2023 Legislative Agenda

In each category of our Legislative Agenda, we seek to advocate for systems and policies that advance social justice and racial equity. There will be updates and slight revisions to this agenda as the legislative session evolves. The annotated document linked below includes the values guiding our work, identifies some of our coalition partners, and includes a bit more detail about each bill. We will continue to add links to background information about the bills as it is released.

Download the abbreviated FAN 2023 Legislative Agenda – updated 2/10
Download the annotated version of the FAN 2023 Legislative Agenda

Promote Economic Justice

  • Working Families Tax Credit (HB 1075 Rep. Thai, SB 5249 Sen. Shewmake, and HB 1477 Rep. Thai) would fix and expand previous legislation to increase the number of eligible people and ensure that those who are eligible receive benefits in a timely manner and that the program works as intended.
  • Statewide Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) (HB 1045 Rep. Berry) would establish a pilot program to put cash into the pockets of people in communities experiencing economic instability.
  • Washington Future Fund “Baby Bonds” (HB 1094 Rep. Stonier, SB 5125 Sen. Trudeau,) would create funds that every child born under Medicaid could use as an adult for homeownership, education, or entrepreneurship.
  • Extreme Wealth Tax (HB 1473 Rep. Thai, SB 5486 Sen. Frame) would ensure that the very wealthiest in our state pay  more of their fair share through a property tax on financial property such as corporate stocks and bonds.
  • Repeal Statewide Advisory Votes (HB 1158 Rep. Walen, SB 5082 Sen. Kuderer) would end nonbinding advisory votes on the ballot and add fiscal information to statewide voter’s pamphlets.

Protect and Expand the Social Safety Net

  • Free School Meals for All Students (HB 1238 Rep. Ricelli, SB 5339 Sen. Nobles, OSPI) would provide meals as part of the right to education, creating a pathway to ending child hunger and easing the financial burden on families.
  • Hunger Free College Campus (HB 1559 Rep. Entenman, SB 5566 Sen. Shewmake) would ensure that all students receiving food stamps have a Basic Food, Employment, and Training program (BFET) navigator to help them gain access to support services.
  • Concerning Hunger Relief (HB 1784 Rep. Gregerson) would provide funding to food banks, support senior meals, and invest in the fruit and vegetables incentive, to replace federal pandemic food benefits that have ended.
  • Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) improvements (HB 1447, Rep. Peterson) Strengthening the ability of TANF to meet foundational needs of children and families through various fixes.
  • Aging, Blind, Disabled (ABD) program. (HB 1260, Rep. Alvarado, SB 5480, Sen. Kauffman) End requirement that extremely low-income, disabled people pay back ABD benefits.

Reform the Criminal Justice System

  • Solitary Confinement Reform (HB 1087 Rep. Peterson, SB 5135 Sen. C Wilson) would reform solitary confinement practices in Washington prisons to make them more humane.
  • Real Labor, Real Wages Act (HB 1024 Rep. Simmons) would require that workers incarcerated in Washington prisons be paid minimum wage and provide for reporting to the legislature regarding money owed to these workers.
  • Repealing Unconstitutional Statutes in State Law including the Death Penalty (HB 1090 Rep. Orwall, SB 5087 Sen. Pedersen) would remove language from the Revised Code of Washington that has been identified by the justices of the state supreme court and/or judges of the superior courts as defects and omissions in the laws.

Increase Gun Responsibility and Protect Public Safety

  • Establishing Firearms-Related Safety Measures to Increase Public Safety (HB 1240 Rep. Peterson, SB 5265 Sen. Kuderer) would prohibit the sale, manufacture, transport, and import (but not possession) of assault weapons in Washington, while allowing reasonable exemptions for law enforcement and the military.
  • Firearm Industry Responsibility & Gun Violence Victims’ Access to Justice Act (HB 1130 Rep. Hackney, SB 5078 Sen. Pedersen) would require the firearms industry to establish, implement, enforce reasonable controls.
  • Require a Permit to Purchase Firearms (HB 1143 Rep. Berry, SB 5211 Sen. Liias) would require a comprehensive background check, safety training, and waiting period to purchase a firearm in WA.
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & People (MMIWP) Cold Case Unit (HB 1177 Rep. Lekanoff, SB 5137 Sen. Dhingra) would create a cold case investigations unit within the Office of the Attorney General.
  • AG Investigations & Reform (HB 1445 Rep. Drew Hansen) would empower the Attorney General’s office to investigate and take action on patterns and practices of misconduct at law enforcement agencies, to root out systemic civil rights violations.
  • Access to Fairness Act (HB 1025 Rep. Thai) would authorize victims of police misconduct and their families to sue for violations of state laws, without federal shield of qualified immunity.
  • Independent Prosecutor for Deadly Force (HB 1579 Rep. Stonier) would establish a mechanism for independent prosecutions within the office of the Attorney General of criminal conduct arising from police use of force.
  • Traffic Safety For All (HB 1513 Rep. Street) would end stops for non-moving violations, to reduce disproportionate impacts on communities of color.
  • Bias Incident Hotline (SB 5427 Sen. Valdez, HB 1410 Rep. Hansen) would establish a reporting hotline, track hate crimes and bias incidents, and create an assistance fund.

Provide Affordable Housing

  • Reducing Homelessness in Washington (HB 1149 Rep. Tharinger, SB 5202 Sen. Trudeau) would address housing insecurity through capital expenditures for building and preservation programs.
  • Addressing Equity in Housing (Budget) would provide $8 million to BIPOC-led organizations for organizational support and capacity building, to address inequitable access to Housing Trust fund.
  • Increasing Funding for the Tenancy Preservation Program and the Landlord Mitigation Fund (Budget) would provide $10 million to address the backlog and prevent many tenants from eviction.
  • Increasing Funding for Organizations with Human Services Contracts Providing Affordable Housing and Homelessness Services would address the frontline workforce crisis.
  • Increasing Funding to the Housing Trust Fund (Budget) would provide $400 million to build and preserve permanently affordable homes.
  • Addressing Excessive Rent Increases (HB 1124 Rep. Peterson) would protect tenants from excessive rent hikes and related fees by: providing at least six months’ notice for rent increases over a certain amount, giving tenants the right to terminate a tenancy without penalty, and limiting late fees.
  • Concerning Residential Rent Increases (HB 1389 Rep. Ramel, SB 5435 Sen. Trudeau) would incorporate legislative limits on rent increases to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act.
  • Protecting Renters (HB 1388 Rep. Macri) would prohibit predatory residential rent practices, enforce landlord obligations under the Residential Landlord Tenant Act, and create a process for tenants to use when landlords does not fulfill their basic obligations.

Address Climate Change and Environmental Justice

  • Addressing Climate Change and Resiliency (HB 1181 Rep. Duerr, SB 5203 Sen. Lovelett) would improve the state’s climate response by updating its comprehensive planning framework.
  • Environmental Justice in the Growth Management Act (HB 1732 Rep. Duerr, SB 5651 Sen. Lovelett) would require that both climate change and environmental justice are explicitly addressed in local comprehensive planning, with specific goals, progress reports, and measures to reduce impacts and disparities. Building on Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act requirements passed in 2021, this bill would enhance HB 1181/SB 5203 by ensuring that overburdened communities and populations vulnerable to climate change are specifically considered as a priority, not as an afterthought or sacrifice.
  • Washington Recycling and Packaging Act (WRAP Act) (HB 1131 Rep. Berry, SB 5154 Sen. Rolfes) would create graduated fees for packaging manufacturers based on how reusable, compostable, or recyclable their products are.
  • Extreme Heat Utility Shutoff Moratorium (HB 1329 Rep. Mena, SB 5366 Sen. Nguyen) would prohibit utility providers from discontinuing electric and drinking water services to residential customers during extreme heat.
  • Improving Climate Resilience (HB 1170 Rep. Street, SB 5093 Sen. Rolfes) would ensure that frontline communities are prioritized and decarbonization goals are met when building upon recent years’ clean energy and climate commitment legislation.
  • Ensuring Restoration of Salmon and Protection of Orcas for future generations would prioritize collaboration with Washington’s tribes

Protect Healthcare Access

  • Healthcare Equity for Immigrants Campaign (HEIC) Fund would help create a health coverage program by 2024 for people who are ineligible for federal assistance.
  • Keep Our Care Act (HB 1263 Rep. Simmons, SB 5241 Sen. Randall) would require the Attorney General’s oversight of health entity consolidations to ensure that they improve rather than harm access to affordable quality care.
  • Safe Health Care Staffing (SB 5236 Sen. Robinson) to establish minimum staffing standards, improve rest/meal breaks, create overtime provisions to improve worker safety and patient care.
  • Shield Law (HB 1469 Rep. Hansen, SB 5489 Sen. Trudeau) would protect reproductive care patients and providers from out-of-state legal action.

Support Immigrant and Refugee Rights

  • Additional State Funding for Refugees and Refugee-Serving Organizations would include providing legal services to those in need.
  • Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers (HB 1095 Rep. Walen, SB 5109 Sen. Saldaña) would create a permanent, separate unemployment system for benefits to undocumented workers.
  • Healthcare Equity for Immigrants Campaign (HEIC) Fund would help create a health coverage program by 2024 for people who are ineligible for federal assistance.