Bills not moving forward this year
Mattress recycling – we hope to have a hearing after cutoff (HB 1901 – Concerning mattress producer responsibility organizations): Championed by Representative Hunt, this bill would establish an extended producer responsibility bill for mattresses.
STATUS: First reading, referred to Environment & Energy on February 7, 2025.
EV Battery recycling (SB 5586/ HB 1550 – Improving the end-of-life management of electric vehicle batteries): Championed by
Sen Derek Stanford and Rep. Chipalo Street, this bill is modeled after NJ law (2024) and bills in CA, NM, CO and NV and sets up a system for ensuring safe recycling or repurposing of EV batteries. EV battery providers would be responsible for responsibly recycling their electric vehicle (EV) batteries to ensure beneficial use of the valuable resources in those batteries. They would be responsible for the cost of collecting and transporting EV batteries from auto recyclers, vehicle wreckers, and other persons with batteries that request the battery provider retrieve the battery. If a battery is significantly modified or used for another purpose, such as energy storage at a solar farm, the responsibility shifts. All entities must manage EV batteries in a manner consistent with a battery waste management hierarchy. STATUS: SENATE: Removed from public hearing schedule in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 1:30 PM on February 11, 2025.
HOUSE: Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading on March 4, 2025.
Textile Producer Responsibility (HB 1420– Establishing producer responsibility for textiles): Championed by Rep. Reeves, this bill would set up an extended producer responsibility program for apparel and textiles and restricts toxic PFAS chemicals in textile products. Textiles and fashion, especially fast fashion, harms the environment, waterways, increases carbon emissions, and generates a very large load of waste when people are ready to dispose of items. This bill is modeled after the bill that passed recently in California and emphasizes repair and reuse.
STATUS: Referred to Appropriations on February 19, 2025.
Beverage deposit aka Bottle Bill (SB 5502 / HB 1607 – Concerning recycling and waste reduction): Championed by Senator Robinson and Representative Stonier, this bill would establish a system that facilitates the return of beverage containers, with a 10 cent refund.
STATUS:
SENATE: Placed on second reading by Rules Committee on March 7, 2025.
HOUSE: Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. on April 8, 2025.
Ban flavored vapes and other actions (SB 5803 / HB 2068 – Regulating tobacco and nicotine products): Led by Sen Nobles and Rep. Reeves, this bill would prohibit the sale, display, marketing, or advertising of any flavored tobacco or nicotine product or entertainment vapor product. It also would add an additional cigarette tax of $2 per pack of cigarettes, to be adjusted every three years for inflation and adjusts the tax on vapor products, tobacco products, and alternative nicotine products to be 95 percent of the taxable sales price. Vapes are an item that we find frequently in litter cleanups. STATUS: Senate: First reading, referred to Ways & Means on March 29, 2025. House: Heard in the House Committee on Finance at 10:00 AM on April 7, 2025.
Disclosure and tracking of fashion impacts – portion was amended into HB 1420 (HB 1107– Concerning the environmental impacts of fashion): Championed by Rep. Mena. Fashion retail sellers or fashion manufacturers with annual worldwide gross income greater than $100,000,000 must disclose its environmental due diligence policies, processes, and outcomes, including significant real or potential adverse environmental impacts and disclose targets for prevention and improvement.
STATUS: Heard in the House Committee on Environment & Energy at 1:30 PM on January 13, 2025.
Embodied carbon in buildings (includes reuse and salvage) (HB 1458 – Reducing embodied carbon emissions of buildings and building materials): Championed by Rep. Davina Duerr, this bill requires the state building code council shall adopt rules to set embodied carbon emissions reductions standards, and includes material reuse and salvage reporting guidance.
STATUS: Referred to Appropriations on February 27, 2025.
Promoting regenerative agriculture (SB 5474 / HB 1588 – Expanding opportunities for organic, regenerative, climate-smart, and sustainable producers): Championed by Senator Liias and Representative Bernbaum, this bill requires Department of Agriculture to develop an Organic Agriculture Action Plan, creates a microgrant program to support the growth of organic, regenerative, and sustainable climate-smart agriculture and allows modification of the organic certification fee schedule to decrease the financial burden of organic certification. Critical to regenerative agriculture is compost!
STATUS:
Senate: Referred to Ways & Means on February 21, 2025
House: Public hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources at 10:30 AM on February 11, 2025.
Utility waiver related to industrial symbiosis (HB 1302 – Concerning utility connection charge waivers): Led by Rep Cortes, this bill would allow municipal utilities to waive connection charges for properties owned or developed by public or private organizations that use the property for industrial symbiosis.
STATUS: Passed off House floor (93-1-0-4) on February 13, 2025.
In the Senate: Placed on second reading by Rules Committee on April 15, 2025.
Increase solid waste tax (HB 2018 – Concerning solid waste and establishing the local government solid waste assistance account): Led by Rep Doglio, this bill would increase the solid waste tax. STATUS: Referred to Committee on Finance on February 24, 2025.
Exempts materials from Asbestos law (HB 1857 – Concerning asbestos-containing building materials): Led by Rep. Ley, this bill would exempt commercial aggregates from restrictions pertaining to labeling and the use of asbestos-containing building materials. We don’t love this bill, but worked with proponents and the bill is now significantly limited in scope. STATUS: Passed off House floor (95-2-0-1) on March 12, 2025. In the Senate: Placed on second reading by Rules Committee on April 4, 2025.
State green schools program – never got a hearing (HB 1134 –
Promoting resource conservation practices in public schools): Led by
Rep Bergquist, this bill would establish a state green schools program in the office of the superintendent of public instruction to create and expand resource conservation practices in public schools, including: Waste reduction, energy reduction, water conservation, urban forestry education, and environmental preservation; and education and leadership opportunities for students seeking to promote conservation practices in their schools
STATUS: First reading, referred to Education on January 13, 2025.
EV Battery recycling (was replaced by similar bill HB1550) (
SB 5045 – Expanding the state battery stewardship program to include electric vehicle batteries): Championed by Sen Jeff Wilson, this bill adds EV batteries to existing battery recycling law.
STATUS: Heard in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM on January 22, 2025.
Litter penalties (was replaced by similar bill HB 1293) (HB 1236 – Increasing penalties for littering): Championed by Rep Klicker, this bill adds penalties together for littering in an amount less than or equal to one cubic foot.
STATUS: First reading, referred to Environment & Energy on January 13, 2025.
Replacement tire restrictions – we had concerns on this bill (HB 1041 –
Improving choices of replacement tires for consumers): Led by
Rep Walsh, this bill would prohibit state and local governmental agencies from regulating the use or sale of replacement tires, which means that energy saving requirements and restrictions on toxic chemicals, such as 6-PPD would not be allowed.
STATUS: First reading, referred to Environment & Energy on January 13, 2025.
Alternative to the Recycling Reform Act (see above) (
SB 5058 / HB 1071 –
Implementing strategies to achieve higher recycling rates within Washington’s existing solid waste management system): Championed by Sen. Chapman and Rep Fey. We strongly opposed this bill.
STATUS: Senate: Heard in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM on January 29, 2025.
House: Heard in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM on February 22, 2025.
Exempts Spokane’s Waste to Energy Facility from CCA (SB 5703 – Concerning fair treatment of municipal solid waste systems): Led by
Sen. Holy, this bill would exempt Spokane’s Waste to Energy Facility emissions from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Invest program from coverage until January 1, 2036. We and our environmental partners opposed this bill. STATUS: Passed to Rules Committee for second reading on February 28, 2025.