Successes in the 2020 Legislative Session

Your advocacy and support during the 2020 legislative session made significant, tangible changes for our neighbors and the environment in Washington state. Below is a snapshot of the bills that were either on our legislative agenda or on our support list, and we celebrate their passage. Thank you for promoting social justice and racial equity across our region! Download FAN’s 2020 Legislative Successes.

You advocated for economic justice:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (SHB 2441, Rep. Entenman and 2SSB 6478, Sen. Nguyen) – SHB 2441 increases access to TANF by reforming time limits and sanctions and addresses racial disparities. 2SSB 6478 reforms the standards for economic assistance programs.

Graduation, Reality, and Dual-role Skills (GRADS) bill (ESHB 2455, Rep. Kilduff) – Creates childcare opportunities for teenage parents to attend high school and create self-sufficiency.

SNAP Fruits & Vegetables Match Program – $1.3M as requested in the DSHS budget to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for SNAP eligible recipients.

WIC/Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (2SSB 6309, Sen. Leavitt) – Increases the Women, Infants & Children (WIC)/Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program voucher amount in Dept. of Health (DOH) to $32.

Working Connections Child Care bill (SHB 2456, Rep. Callan) – Extends the assistance received from the Working Connections Child Care program from the current 4 months to 12 months for families experiencing homelessness.

OSPI Community Eligibility Provision (ESHB 2660, Rep. Riccelli) – Increases access to free school meals for high-eligibility schools.

Your voice helped restore justice in the criminal justice system:

Clean Slate bill (2SHB 2793, Rep. Hansen) – Bill was amended to a pilot study program to streamline the vacating of certain criminal records by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Governor Islee vetoed the bill.

Bail Jumping bill (ESHB 2231 Rep. Pellicciotti) – Reforms our current bail system to create more racial, economic, and legal equity by allowing judges the right to determine consequences for missed court hearings, rather than prosecutors.

Juvenile Solitary Confinement bill (2SHB 2277, Rep. Peterson) – Bans the use of solitary confinement in our juvenile justice system.

You created paths to affordable and stable housing:

Housing Trust Fund $40M additional funding from Capital Budget to build and preserve affordable homes.

Rent Payment Installment bill (EHB 1694, Rep. Morgan) – Allows apartment move-in fees to be paid in installments.

Affordable Housing Sales Tax bill (HB 1590, Rep. Doglio) – Gives authority to city and county councils to increase local sales and use taxes by one tenth of one percent to dedicate to affordable housing.

Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) Shelter Penalty – Funding was given to the Dept. of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to eliminate the ABD Shelter penalty.

You helped mitigate the effects of climate change:

Sustainable Farms & Fields Program (2SSB 5947, Sen. McCoy) – Establishes a grant program to incentivize carbon sequestration by growers and food producers. This bill was notable for strong bi-partisan support and engaging FAN advocates and farmers in Eastern WA.

Plastic Bag Ban (ESSB 5323, Sen. Das) – Bans the sale of single-use plastic bags in all commercial outlets and establishes the price of a single paper bag at 8 cents.

You protected immigrant families and promoted civil rights in our state:

Courts Open to All (SHB 2567, Rep. Thai) – Prohibits federal immigration agents from communicating with and arresting undocumented people at and around county courthouses.

Private Detention bills (ESHB 2576, Rep. Ortiz-Self and ESSB 6442, Sen. Saldaña) – ESHB 2576 authorizes the Dept. of Health to study the effects of private detention in our state agencies. ESSB 6442 prohibits the Dept. of Corrections from using private contractors for out of state incarceration unless it is a Governor-declared emergency.

H-2A Agricultural Labor Restriction bill (ESSB 6261, Sen. McCoy) – Removes the nonprofit exemption from farm labor contracts to protect farm workers from unsafe practices and retaliation.

WA Office of Equity (E2SHB 1783, Rep. Gregerson) – Establishes a state racial equity office within the Governor’s office, the first of its kind in the nation. Governor Inslee partially vetoed.

Swatting bill (SHB 2632, Rep. Valdez) – Designates the false reporting of crimes or emergencies (swatting) as a felony offense.

Seattle Vocational Institute (SVI) Funding Increases funding for the continuing transformation of the Seattle Vocational Institute via the Central District Public Development Authority ($1.3M)

Tribal Regalia bill (ESHB 2551, Rep. Lekanoff) – Allows Native American students to wear their tribal regalia during their graduation ceremony.

Hair discrimination bill (HB 2602, Rep. Morgan) – Establishes hairstyles as a protected civil right, especially where African Americans and people of color frequently face discrimination.