600 bills will pass. Advocacy is what helps bring bills across the finish line–and fortunately, there are many good bills for which to advocate!
Act Now in Support of C-PACER Financing!
HB 1796 was successfully voted out of the Local Government Committee last month. The bill is now waiting for a House floor vote before cutoff.
Your representatives need to hear from you in the next day if we want to advance the bill for a vote! Please contact your representatives today, and cc House Speaker Frank Chopp Frank.Chopp@leg.wa.gov.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience legislation will:
- Unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for buildings across Washington that are looking to make upgrade their HVAC systems, get new windows, replace their lighting, retrofit boilers, add solar energy, or make their buildings more flood and seismic resilient
- Bring Washington into the group of 30+ states that have passed PACE legislation and seen over $3 billion of investments
- Unleash significant economic development opportunities by putting to work local building trades professionals, revitalizing aging buildings, improving local property values and related tax revenue
- Enable building owners to invest in their properties without worrying about when they might sell the property or how to share in those investments with their tenants
- Bring new sources of capital to Washington’s affordable multi-family housing communities
- And so much more…
- One pager on C-PACER bill
Clean Buildings for Washington Act (HB 1257 / SB 5293)
A large coalition of stakeholders supports the Clean Buildings for Washington Act – check out the sign-on letter! If your organization is not represented and you want it to be, contact Amy Wheeless (amy@nwenergy.org).
The House version of the Clean Buildings for Washington Act will be taken up by its final House committee following cutoff and then move to the House floor for a vote. As it has budget implications, it is not subject to some of the same deadlines as other bills, but it continues to remain important for your representatives and senator to hear from you. In addition, March is a time when many legislators hold town halls or meet and greets back in the district. Check this map out from WEC and go talk to your legislator directly about what issues are important to you.
Need backgrounder materials?
- Clean Buildings one-pager
- A one-pager specific to the commercial building performance standard and incentive program
HFCs Bill (HB 1112)
Shift Zero has several members tracking policy efforts on embodied carbon and refrigerants, and this week Shift Zero endorsed HB 1112, a bill that would phase out hydrofluorocarbons. The bill has passed out of the House and moves onto the Senate, with a hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee on Thursday.
Appliance Efficiency (HB 1444)
The appliance efficiency standards bill passed out of the House last week. It would set energy and water use standards for many common home and commercial products, including toilets, computers, portable air conditioners, and showerheads. It would have significant water and energy savings for the state if passed! It now moves onto a hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology committee on Thursday. We will continue to keep you updated!
HEAL Act (SB 5489)
The HEAL Act passed off the Senate Floor on Mar 8 and moves onto the House for committee hearings and votes before the end of session. To learn how you can support this legislation as it moves forward, follow our partners at Front and Centered.
Shift Zero 