FAN Staff, Kristin Ang stands with Rep. Chris Stearns on the House floor.

TAKE ACTION BY SIGNING IN FOR BILL HEARINGS

Your support is essential—sign-in PRO to advocate for policies that uplift Washington’s communities! Be sure to sign in at least one hour before the hearing.

SB 5380 Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act prioritizes environmental justice by considering cumulative pollution impacts on highly impacted communities in permitting processes. Senate Environment & Energy Committee on 2/21 at 10:30 AM. Sign-In Pro Here.

SB 5714, Declaring civil immigration enforcement as unprofessional conduct of bail bond recovery agents. This means that if a bail bond recovery agent uses their position to enforce civil immigration laws, they could face disciplinary actions from the Department of Licensing (DOL), such as license suspension, revocation, fines, or other corrective measures. The bill aims to delineate the responsibilities of bail bond recovery agents, emphasizing that their role does not encompass the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws. Senate Law & Justice on 2/17 at 10:30 AM. Sign-In Pro Here.

TAKE ACTION BY ENCOURAGING COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO VOTE THESE BILLS OUT OF COMMITTEE 

Please reach out to committee members to express support and encourage a YES vote during these upcoming Executive Sessions. If you have a question regarding committee members, please e-mail our office at fan@fanwa.org. For any of these, follow these links to send a comment to your legislators or call the legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000.

HB 1432 Improving Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services. Helps enforce insurance coverage parity of mental and behavioral health. House Healthcare & Wellness on 2/18 at 1:30 PM to your legislator. Send a comment to your legislator.

HB 1881 Keep Our Care Act. Prohibits transactions among health care entities that would detrimentally affect accessible affordable health care in WA for at least five years, including primary, behavioral health, reproductive health, gender-affirming, and end-of-life care. House Civil Rights & Judiciary on 2/19 at 8:00 AM. Send a comment to your legislator.

SB 5222 Rent Stabilization to improve Housing Stability for Tenants. Aims to limit rent and fee increases, require advance notice for rent hikes, and cap security deposits and fees. This bill also establishes a landlord resource center and provides Attorney General enforcement to protect tenants from predatory practices. Senate Housing on 2/19 at 10:30 AM. Send a comment to your legislator.

HB 1859 Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing Developments by Religious Organizations. Allows an increased density bonus for any affordable single- or multi-family housing development (with at least 20% for low-income households) located on property owned or controlled by a religious organization. House Committee on Housing on 2/20 at 8:00 AM. Send a comment to your legislator.

SB 5626 Wage Replacement for Excluded Undocumented Workers expands unemployment benefits to include undocumented workers. This bill creates a state-funded wage replacement program to ensure that all workers—regardless of immigration status—have economic stability during periods of unemployment. Excluding these workers increases poverty, harms families, and weakens local economies. Senate Labor & Commerce on 2/21 at 8:00 AM. Send a comment to your legislator.

HB 1463 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Time Limit Exemptions reinstates TANF hardship time limit exemptions to ensure help for all families who need it and to increase equitable access. The House Committee on Early Learning has had a hearing but not scheduled an executive session. Encourage them to do so. Send a comment.

*** The Policy Cutoff deadline is February 21, requiring bills to advance out of policy committees in their house of origin unless deemed necessary to implement the budget. If there are other bills you are advocating for, encourage committee members to move them out of committee by this deadline.

TAKE ACTION BY PERSONALIZING AND SIGNING FAN'S NEW LETTER ON PROGRESSIVE REVENUE

Earlier this year, Washingtonians learned that there is a projected $12 billion shortfall in the state budget over the next 4 years. We remember the last budget deficit during the 2008 recession, when legislators balanced the budget by cutting services and programs that were critical for working families and those living on the economic edge. As people of faith and conscience, we want to make sure this approach is not repeated. Instead we are urging legislators to seek progressive sources of revenue that will help Washington create a sustainable budget, preserve programs that enhance our quality of life, and ensure a more equitable tax code. Let’s fill legislators’ inboxes!

TAKE ACTION ON ANY OF FAN'S BILLS ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BY WRITING YOUR LEGISLATORS. 

Go to our Bill Tracker or our Legislative Agenda and click on a bill you care about. It will take you to the legislative website where you can click "Send a comment on this bill to your legislators."

FAN is committed to advancing policies that promote justice, equity, sustainability and dignity for all Washingtonians. We encourage our network to stay engaged and continue advocating for these important legislative priorities.

Registration for Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia on Thursday February 20 is now at capacity.

Week 5 Legislative Recap

As we conclude the fifth week of the legislative session, FAN remains committed to advocating for policies that advance justice, dignity, and equity across Washington State. Several key bills were heard in committee this week, reflecting our priorities in healthcare access, economic justice, housing, and human rights.

Feb 11, 2025: HB 1881 (Keep Our Care Act) - Protecting Healthcare Access 

The House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee heard HB 1881, introduced by Rep. Jamila Taylor, to ensure healthcare mergers and acquisitions do not compromise access to essential services such as reproductive health, gender-affirming care, and end-of-life options.

Key provisions include 

• Enhanced oversight requiring healthcare entities to notify the Attorney General before major transactions. 
• Health equity assessments to evaluate impacts on marginalized communities. 
• Public participation through hearings and comment periods. 
• Attorney General authority to approve, modify, or reject transactions based on healthcare access, affordability, and equity.

Healthcare mergers often lead to increased costs and reduced services, especially in rural and low-income communities. HB 1881 ensures corporate decisions do not undermine equitable healthcare access. 

HB 1463 (TANF Time Limit Exemptions) - Expanding Support for Families 

The House Early Learning & Human Services Committee heard HB 1463, sponsored by Rep. Cortes, to expand time limit exemptions for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. This bill ensures that families in need, especially those facing systemic barriers, can continue receiving critical financial support. FAN supports HB 1463 to promote economic justice and family stability.

Feb 12, 2025: HB 1380 (Safe Spaces, Strong Communities Act) - Ensuring Fair Treatment of Unhoused Individuals 

The House Appropriations Committee heard HB 1380, sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson, which regulates how local governments manage public spaces in relation to people experiencing homelessness. The bill requires regulations on activities like sitting, lying, and sleeping outdoors to be "objectively reasonable" based on time, place, and manner. It also provides an affirmative defense for individuals if local laws are deemed unreasonable.

By balancing public space management with human dignity, HB 1380 ensures policies do not criminalize poverty. 

Feb 13, 2025: HB 1859 Empowering Faith Communities to Build Affordable Housing 

FAN’s Policy Engagement Director, Kristin Ang, testified in strong support of HB 1859, sponsored by Rep. Salahuddin, which expands opportunities for faith communities to develop affordable housing by increasing density bonuses for housing on religiously owned land. It also ensures affordability for at least 50 years to serve low-income families long-term. Faith communities like Shiloh Baptist Church in Tacoma and Luther Memorial with Compass Housing in Seattle are already leading affordable housing initiatives. HB 1859 removes roadblocks so more faith-based organizations can join the solution. 

Looking Ahead – Policy Cutoff Approaches

With the Policy Cutoff deadline on February 21, bills must pass out of their policy committees to stay alive unless they are deemed necessary to implement the budget. If you are advocating for a bill, now is the time to urge committee members to move it forward! FAN will continue tracking legislation and mobilizing support for policies that align with our mission.

Thank you for your continued advocacy. Together, we are making an impact!

Look for more days to be listed as the session progresses!

Monday, February 17, in-person. APRI, Annual Charles Roland African American Legislative Day. Learn more here.

Monday, February 17, 8:00-4:00pm, in-person. NAMI-Washington Lobby Day. Register here.

Thursday, February 20, 9:00am-3:00pm, in-person. IFAD 2025, registration at capacity.

Friday, March 14, 10:00am-4:00pm, in-person. WLIHA Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. Register here.

Monday, February 17, 2025, 12-3pm, We are Spokane March, in-person. The Red Wagon at Riverfront Park, 507 N Howard St., Spokane WA 99201. Come together with Spokane Community Against Racism, Thrive International, The Way to Justice, and other community organizations and leaders to call on Spokane County and the City of Spokane to enact protections that protect identities and livelihoods under threat from the federal administration.

Saturday, March 1, 2025, Yakima Advocacy Day, in-person. Location TBA. Save the date for this annual event with Yakima Association of Faith Communities, Between the Ridges Alliance for the Common Good, and more community partners. More information to come.

Sunday, March 9, 2025, 12:30-1:45pm, Lunch & Learn: Climate Safe Investing Pt. 1, in-person and online. First United Methodist Church, 180 Denny Way Seattle. Join to learn from Michael Richardson, co-facilitator of Third Act Upstate New York and seasoned source of knowledge and support on green investments, will present an overview of climate safe investing, ranging from the selection of personal investments to shareholder advocacy. You will also learn from Anne Shields, a Third Act Washington activist, who will present about the Costco Climate Shareholders Club, a group of U.S. investors concerned about Costco’s credit card partnership with Citibank, one of the biggest global funders of the oil, gas, and coal industries contributing to climate change. Anne will also share other ways for investors and other shareholders to use their proxy votes to address climate change. To register, visit this link.  After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link.

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