2025 Legislative Agenda

Each year we shape our legislative priorities alongside our coalition partners, statewide network, FAN Policy Committee, and FAN Governing Board. We seek to advocate for and implement policies that advance our values grounded in faith and spirituality: belonging and human dignity, justice and equity, interconnectedness, collaboration and pluralism.

Download the Legislative Agenda which focused on critical actions for the remaining month of the legislative session. (March 28, 2025)

View our 2025 Legislative Successes here!

Promote Economic Justice & Equity

    • Support Progressive Revenue:
      • Fund our Future with a Tax on Financial Assets (SB 5797 Frame/HB 2046: Berg): Fund public schools and special education services by establishing a tax on certain financial assets (stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, and mutual funds) held by individuals with more than $50 million of these assets, raising several billion dollars a year.
      • High Earners Payroll Tax on Employers (SB 5796 Saldaña): Fund social safety programs, public schools and healthcare by requiring payroll taxes on employee salaries above $176,100, which are currently exempt. Would bring in about $4 billion annually.
      • Investing in Washington families by restructuring the business and occupation tax (HB 2045, Fitzgibbon): Makes B&O tax code more progressive by introducing a 1% surcharge on annual taxable business profits income over $250 million, and increases surcharge paid by banks with more than $1 billion in annual profits from 1.2% to 1.9%. Increases revenue by more than $2 billion per year to support public programs.
      • Affordable Homes Act (REET Reform) (HB 2027): Creates a permanent funding source for supportive housing by adding a transfer tax to the sale of multi-million-dollar homes while lowering rates for homes under $3 million. Would help fund housing for people with disabilities, low-income renters, and farm workers.
    • Unemployment insurance benefits (SB 5041 Riccelli): Allows individuals unemployed due to a labor strike or lockout to receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits
    • Extend Funding for Food Banks and Senior Nutrition Programs (budget): Fully fund senior nutrition programs at $35.4 million and maintain support for food banks and pantries with $93.25 million for food banks and $6 million for produce incentives.

Strengthen Climate Justice and Environmental Stewardship

  • Recycling Reform Act (SB 5284 Lovelett): Hold packaging and paper product companies accountable for funding recycling programs. Ensure consistent, accessible recycling for all residents while reducing plastic pollution and waste.
  • Protecting Climate Progress: (budget): Protect Climate Commitment Acts funds from being redirected to the General Fund and ensure appropriations of CCA funding for: 100% clean school buses ($20 million); zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle voucher program ($200 million), and EV charging at multi-family residences and fleet depots ($165 million). Invest CCA funds also in popular EV rebates for low-income Washingtonians ($105 million).

Advance Immigrant and Refugee Rights

    • Preserving Immigrant Health Equity (budget): Appropriate $152.4 million to fund Apple Health expansion and enhanced Cascade Care subsidies to cover at least the 12,000 immigrants who were finally able to obtain health coverage last year
    • WA Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support (budget):  Appropriate $25 million to fund services promoting economic stability, employment support, legal help and long-term integration for immigrants and refugees
    • Legal Aid for Low-Income Immigrants (budget): Appropriate $18 million to provides immigration legal services and deportation defense, with a focus on full direct representation to Washington residents with no or low income facing deportation or at high risk of being deported
    • Private Detention Facilities Accountability and Transparency (E2SHB 1232 Ortiz-Self): Modifies operational standards for private detention facilities and allows the Department of Health to conduct inspections and take enforcement action in certain circumstances

Increase Safe Affordable Housing and Prevent Homelessness

  • Rent Stabilization (HB 1217 Macri): Protect tenants from excessive rent increases by implementing a 7% limit on annual rent increases for existing tenants and manufactured homeowners.
  • Housing Trust Fund (budget): Allocate $536 million in capital budget to support/preserve low-income housing.
  • Prevent Cuts to Homeless Services (budget): Invest $253 million in operating budget to prevent cuts to homeless and housing services.

Foster Community Safety, Democracy and Civil Rights

  • Protections for Students (SB 5123 Nobles): Expands protections for K-12 public school students related to gender expression and identity, housing status, ethnicity, neurodivergence and immigration status.
  • Prohibiting Interference with Access to a Place of Worship (SB 5436 Solomon): Bars harassment or intimidation near a house of worship
  • Permit to Purchase Firearms (HB 1163 Berry): Implement a comprehensive permit system for firearm purchases. This proven life-saving tool reduces firearm-related deaths and curbs illegal gun trafficking.
  • State Recognition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (SB 5106 Trudeau): Establish these religious days as state-recognized unpaid holidays
  • Funding the Bias Incidents Hotline with $600,000 (budget) 
  • Appropriating $1 million for Non-Profit Security Grants program (budget)

Reform Our Incarceration System

  • Fair Chance Employment Act (HB 1747, Ortiz-Self): Limits the barriers to accessing employment by creating a fairer application process for people with prior convictions, with a required interactive process between the potential employer and employee

Expand Access to Health Care

  • Improving Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services (HB 1432 Simmons): Helps enforce insurance coverage parity of mental and behavioral health.
  • Universal Health Care (SB 5233 Hasegawa): Requests that the federal government create a universal health care program or allow Washington State to implement a universal health system by reducing barriers or granting appropriate waivers.
  • Maintain Funding for Mental and Behavioral Health Services (budget): Including $500,000 for NAMI WA peer-led community-based programs and $125,000 for expansion of NAMI WA outreach and services in rural areas with a focus on Latino, Native American and agricultural communities