Equitable Expansions for Washington State
Watch our 2022 legislative session kick off video.
Welcome to Washington State's 2022 legislative session page! Here you can keep track of our calls to action, ways to get involved, and our legislative agenda. Bookmark this page and be sure to check back frequently! If you haven't already, please:
- Sign up here for the latest action alerts straight to your email inbox
- Get text alerts delivered straight to your fingertips
- Lastly, are you on Facebook? We have an online community for our Washington State members - join here!
The 2022 session is a short, 60-day session which means we only have a few weeks to make a big impact.
There will be a lot going on in the next legislative session and with this work, it's so critical that legislators are hearing from families like yours so they know where the gaps are as they set their priorities for 2022.
Scroll down to our resources where you will find updates, a legislator toolkit, our legislative agenda, story collection pages, and more as the legislative session progresses!
Bill Tracker
| Bill Number | BilL Description | PRO/CON | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1486 | Fixing outdated unemployment insurance laws that penalize working parents who lose their jobs because they lost child care. | We are PRO to expand unemployment insurance to include working families. | Did not pass. Made it to the House Floor Calendar, but was short on votes. |
| HB 2009 | Creating the evergreen basic income trust. | We are PRO to create a guaranteed basic income program. | Did not pass. Stalled in the House Committee on Housing, Human Services & Veterans. |
| HB 2096 | Fixing wording clarification and correcting editing errors in the Working Families Tax Credit policy. | We are PRO to ensure that the Working Families Tax Credit policy is clarified so that the Department of Revenue can effectively implement the credit. | Passed. For the next nine months leading up to 2023, MomsRising will be working with coalition partners to ensure an equitable and informative statewide roll out. |
| SB 5426 | Improving the equity of Washington state's tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets. | We are PRO on a 1% tax on financial assets in excess of $1 billion to fund public education, health care, and child care. | Did not pass. Stalled in Senate Ways & Means Committee. |
| SB 5463 | Exempting a portion of the valuation of residential property from property taxation. | We are CON to prevent future budget deficits and because there is no progressive revenue indicated. | Did not pass. Stalled in Senate Ways & Means Committee. |
| SB 5793 | Concerning stipends for low-income or underrepresented community members of state boards, commissions, councils, committees, and other similar groups. | We are PRO to reimburse people with lived experiences who serve on legislative work groups so their expertise and time is respected. | Passed. Stipends shall not exceed $200 for each day a person sits on a workgroup. $250,000 funded in budget for implementation of the bill. |
| SB 5769 | A tax cuts bill that would eliminate the capital gains tax and progressive investments into social safety nets, like the Fair Start for Kids Act. | We are CON to ensure future funding for the historic Fair Start for Kids Act. | Stalled in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade. Regarding the issue of capital gains, |
| HB 1888 | Allowing the department of revenue to adjust the rates of remittance reductions in the working families' tax credit in order to align with federal maximum qualifying income levels | We are PRO to ensure that the Working Families Tax Credit phases out effectively year to year. | Passed. For the next nine months leading up to 2023, MomsRising will be working with coalition partners to ensure an equitable and informative statewide roll out. |
| HB 1885 | Authorizing dental therapy statewide. | We are PRO to authorize dental therapy across Washington State. | Did not pass. |
| SB 5649 | Improving Washington's Paid Family & Medical Leave program with changes that center families, mothers, and caregivers. | We are PRO on expanding Paid Family and Medical Leave so that individuals are eligible for unemployment benefits if they voluntarily leave a position because of caregiving needs. | Expanded to include seven calendar days following the death of the family member. Passed funding for actuarial services and funding to stabilize the program. $350M included in the state budget. |
Updates
Feburary 24, 2022: SB 5793 will be heard in the Appropriations committee at 1:30pm & let our lawmakers know what we need in the final budget!
This bill is moving through! Let's make sure it passes and gets the funding it needs.
Please sign in PRO before 12pm TOMORROW! https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=House&mId=29842&aId=147413&caId=19922&tId=3
Take action here to let lawmakers know that BUDGETS ARE OUR FRIENDS and that they need to check on them to make sure the House and Senate budgets reflect the needs of families, mothers, caregivers, and children.
February 16, 2022: SB 5793 will be heard in the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee TOMORROW! February 17th, at 10am.
Can you take a moment to sign in PRO to let lawmakers know that contributing our lived experiences, time, and expertise is valuable!
This is all you need to do:
1. Select "PRO" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
February 7, 2022: Cut off date for bills to move out of fiscal committees (where lawmakers decide if state funds should go to the bills presented during the first half of session)
It's quiet right now because budget negotiations are happening before the Senate and House share their proposals next week!
January 31, 2022: BIG HEARINGS ALL WEEK and how to take action!
Tuesday, Feburary 1st 8am-10am: Guaranteed Basic Income hearing HB2009
Sign in PRO using this link.
1. Select "PRO" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Tuesday, Feburary 1st 1:30pm-3:30pm: Working Families Tax Credit Technical Fixes HB2096
Sign in PRO using this link.
1. Select "PRO" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Tuesday, Feburary 1st 4pm-6pm: Wealth Tax Hearing SB5426
Sign in PRO using this link.
1. Select "PRO" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Tuesday, Feburary 1st 4pm-6pm: Property Tax Exemption Hearing SB5463
Sign in CON using this link
1. Select "CON" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Friday, Feburary 4th 9am: Stipends for Lived Experiences Hearing SB5793
Sign in PRO using this link.
1. Select "PRO" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
January 25, 2022: Hearing on SB 5769 & thank you Scarlett and Cori!
Shout out to Scarlett for testifying on SB 5769 this morning and Cori for submitting written testimony! Thank you two for showing up for our families, caregivers, and children!
Cori's written testimony
My name is Cori Domschot, and I am the mother of two children aged 4 and 19 months. I am also a member of MomsRising, a grassroots advocacy organization that ensures that families, caregivers, and children can thrive. I am submitting written testimony in strong opposition of SB 5769.
Two years into this pandemic and corresponding economic hardship, we know folks in Washington are hurting. More than ever, we need to fully fund our schools, ensure quality healthcare for anyone who needs it, and provide stability for our families.
The capital gains tax passed last year was the most equitable change to our tax code in the last 80 years. With it came the promise of $500 million per year for child care, early learning, and other educational services. SB 5769 would be a huge blow to working parents, our kids, and communities across Washington.
As a working mother, I was unable to return to work after having my son due to the cost of childcare. Moreover, after having severe postpartum depression with my daughter, my husband was forced to quit his job to care for me and our family because childcare is unaffordable. For two months my family was divided with me being housed with my parents and them taking care of my daughter while I was at work. This limited the shifts I could take and the hours I could work.
We looked into part time childcare for our children so that my husband could easily accept interviews. For part time care for our daughter only it was over $600/week. That would mean my entire paycheck would go to my daughter being in care, this would not pay for after school care for my Autistic son. When I asked about subsidized childcare I was told I didn't qualify.
However, when the Fair Start for Kids Act passed last year along with Washington’s first ever capital gains tax which would fund the former, families like mine were ecstatic that there would be ongoing funding to meet the tremendous needs from working families across the state.
As you know, our tax code is upside down – the wealthiest people and companies are not required by Washington to contribute what they truly owe our communities in taxes. This means, even as our population has grown, legislators have not been able to write budgets to adequately meet our needs - today, parents can’t afford child care, kids are learning in crumbling schools, families are going hungry, and far too many are in danger of eviction or can’t find a home they can afford to begin with. Setting aside the one-time federal aid, our state’s operating budget is still smaller than it was before the great recession.
SB 5769 would impact progressive investments into social safety nets, like the Fair Start for Kids Act. The Fair Start for Kids Act will make child care more affordable and is an investment in working families like mine.
To this day unaffordable childcare still impacts my family and me. I continue to struggle to work my full time schedule around opportunities for my husband to return to the workforce.
If we are to truly address the immediate needs of our communities we must fund –not chip away at – the things that actually ensure the financial well-being of Washington families.
With Regards,
Cori Domschot
January 24, 2022: QUICK ACTION and how to watch the hearing on HB 1888!
Sign in CON on SB 5769 so that we MAINTAIN the capital gains tax which would ensure continued investments in early learning and childcare through the Fair Start for Kids Act.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=Senate...
1. Select "con" in position
2. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Lawmakers will be focusing on our state's tax system tomorrow from 8-10am and we need to let #WALeg know that we want progressive revenue policies to ensure that families, children, communities, and small businesses can thrive!
TUNE IN HERE to watch the hearing on HB 1888 at 10am!
January 20, 2022: SIGN IN PRO on HB 1888!
Do you remember our work in passing the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) last year?
Well, HB 1888, the bill to ensure a more equitable roll out of the WFTC, has been scheduled for a hearing on Monday, 1/24 @ 10:00am in the House Finance Committee! We need people to sign in “Pro” to let our lawmakers know that we want to remove as many barriers as possible for families to access this credit starting in 2023. Here's how you can do that:
- Go to: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=House...
- Select "pro" in position
- Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
January 19, 2022: Exciting news! Dental therapy now has a bill number -- HB 1885!
Let's work to pass HB 1885 so that we finally take the steps to address an inequitable oral health system.
How can you do this? Take a second to let our lawmakers know why this bill is a step in the right direction.
https://action.momsrising.org/.../2022.../
January 18, 2022: Follow SB 5793 on reimbursements for people with lived experience who serve on legislative work groups so their expertise and time is respected.
Have you been a part of a workgroup, committee, or panel with a state agency and had to jump through hoops to get a reimbursement, or participated without a stipend? This bill is hoping to change that! Sen. Wilson is sponsoring a bill to allow stipends for people with "lived experience" who participate on state boards, commissions, councils, committees and other similar groups. The bill is also posed to create a workgroup to actually create a process and policies for all state agencies to follow to create equity in this process!
AND ALSO IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, sign our petition to let our lawmakers know we what we need to happen this legislative session!
January 13, 2022: Hearing on expanding Paid Family and Medical Leave SB 5649.
SB 5649 would make more expansions to Paid Family and Medical Leave by:
Allowing people to apply up to 45 days in advance of an expected leave;
Extending family caregiving leaves up to 14 days after the death of the family member for whom the worker was providing care, or after the death of a newborn or stillborn child;
Allowing people to take medical leave during the first 6 weeks after giving birth without requiring additional medical certification.
Our leader Lauren highlighted the impact Paid Family and Medical Leave would have on families, mothers, and caregivers if applying to it was more streamlined and simple. Thank you for representing all of us and letting law makers know why we need to continue to make this program more accessible.
January 6, 2022: Help us show support on expanding Paid Family and Medical Leave SB 5649!
1. Go to: https://bit.ly/3GgoE8r
2. Select "pro" in position
3. Provide your name, email, city, state, zip code, and phone; you can write "Parent" OR "MomsRising member" for the organization
Resources
Legislative Toolkit (English)
Kit de herramientas legislativo (español)
The toolkit goes step by step in how to organize and have a successful meeting. There are scripts and templates you can use, so you don’t need to worry about planning word for word what you will say. In this toolkit, we also go into the issues we will focus on next session so you have a better idea of the issue areas we will advocate and organize for.
Legislative agenda (English)
Agenda legislativa (español)
Our legislative agenda next year will include new and equitable legislation and build upon our historic wins to ensure that they are accessible to as many families, mothers, and caregivers as possible.
By collecting stories, we can make sure lawmakers know what our communities exactly need. On our end, we will make sure that lawmakers receive your stories and advocate for us.