Bills from local lawmakers in House and Senate pass floor votes

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The deadline for bills in the Washington State Legislature to pass their house of origin is looming and lawmakers representing North Clark County saw several pieces of legislation move on last week.

Bills from 18th District representatives  pass House

State Rep. Greg Cheney saw his first bill pass a floor vote last week. House Bill 1797 would allow appraisers to evaluate real estate for financial institutions without doing a full appraisal, according to a release from the Washington State House Republicans.

Cheney, R-Battle Ground, said the bill would expand services appraisers can offer clients and would make it easier for the industry to get evaluations. An evaluation can currently be done by a number of different individuals, but not appraisers.

“Technically speaking, an appraiser is significantly overqualified to offer real estate evaluations, but existing state law forbids them from doing so. My bill corrects this oversight,” Cheney stated in the release. “This is a win-win for appraisers, lenders and buyers.”

HB 1797 passed 95-0 in a House floor vote on Feb. 27. It has been referred to the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee.

Cheney’s seatmate and fellow freshman lawmaker representing the 18th Legislative District also saw her first bill pass the House floor.

State Rep. Stephanie McClintock’s House Bill 1301 would require the Department of Licensing to review and analyze one-fifth of the professional licenses it regulates each year. It would also require the department to submit an annual report to the Legislature, which includes recommendations on if those reviewed licenses should be terminated, continued or modified.

The review process is intended to identify ways to make licensing more efficient, McClintock, R-Vancouver, stated in a Washington State House Republicans release.

“Government regulations and the licensing process should not be roadblocks to people finding a new job or expanding their opportunities for advancement,” McClintock said. “This policy helps prioritize getting people into the workforce and makes the licensing process less cumbersome, which should be the goal. I’m excited to see this legislation move forward.”

House Bill 1301 passed 96-0 in a House floor vote March 4 and now heads to the Senate.

Senate passes two of Rivers’ bills

The 18th Legislative District’s senior member had bills pass a floor vote as well. Senate Bill 5069 and Senate Bill 5163, introduced by State Sen. Ann Rivers, moved onto the House last week.

Senate Bill 5163 deals with fraud complaints against Medicaid-reimbursed care providers. Rivers, R-La Center, said a fraud complaint law dating back to 2012 allowed both the state attorney general and private citizens to file complaints against providers over suspected fraud.

“A decade later, we know the fraud-complaint law has been tremendously effective,” Rivers stated in a Washington State Senate Republicans release. “Frivolous complaints have not been a problem and my bill would update the law to reflect that.”

Rivers said the bill “sends a clear message” to providers who would take health care dollars away from patient care.

The bill passed 48-0 in the Senate on Feb. 27. It is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights and Judiciary on March 8.

Senate Bill 5069 would allow Washington’s governor to enter into agreements with other states regarding commerce in cannabis across state lines. The legislation anticipates the potential federal legalization of cannabis.



With the steady growth of the cannabis industry in Washington since voters approved to legalize it in 2012, Rivers said it is important to have a policy framework in place should the industry be allowed on the federal level.

“Should we see action from the ‘other Washington’ while the Legislature is not in session, the governor would then be able to step in and make sure both Washington’s market and its consumers are protected,” Rivers said.

The bill passed the Senate 40-8 and has been referred to the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee.

“There’s really nothing unusual about the policy itself, as it could apply to any sector of the economy, but the word ‘cannabis’ still attracts attention,” Rivers said in the release.

Waters sees two bills pass House

Another freshman lawmaker representing Clark County had his first bills move onto the other chamber.

State Rep. Kevin Waters saw House Bill 1772 and House Bill 1731 pass House floor votes last week.

House Bill 1772 would make it illegal in Washington to manufacture, import, offer or sell a consumable product that contains cannabis or any form of THC in combination with beer, wine, spirits, or any other type of liquor in the same product, a Washington State House Republicans release stated.

The bill hit close to home for Waters, R-Stevenson. He said in the release that a high school student in his district died because of a driver who combined alcohol and THC.

“Cannabis and alcohol are both depressant drugs and the Food and Drug Administration warns that alcohol may worsen sedation and drowsiness when combined with THC,” Waters said. “Brewers agree these types of products are inappropriate and they support a ban.”

Waters said the bill would help Washington get ahead of concerns that combination products of alcohol and cannabis could become more prevalent.

The bill passed 94-3 in a House floor vote Feb. 28. It was referred to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

Three days later, Waters’ House Bill 1731 passed the House 90-7. If signed into law, the bill would allow short-term rental operators to offer complimentary wine to guests.

The bill creates an annual $75 permit issued by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board for individuals who rent properties through Airbnb. Waters said many rental operators are already offering wine to guests, unintentionally breaking the law.

Currently, bed-and-breakfast facilities in Washington can give guests wine through a similar $75 permit. There would be around 300 operators eligible for the permit each year and the fees collected would go to the state’s tourism marketing account.

“This bill is a way to help short-term rental operators trying to do a nice thing for guests by providing a service,” Waters said. “Rental guests appreciate the gesture and it helps the hospitality industry in Washington.”

House Bill 1731 now sits in the Senate for further consideration.