Climate Commitment Act 

Climate Commitment Act funds were not used to replace shortfalls in General Fund revenue -- yay! This was a top priority of the Environmental Priorities Coalition.

HB 1975 - Amending the Climate Commitment Act moved forward. It makes technical adjustments (related to allowance auction prices and Ecology’s authority) to make it easier to link with other carbon markets, like California’s. CAT did not take a position on the bill, given the strong momentum for linkage. The Sierra Club opposed the bill.

SB 5036 - Annual Reporting of Statewide Emissions Data, received strong bipartisan support in both chambers. CAT supported and tracked this bill but it didn’t need mobilized action from our subscribers. While not directly related to the CCA it should improve our evaluation of the CCA’s effectiveness.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

The Dept of Ecology is preparing a report to the Legislature addressing how Emissions Intensive Trade Exposed (EITE) polluters should be treated under the CCA in the years after 2035. This was a contentious issue in 2021 and the Legislature failed to enact appropriate reduction guidelines. We expect a new bill in 2026. More details here.

Are we getting the most climate benefit for our CCA dollars? Are overburdened communities receiving air quality protections as promised? These questions may result in additional legislation, reports or studies.

Housing

HB 1217 - Rent Stabilization

Limits rent increases on older rental stock to no more than 7% plus inflation, capped at 10%, per year. Requires longer notice periods for larger rent increases. Many other provisions but those are the most important ones!

HB 1491- Transit Oriented Development

Requires increased housing density near transit stations and requires some affordable units using the multifamily tax exemption (MFTE).

SB 5184 - Reducing Minimum Parking Requirements

Reduces the minimum number of parking spaces that city and counties can require around new construction.  It also prevents cities and counties from requiring parking spaces for affordable housing, senior housing, ground-level commercial spaces in mixed use buildings and other contexts.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

SB 5469 - Preventing Landlords From Using Algorithms To Fix Rental Prices

A bill in response to the realization that property management companies were collaborating to inflate rental prices and other policies through third party algorithms.  Prohibits companies from gathering information on historical, anticipated and current rent prices and then analyzing that data through software or an algorithm with the goal of providing recommendations regarding rental prices, lease renewal terms, or occupancy levels for more than one landlord.

HB 1175 - Legalizing Neighborhood Stores and Cafes. This bill would require cities to allow neighborhood cafes and stores in residential areas.  The cities can regulate the hours, parking requirements, and maximum size of these establishments.  In addition, neighborhood cafes have to offer food if they serve alcohol.

Transportation

SB 5595 - Shared Streets  ​​Allows cities to designate neighborhood streets where cars, bikes, and pedestrians share the same space, but speed limits are low and pedestrians are the priority. These are similar to the "Stay Healthy" streets established in some cities during the pandemic.

HB 1837 - Establish Intercity Passenger Rail Improvement Priorities

Establishes priority targets to improve the reliability of the Amtrak Cascades route between Seattle and Vancouver, BC and Portland, OR. WA Dept. of Transportation must report annually on progress, with recommendations to remove any constraints. 

HB 1409 - Concerning the clean fuels program. This bill will accelerate the carbon intensity reduction requirements for transportation fuels under the Clean Fuels Program (CFP) and establish penalties and other enforcement powers specific to the CFP while eliminating related Clean Air Act penalties.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

SB 5581 - Safe Streets for Active Transportation Would strengthen requirements for whole streets and shared use paths. It endorses a safe system approach which acknowledges human mistakes and vulnerability and would guide the design and management of road systems with multiple layers of protection to create a comprehensive environment to protect all road users.

HB 1923 - Mosquito Fleet Act  This bill would seed and support passenger-only ferry initiatives in waterside communities, especially those underserved by Washington State Ferries.

HB 1921 - Road Usage Charge This innovative bill would provide funding for repair (not expansion) of highways, and create a new long-term funding source for transit, walking, and biking. It would charge drivers by the miles they drive, not the gas that they buy.

SB 5063 / HB 1058 - Improving Short Line Freight Rail Infrastructure. Would give tax credits to owners of small freight rail lines for upgrading tracks and other infrastructure. This would enable more freight to be transported by rail which is vastly more efficient than truck transport, reducing GHG emissions by about 75%.

SB 5519 / HB 1652 -  Reducing Pollution via Cleaner Ship Fuel. Ships currently dump billions of gallons of acidic, toxic wastewater into the ocean, due to a loophole in emissions rules that allows them to turn air pollution into water pollution. By requiring ships to burn cleaner fuel, this bill would protect our air, water, public health, and marine ecosystems. (Did not progress beyond first hearing in either chamber.)

SB 5652 / HB 1948 - Reducing Environmental and Health Disparities and Improving the Health of Washington State Residents in Large Port Districts. Would require: (1)  large port districts to create a plan to reduce existing environmental and health disparities and to engage with communities; (2) before a large project is approved, an environmental justice assessment must evaluate its potential adverse cumulative impacts on overburdened and vulnerable communities.

Recycling/Waste Reduction 

SB 5284 - Recycling Reform Act: This bill overhauls the way our state handles recyclables. It creates a producer responsibility program in which manufacturers reduce unnecessary packaging and paper, increase recycling, and reduce costs for local governments and residents across the state. It will lead to major reductions in litter, marine debris, landfill waste, and GHG emissions

HB 1462 - HFC Reduction & Refrigerant Recovery: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are highly potent greenhouse gases, and a large source of HFC emissions is from release of refrigerants. This bill will help prevent the release of high-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, encourage use of reclaimed refrigerants, and promote more climate-friendly alternatives. It establishes phased limitations on the sale of non-reclaimed HFCs with high GWP and creates a task force to study transitioning to low and ultra-low GWP refrigerants.

HB 1482 - Right to Repair: Electronics and SB 5680 - Right to Repair Mobility Devices: HB 1483 makes it easier to repair computers, tablets, cellphones, and appliances. It will get used electronics into the hands of people who need them while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SB 5680 requires manufacturers of powered wheelchairs and similar devices to make repair information, parts and tools available to independent repair businesses and owners. It addresses a significant problem where wheelchair users often experience lengthy repair times, sometimes four to seven weeks, which can critically impact their employment, education, health, and safety.

HB 1497 - Improving Food & Yard Waste Management: This bill will help divert organics from landfills and avoid methane gas generation. It creates a pathway for bringing organics collection to more multi-family buildings, standardizes color-coded collection containers to reduce contamination, and more.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1420 - Textile Producer Responsibility: This bill establishes a statewide producer responsibility program in WA for apparel and textiles that emphasizes repair/reuse and restricting toxic chemicals in textiles. It requires producers to join a Producer Responsibility Organization and mandates the development of textile collection systems and educational programs to inform consumers about proper recycling and reuse.

HB 1550 / SB 5586 - Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Reuse & Recycling: This bill will set up a system for ensuring safe recycling or repurposing of EV batteries to ensure beneficial use of the valuable resources in those batteries. Recovery and reuse of critical metals will offset the need to mine new raw materials.

HB 1607 / SB 5002 - Beverage Container Deposit: This bill will require producers to implement a statewide recycling program for glass, plastic and metal beverage containers with a 10 cent deposit and refund. It will improve recycling rates while reducing GHG emissions, litter, and plastic pollution.

HB 1134 - Green Schools Program: This bill promotes resource conservation practices in public schools around waste, energy, and water, and supports student involvement in these efforts.

HB 1901 - Mattress Producer Responsibility: This bill would mandate producers to join a producer responsibility organization, fund mattress recycling programs, and meet specific recycling targets to reduce landfill waste and illegal dumping.

Built Environment 

HB 1543 - Increasing Compliance Pathways for the Clean Buildings Performance Standard. Currently the Clean Building Act only allows energy use intensity targets to be used for measuring compliance with clean buildings performance standards.  This bill would create alternative pathways for compliance by permitting the Department of Commerce to create alternative metric targets.  It also adds more exemptions for building types and extensions for compliance.  The intent of the legislation is that by providing more flexibility, there will be more of an incentive for building owners to comply and less need for penalties.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1458 - Reducing Embodied Carbon Emissions of Buildings and Building Materials.

This bill establishes targets for embodied carbon emissions reductions for certain building projects and three pathways for achieving them. Embodied carbon emissions are GHG emissions from extraction, manufacturing, transport, installation and disposal, i.e. a building's life cycle. Homeowners may use it to obtain a “home energy score.”

Energy: Solar, Utilities, Nuclear

HB 1514 - Encouraging the Deployment of Low Carbon Thermal Energy Networks.

This bill creates a regulatory framework for thermal energy networks—systems that use piped non-combustible fluids to heat and cool buildings without fossil fuels. It allows utilities to operate these networks while ensuring consumer protections and affordable rates.

HB 1409 - Concerning the Clean Fuels Program.

This bill will accelerate the carbon intensity reduction requirements for transportation fuels under the Clean Fuels Program (CFP) and establish penalties and other enforcement powers specific to the CFP while eliminating related Clean Air Act penalties.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1673 / SB 5466 - Improving Reliability and Capacity of the Electric Transmission System. We need more robust electric transmission to meet our growing demand and clean energy goals, to improve resilience and reliability and to bring clean energy from where it's generated to where it's used.  This bill creates a state transmission authority to plan - and even build if necessary - transmission with a statewide public interest focus, which is missing in our current utility driven process. The bill emphasizes maximizing the use of existing infrastructure, which is faster, cheaper, and lower impact than alternatives to building grid capacity.

HB 1819 - Increasing Transmission Capacity.

This bill provides a categorical exemption from the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for certain upgrades and rebuilds of electric power lines and requires a review of resources in the rights-of-way for such categorical exemptions. It requires electric utilities with more than 25,000 customers to evaluate where reconductoring would yield meaningful improvements to the grid.

HB 1598 / SB 5515 - Fair Access to Community Solar.

This bill summarizes how community solar addresses relevant state goals such as economic development, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, the State Energy Strategy, low-income energy assistance, and pollution reduction. It establishes a framework for a Washington community solar program including definitions, who can manage such projects, what community solar bill credits are, and what net crediting means. The bill provides direction for the Utilities and Transportation Commission to develop program rules, and it directs that commission to report program metrics to the legislature. It also provides direction for community solar project managers, discusses the valuation and treatment of community solar bill credits, carves out program capacity for low-income customers, and provides utilities mechanisms to recover program costs.

The 350 CAT will continue opposing pro-nuclear bills, including HB 1210 which would give nuclear reactors and fuel projects special treatment to qualify for local property tax breaks.

Police Accountability

We included Policy Accountability and Criminal Legal Reform again this year as part of our climate justice policy platform. Connecting the dots between police accountability, criminal justice reform, and climate change reveals a complex interplay. In many instances, marginalized communities bear the brunt of both environmental injustices and unfair policing practices. 

It was a very challenging year for policies in this category, thanks to long-term organizing by the opposition, backlash to the 2020 call for justice for racial justice, and due to the looming state budget deficit.

We had two big wins! SB 5223 failed! If 5223 had passed, anyone merely cited or charged for a gross misdemeanor, regardless of actual finding of guilt, would have their fingerprints recorded and stored in a system shared with federal law enforcement, specifically the FBI database that the Department of Homeland Security access is for possible immigration enforcement. 350 CAT joined our allies at People Power WA, Washington Coalition of Police Accountability, One America, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and the Washington Public Defender Association and killed this bill!

HB 1423 Noise Surveillance Cameras failed! Audio recordings, along with video and image captures of people’s vehicles, collectively form a treasure trove of sensitive data and could put vulnerable groups at risk. Surveillance puts immigrant populations and those seeking abortion care or gender affirming care at risk and risks privacy and free speech rights for all Washingtonians. 350 CAT was happy to join the ACLU in the fight and we successfully killed this bill.

We had a partial victory. HB2015 is a sales tax for law enforcement recruitment. We continued to oppose this bill throughout the legislative session for 3 main reasons. 

• There are many evidenced-based upstream community interventions that reduce both violent crime and property crime, increasing the number of officers on the ground is NOT one of them. 

• Reduced officer staffing is due to attrition and throwing more money at it will not actually increase the number of officers hired.

• At Governor Fergusson’s insistence a $100 million grant program for officers was passed as part of the budget. The state is facing a $11-16 billion shortfall over the next 4 years. Grant money for law enforcement is fiscally irresponsible and especially short-sighted in the context of federal cuts that also threaten vulnerable communities. Investing in upstream solutions allows communities to address violent crime, property crime, and public health crises of substance use disorder and of homelessness. 

However, the bill was made better by including accountability measures and some flexibility in how this “public safety” money is spent and allowing it to include spending on public defenders, community and legal advocates for domestic violence survivors, local programs that have a reasonable expectation of reducing contact with the criminal-legal system, and mental health crisis response. While we acknowledge these improvements, we have concerns that in spite of the flexibility the legislature has given for use of these funds that in practice local jurisdictions will enact the sales tax for the primary purpose of funding reactive punitive response rather than the upstream community-based interventions that prevent harm in the first place. 

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

Juvenile Points Retroactivity (HB 1274) HB 1324 was passed in 2023 which stopped the practice of punishing people twice for crimes committed as children. HB 2065 would have made HB 1324 retroactive. This means people who are currently incarcerated and serving overly long sentences will have the opportunity for their sentences to be reviewed and potentially adjusted – an important step in addressing the significant disproportionalities created by past sentencing laws.

Independent Prosecutor (SB 5584) Prosecutors, exercising prosecutorial discretion, often fail to file charges even when unarmed citizens are killed at the hands of law enforcement. SB 5584 would have appointed an Independent Prosecutor to cases of deadly use of force by law enforcement. 

Traffic Safety (HB 1513) Reduces stops for low-level traffic violations that do not affect public safety; would have allowed law enforcement to focus on addressing real hazards such as impaired, distracted, or reckless driving; and creates resources for public safety programs such as helmet vouchers or tail light workshops. However, in another partial win Gov. Ferguson signed $750,000 into the budget to provide funds for low income people to repair cars. 

Forestry

Our big three Forestry wins were appropriations from the Supplemental Capital Budget (SB 5949).

1. Budget proviso: Carbon Sequestration Forests, $23M from the CCA’s Natural Climate Solutions Account, HB 5195 Capital Budget, p. 142; supported by WA Conservation Action, Conservation Northwest, Center for Responsible Forestry, Sierra Club and Washington Association of Counties.

1. $10M for timber harvest replacement land, allowing carbon dense, structurally complex forests to be conserved.

2. $10M for timber harvest replacement land for forests “encumbered” or set aside for spotted owl and marbled murrelet habitat.

3. $3M for preparation of commercial thinning projects to enhance habitat and carbon sequestration.

4. At the request of previously participating counties, this year the proviso language includes a new provision allowing participating counties to request up front cash rather than replacement land.

2. Budget proviso, Trust Land Transfer Program, $16.9M, HB 5195 Capital Budget, p. 141; supported by WA State Lands Working Group, PNW Forest Climate Alliance, and the TLT Brain Trust, a small group of conservationists.

1. $16.65M for 4 projects that will transfer over 5,600 acres of state lands to Tulalip, Yakama, Confederated Colville and Quileute control. [Additional talking points at the bottom of the insider info.]

2. $250K for an analysis of the Elwha watershed to identify suitable acres to become Natural Resource Conservation Areas.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1508 - Ecosystem Services, a contentious carbon credit bill will certainly be back for a third attempt at passage. A DNR workgroup study will finally be available this summer and prime sponsor Rep. Reeves held a hearing to set up an interim process. Next year’s bill could look significantly different.

The new Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave Upthegrove took office after this year’s session started. He will be bringing his new ideas to the 2026 session.

Air & Water & Salmon

TThis year we expanded our coverage of policies supporting clean air and water and salmon habitat. Our two major wins were all in the budgets! 

HB 1670 - Sewage Spill Right to Know Requires the Department of Ecology to make certain sewage spill information publicly available via a website. Dozens of sewage spills occur every year and few are widely reported to the general public. This bill improves transparency of sewage spills state wide so that the public can recreate safely!

SB 5033 - Analyzing PFAS in Biosolids This bill directs the Department of Ecology to establish a PFAS (i.e. forever chemicals) monitoring program for wastewater treatment facilities that generate biosolids. Biosolids are spread in forests and on farms and we are concerned about the impacts of these bioaccumulating toxic chemicals. This bill begins to address and understand the risks from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals that can be present in biosolids. Even very low concentrations of PFAS are a risk to human health.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1652 / SB 5519 - Reducing Environmental Impacts Associated with the Operation of Certain Ocean-Going Vessels  Many ships burn dirty fuel that violates sulfur emissions standards; they comply with the standards by capturing the emissions and dumping them into the ocean (using a device called a scrubber). This bill would prohibit the use of the dirty fuel, thus preventing huge amounts of toxic water pollution. 

SB 5236 - Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Anesthesia: This bill seeks to reduce greenhouse emissions from anesthesia. It requires the Dept. of Ecology to study the use in Washington of anesthetic drugs with a high global warming potential and, in consultation with others, make recommendations and issue guidance to reduce or eliminate their use. The health care sector accounts for between 4-5% of global GHG emissions. US health care is responsible for 25% of that. Leaked anesthetic gases are the largest source of direct emissions from health care and at current rates of use are equivalent to operating 1 million internal combustion engine cars annually. Fortunately the GHG impact of anesthesia can be reduced by around 90% without compromising clinical care outcomes or increasing cost.

HB 1303 / SB 5380 - CURB Act: Formerly known as the Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act. HB 1303 has undergone significant changes, and it is no longer calling for a cumulative impact analysis of polluting facilities. It now focuses on integrating environmental justice into the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Originally, the CURB act sought to address the cumulative burden facing heavily polluted communities by requiring the consideration of health impacts that are caused by certain pollutants and which currently go unaddressed;

1. Requiring that agencies make an environmental justice impact statement that analyzes the baseline level of pollution, the effects of the project, and other alternatives to the project;

2. Elevating voices of community members through frontline community participation in the permit evaluations process; and

3. Requiring the denial of certain air pollution permits that rank 9–10 on the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map.

   Care and Justice for All

HB 1418 - Transit Riders on Transit Boards

Allows transit boards under the PBTA system (most transit agencies outside Puget Sound area) to appoint transit riding members to the board.

SB 5263 - Special Education Funding

Changes the model on how special education funds are allocated to local school districts, removing the cap and hopefully reducing the need for school districts (which must provide special education) to dip into general education funds or run levies to support students needing these services.

SB 5501 - Driver License Requirements in Job Listings

Requires that job descriptions not include a requirement of having a driver's license if the functions of the job do not require driving.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1795 / SB 5654 - Reducing Use of Restraints and Isolation in Schools.

This bill would put in place more restrictions on when restraints and isolations can be used in schools as a way of managing student behavioral issues as well as improving staff & teacher training and providing more oversight. This is a major priority of disability rights and social justice organizations as these methods of behavioral control are disproportionately used on children with disabilities, in poverty or from frontline communities resulting in lifelong trauma that can affect their ability to have stable and free adult lives.

Economic Justice

ESHB 1296 - Protecting Students and Educating Them On Their Rights.

This bill would modify the 'parents bill of rights' initiatives passed last year to remove the harmful (and illegal) parts and reinforce protections from gender-expansive students. Schools must create and share promotional materials that inform students of their rights under this law and the constitution. This includes the right to access education without being discriminated against, the right to supportive services for students with disabilities, the right to attend a fully funded school, and the right to access a learning environment with historically and scientifically accurate information that includes the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups

We pushed hard to not cover the state budget gap by furloughing state workers and were successful!  We also helped push to close a variety of tax loopholes that were found to be ineffective and those were also approved.

Looking ahead to the 2026 WA Legislative session, here’s what we’re tracking:

HB 1661 / SB 5541 - Washington Future Fund Pilot

This bill created a pilot program to distribute additional support to adults who were born into low income families and are low-income as adults.  The grants can be used to pay for college, training, professional development, to purchase a residence, or to start a business.

HB 1404 / SB 5352 - Free School Breakfast And Lunch For All Students

Requires public schools to provide breakfast and lunch each school day to any requesting students, and at no charge to the students.  It also sets up the state funding mechanism to pay schools for these meals.

HB 1785 - Taxing Businesses That Have High Income Earners This is an excessive compensation tax on businesses that have executives with a pay ratio that is over 50 times median annual compensation of all other employees.  The tax is structured as a surcharge onto the taxes the business is already paying and that surcharge increases as the ratio of executive pay to the median employee increases (10% surcharge if the ratio is 50 to 150, 25% if the ratio is above 150).