Gov. Jay Inslee signs Substitute House Bill 1438, sponsored by Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, during a ceremony May 10.
North County lawmakers saw four more bills they brought forth in the 2021 legislative session get Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature last week. The bills dealt with expanding property tax exemptions for seniors and disabled vets, and allowing federal projects on the Columbia River to be fast-tracked, among others.
Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, had two bills he primarily sponsored this session receive Inslee’s signature, both signed May 10.
Substitute House Bill 1438 expands eligibility for property tax exemptions for senior citizens and disabled veterans who spend much of their income on medical equipment and services. The bill allows for deductions when calculating income for the exemption, including insulin, prosthetics, kidney dialysis devices and mobility enhancing equipment, among others.
Testimony in support of the bill included in the legislation’s report to the Washington State Senate called SHB 1438 “an important and much needed change to the program,” explaining it wasn’t uncommon for an individual to become ill and no longer qualify for the exemption. Other testimony indicated the change in law was based on an idea from county assessors, adding the legislation was “a more targeted approach” for individuals who are above the current income threshold but incur significant medical expenses.
Orcutt’s other bill, Substitute House Bill 1250, designates Washington as a Purple Heart State, recognizing the military award given to those who served that were injured in combat. The legislation allows the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to put up signs recognizing that Washington is a Purple Heart State, and to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to the state having the designation, according to a bill report.
Currently, Lewis and Thurston counties already have the designation, though the legislation declares the entirety of Washington as a Purple Heart State. The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature unanimously.
Sen. Ann Rivers’ Substitute Senate Bill 5423 allows for more telemedicine consultations throughout the state. It passed unanimously through the state House and Senate. In a release from her office, Rivers, R-La Center, said the bill would allow out-of-state licensed medical practitioners to consult with ones in Washington when diagnosing or treating patients.
Rivers said that expanding access to health care for state residents through telemedicine has been a goal of state Republicans for years.
“To me, it’s a convenient way to bring in outside medical expertise,” Rivers said in the release, “and this piece of legislation is so appropriate for 2021, considering how many things are being done ‘virtually’ these days.”
Rep. Larry Hoff also got a bill signed on May 13 by the governor.
Substitute House Bill 1193 deals with the ability for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to do projects on the Columbia River. The bill exempts the Army Corps from certain permit requirements in the state’s Shoreline Management Act, as long as the Corps’ plans go through national and state environmental policy review and applications for a state water quality certification under the federal Clean Water Act, a release from Hoff’s office stated.
“Periodically, navigation channels leading to deepwater ports on the Columbia River need to be dredged to ensure safe passage for vessels carrying our crops and goods to market,” Hoff, R-Vancouver, said in the release. “This bill will enable the United States Army Corps of Engineers to quickly dispose of dredge spoil and keep our region’s most critical marine highway running smoothly. That’s important not just for Washington’s economic recovery, but for the nation’s.”
The release noted the Columbia River shipping channel supports thousands of jobs in the state and facilitates the movement of more than $21 billion in cargo every year. The bill was unanimously approved by both chambers and will go into effect in July.
