Governor Ferguson created a Data Center Workgroup to discuss and highlight key issues for the state in regulating data centers and protecting the climate. What are data centers? Data centers house IT infrastructure. They store, process, and distribute huge amounts of data used by applications, websites, and cloud services. Data centers require an enormous amount of electricity and water to power and cool the processors. Dangers of Data Centers include:

• Continued Burning of Fossil Fuels

• Wasting Resources and Undermining Hanford Clean-up by installing modular nuclear reactors along the Columbia to power the data centers

• Threats to Clean Water and Salmon Recovery by pollutants used to keep data centers cool

• Rising electricity costs

The following questions should be asked of any potential legislation related to data centers:

• How will the state ensure that it will reach the goals of the Climate Commitment Act?

• How will it ensure that our greenhouse gas emissions continue to decline as fast or faster than today?

• What justifies a tax incentive or any other subsidy for data centers?

Paid Family & Medical Leave has strengthened family health and economic security in Washington since 2020. Now in the wake of federal cuts and attacks it is especially critical. We need to act in 2026 to protect our state’s most popular program and ensure its long-term success.

• Since PFML benefits began in 2020, hundreds of thousands of Washington workers and familie have been able to take parental leave, time to heal from surgeries or recover from cancer, or time to be with loved ones during a health crises – without falling into a family financial crisis. However, the current funding formula does not follow actuarial best practices, and restrictions on premium revenues will not allow the program’s trust fund to keep up with projected program growth.

• Changing to an actuarial rate setting method (SB 5292, Conway), lifting the cap on the taxable wage base, and modestly raising the maximum premium rate will provide sound financing so that PFML continues supporting healthier families in Washington far into the future.

• SB 5292 (Conway) passed the Senate last year with bipartisan support and will return in 2026. We expect bills on premium taxable wage base and rate caps to be introduced shortly.

In 2025, the bill passed Senate Ways & Means, but did not pass out of Rules.

The Working Families Tax Credit, passed in 2021, helps mitigate the regressivity of Washington’s tax code by providing modest credits to low- and moderate-income state residents. Currently the credit is restricted to 25–64-year-olds. Extending it to all income qualifying residents over 18 will give a financial boost to younger and older Washingtonians struggling with affordability.

• The Working Families Tax Credit program is administered by the Department of Revenue. Income eligibility is based on eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is established by the federal government.

  • Combat Washington’s regressive tax code

  • Provide financial stability to young adults (18-24) and seniors (65+)

  • Reduce poverty

Sponsors: Senators Lovelett, Trudeau, Hasegawa, Nobles, Saldana, Stanford, Valdez;

Representatives Mena, Berry, Reeves, Redd, Ormsby, Salahuddin, Ramel, Pollet, Nance, Doglio and

Scott.

Formerly known as the Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act. SB 5380/HB 1303 focus on integrating environmental justice into the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

• No matter who you are or where you live, we all deserve to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and be safe from toxic pollution. But across Washington State, communities of color and Indigenous peoples carry the greatest burden when it comes to environmental pollution, affecting their health, well-being, and life expectancy.

• Why do our frontline communities face these challenges? It’s because of decades of racist practices that placed polluting facilities in our neighborhoods. It’s because of big businesses who were given permits to pollute by our state government.

• Communities that have historically borne the worst effects of pollution due to redlining and institutional racism shouldn’t have to bear the ongoing harm being inflicted on their health, well-being, and even life expectancy today. Yet under current laws, reviews of project proposals that may have an environmental impact are not required to consider the ongoing legacy of environmental racism and the very real health concerns that our state’s most impacted communities face.

After review of Senate Bill 5821 we have the following concerns:

• This legislation is not an analysis of the current state of nuclear power.  The legislation as written has no guard rails or limits to the expansion of nuclear power.  Advances in nuclear technology that it vaguely references in its justification for adding nuclear power to WA State’s Energy Strategy have not been commercially deployed or fully tested.  Most news articles have it deployed no sooner than 2030 – 2035.

• Based on our reading, if the legislation passes as is it currently written there is no limit to the number of small or large nuclear power plants that could be built in WA State

• Of particular concern is the management of nuclear waste.  Nuclear waste is a liability that has to be handled safely and securely for thousands of years.  Any legislation should require development of a life cycle plan and costing for managing nuclear waste.

We are not opposed to an independent study that helps us understand better current technologies broadly in energy development.  This legislation is not that.  It is an attempt by the nuclear industry and other interests to introduce nuclear energy into WA States Energy Strategy.  This is premature and deserves further study.

Sponsors: Scott, Mena, Thomas, Reed Parshley, Hill, Ryu, Doglio, Simmons, Peterson, Berry, Pollet.

New progressive sources of revenue are essential to safeguard and strengthen programs that keep people across Washington housed, fed, and healthy. The affordability crisis has hit Washington’s working families and seniors hard. Federal cuts, tariffs, and the chaos and fear sown by the current federal administration are further harming our economy and communities. Meanwhile, billionaire

investors are enjoying further gains in wealth.

More than ever, we need our state government to step up. We can protect state services and our children’s future by finally asking the very wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.

• Rep. Shaun Scott and Sen. Rebecca Saldaña are introducing companion bills to create a Well Washington Fund financed by a new tax on our state’s largest employers, amounting to 5% of their payroll on employees making more than $125,000 annually. These additional revenues will help finance health care, housing, higher ed, and nutrition programs that are all now threatened by federal cuts.

• In November, voters across our state were clear: they support a vision of our state that stands up to Trump, protects our most vulnerable, and invests in shared community prosperity. In 2026, state legislators need to be bold in finally asking Washington’s wealthiest residents to pay their fair share to continue making Washington a great place to live and do business.

• The Well Washington tax is similar to Seattle’s successful Jump Start Tax. Employers already paying that tax will be able to take a credit off their state tax.

• Last session, the state legislature passed a 2-year budget that included both tax increases (in capital gains, estate, and business taxes) and major cuts to health care, early learning, education, and other state services. In 2026, they will pass a supplemental budget. We have already seen major cuts in federal funding and will likely face even more cuts in the coming year. We need our state to step up to protect health care affordability, funding for foodbanks and housing, and access to childcare, preschool, and higher ed.

• Washington’s tax system is highly regressive, with low- and moderate- income Washingtonians paying at far higher rates than the wealthy. Small businesses also pay higher rates than large profitable corporations. Continued growth in economic inequality helps feed the state budget crisis.

Sponsors: Stearns, Parshley, Zahn, Barnard, Ryu, Leavitt, Simmons, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Bernbaum

Sec.8.2 requires Agencies to be liable for construction costs even if the energy production facility is not successfully completed:  

• "...means that the contract may provide that the city, district, or operating agency must make the payments required by the contract whether or not the project is completed, operable, or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction, or curtailment of the output of the project or the power and energy contracted for."

• "Such contract may also provide that payments under the contract are not subject to reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, and may not be conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of the operating agency, public or private project owner, or publicly or privately owned public utility, or a city, district, or operating agency under the contract or other instrument."

"Washington spent much of the 1970s trying to become a center for nuclear power, with plans for five huge fission reactors at Richland and Satsop.

Then came cost overruns, construction problems, and one of the biggest municipal bond defaults in Wall Street history in 1983."  Source: Washington Standard January 2, 2026

Sponsors: Senators Orwall, Muzzall, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Nobles, Slatter

House: Reps. Rule, Marshall, Shavers, Pollet, Kloba

This legislation is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the negative impact of insurance carrier prior authorization processes on patients' access to care and on the practice of medicine for physicians and health care practitioners. The bill would require the following:

• Physician-led decisions: Health plans must have medical necessity determinations made by a licensed physician or health care practitioner working within their scope of practice.

• No AI as sole basis for denial: Artificial intelligence or other tools cannot be the only factor in denying a prior authorization request. Any denial must be made by a human professional.

• Transparency in decisions: Health plans must identify the person who made the prior authorization determination and provide their credentials in notifications.

• Reporting and accountability: Health plans must now report more detailed information on prior authorization requests, approvals, and denials, including the percentage of denials that involved AI tools.

  • Prior Authorization is a barrier to healthcare

  • Prior Authorization causes delays and denials of medically necessary healthcare

  • Prior Authorization can lead to treatment abandonment

  • Prior Authorization overburdens physicians and healthcare providers in mounds of paperwork.

  • Prior Authorization decisions by AI and Machine Learning magnify and exacerbate the perils of PA as stated above.

Sponsors: Senators Frame, Lovelett, Hasegawa, Nobles, Ramos, Saldana, Stanford

The Washington State Investment Board manages pension funds for 912,000 public employees who work or have worked for the state and in municipalities, public schools, law enforcement and firefighting. The WSIB is required by law to act in the best interest of public employees and retirees. WA Coal Act directs Washington State Investment Board to:

• Phase out publicly traded investments in coal

• Halt new investments in coal

• Report annually on the phase out of coal investments

• Complete divestment from coal funds by TBA

• Comply with its fiduciary duty to protect pension retirement funds

  • Coal is damaging to the environment, climate and public health. Coal pollutes air, soil, and water.

  • Human health impacts include cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, mental health problems, adverse birth outcomes, impaired child development, and others.

  • Coal is notorious for harming vulnerable populations disproportionately.

  • The WA Coal Act is necessary to enable the WSIB to avoid future coal investments.

  • The legislature must clarify that investing in coal is not aligned with Washington values and climate goals and is not in the best interest of Washingtonians.

  • The WA Coal Act moves the WSIB to get out of the dirty coal business by phasing out their coal investments while protecting pensioners.

Sponsors: By Request State Treasurer; Senators: Trudeau, Harris, Valdez, Lovick, Salomon, Dhingra,

Hasegawa, Kauffman, Wilson (C), Saldana, Ricceli, Frame, Nobles, Slatter

House: Stonier, Waters, Goodman, Reeves, Fosse, Bronoske, Paul, Salahuddin, Leavitt, Doglio,

Obras, Street, Reed, Cortes, Ramel, Thomas, Parshley, Simmons, Timmons, Shavers

The Washington Future Fund Coalition and members of the Washington Future Fund advisory committee have worked for years to establish a “baby bonds” program called the Washington Future Fund that would create wealth-building opportunities for Washingtonians living in generational poverty. A baby’s future economic security is largely determined by the amount of wealth they are born into - nearly HALF of babies in Washington are born into poverty. Children in rural areas of our state and those who are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous are more likely to be born into families with little or no wealth, hindering future economic opportunities and financial

stability.

• Establishes a small-scale pilot of the WA Futures Fund granting $25,000 to individuals who would have received the benefit to use on a wealth building activity including going to school, creating a business or purchasing a home.

  • Would provide important data to evaluate how “baby bonds” would increase economic opportunity, reduce wealth disparity, and promote broader economic opportunity, well-being and stability.

Sponsors: Senators Saldaña, Lovelett, Valdez, Cortes, Alvarado, Orwall, Kauffman, Slatter, Dhingra,

Frame, Hasegawa, Nobles, Stanford and Wilson, C.

House:Cortes, Mena, Taylor, Farivar, Berry, Walen, Ormsby, Thai, Stonier, Ryu, Ramel, Macri, Berg, Grege

rson, Zahn, Simmons, Scott, Parshley, Salahuddin, Fosse, Duerr, Doglio, Pollet, Reed, Ortiz-Self

In Washington state, all workers deserve a safety net if they lose their jobs. Access to public benefits like unemployment insurance (UI) keeps workers and families safe when they face a crisis like job loss through no fault of their own. However, thousands of people in Washington are unfairly excluded from vital public benefits and left without a safety net. Despite the millions in tax contributions that undocumented immigrants pay the state, they are unable to access UI and other vital public benefits when they face hard times. Immigrants are invaluable to Washington’s vibrant communities, robust workforce and healthy economy. Not only are they essential to our workforce, but they are also major tax contributors who help uphold our public programs. It is time that our systems reflect the true value of our immigrant

workers.

• Establishes a Wage Replacement Program to provide benefits to claimants, who are ineligible for unemployment benefits and who meet certain qualifications.

• Requires the Employment Security Department to select a third-party administrator for the Wage Replacement Program.

• Creates a Wage Replacement Account to be funded by a wage replacement surcharge on employers and reduces an unemployment administrative rate contribution.

• Creates an advisory committee to review issues related to wage replacement.
  

  • It is the just and fair thing to do.

  • All workers and their families deserve a safety net when times are hard.

  • Our immigrant workers and families are under additional stress and pressure.

After review of Senate Bill 5821 we have the following concerns:

• This legislation is not an analysis of the current state of nuclear power.  The legislation as written has no guard rails or limits to the expansion of nuclear power.  Advances in nuclear technology that it vaguely references in its justification for adding nuclear power to WA State’s Energy Strategy have not been commercially deployed or fully tested.  Most news articles have it deployed no sooner than 2030 – 2035.

• Based on our reading, if the legislation passes as is it currently written there is no limit to the number of small or large nuclear power plants that could be built in WA State

• Of particular concern is the management of nuclear waste.  Nuclear waste is a liability that has to be handled safely and securely for thousands of years.  Any legislation should require development of a life cycle plan and costing for managing nuclear waste.

We are not opposed to an independent study that helps us understand better current technologies broadly in energy development.  This legislation is not that.  It is an attempt by the nuclear industry and other interests to introduce nuclear energy into WA States Energy Strategy.  This is premature and deserves further study.

Sponsors: Senate: Saldaña, Shewmake, Conway, Wellman, Stanford, Hasegawa, Kauffman, Wilson,

C., Hunt, Valdez, Slatter, Cortes, Lovick, Lovelett, Alvarado, Chapman, Pedersen, Orwall, Nobles, Clevel

and, Robinson, Trudeau.

House: Mena, Farivar, Cortes, Berry, Ramel, Fosse, Parshley, Ryu, Stearns, Doglio, Simmons, Peterson

Ortiz-Self.

The Immigrant Worker Protection Act will provide Washington workers with greater security and guard against abusive ICE practices on the job. Senator Saldaña and Rep. Ortiz-Self are introducing the bill in cooperation with Attorney General Nick Brown. Similar laws have been passed in California, Oregon, and Illinois. The bill will:

• Require employers to notify employees when the federal administration requests an audit of employment eligibility information:

• Allow employers to share employees’ personal information with the federal government only when there is a judicial warrant or subpoena; and

• Remind employers that they do not need to provide federal officials access to non-public areas of the workplace without a warrant.

Sponsors: Senate:Valdez, Chapman, Lovick, Trudeau, Wellman, Slatter, Bateman, Frame, Cortes, Saldaña,

Robinson, Stanford, Kauffman, Cleveland, Nobles, Lovelett, Orwall, Hasegawa, Pedersen, Riccel

li, Shewmake, Alvarado, Wilson, C., Hunt

House:Cortes, Reed, Salahuddin, Parshley, Tharinger, Hall, Fosse, Ryu, Callan, Mena, Kloba, Ra

mel, Simmons, Scott, Stearns, Peterson, Berry, Pollet

The bill would ensure proper identification of law enforcement by requiring officers to wear or display official insignia, uniforms, or badges clearly visible to the public, preventing the use of unmarked cars or anonymous-looking individuals acting as law enforcement.

• Enhances transparency and accountability: Clearly identifiable officers prevent tactics that resemble "secret police" by making sure the public can see who is conducting law enforcement actions.

• Discourages the use of intimidation: Officers wearing masks and extreme face coverings create fear, intimidate and terrorize the public.

• Protects against violations of law: Would prevent federal and local officers from operating in a way that may violate their own agency's rules requiring them to identify themselves when practical and safe.

Sponsors: Boehnke, Shewmake

Sec.8.2 requires Agencies to be liable for construction costs even if the energy production facility is not successfully completed:  

• "...means that the contract may provide that the city, district, or operating agency must make the payments required by the contract whether or not the project is completed, operable, or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction, or curtailment of the output of the project or the power and energy contracted for."

• "Such contract may also provide that payments under the contract are not subject to reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, and may not be conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of the operating agency, public or private project owner, or publicly or privately owned public utility, or a city, district, or operating agency under the contract or other instrument."

"Washington spent much of the 1970s trying to become a center for nuclear power, with plans for five huge fission reactors at Richland and Satsop.

Then came cost overruns, construction problems, and one of the biggest municipal bond defaults in Wall Street history in 1983."  Source: Washington Standard January 2, 2026

Sponsors: Alvarado, Robinson, Dhingra, Bateman, Frame, Stanford, Pedersen, Lovelett, Trudeau, Hasegawa, Chapman, Cleveland, Conway, Nobles, Orwall, Riccelli, Saldaña, Valdez, Wilson, C.

Urge Congress to Level the Playing Field between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

Status: Senate Rules (In 2025 it passed the Senate on a party line vote and died in House Rules.)

Sponsors: Hasegawa, Chapman, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez

Medicare is a core part of our health care system, especially for seniors, but is in danger. Investors and private insurance companies are taking advantage of lax rules in the Medicare Advantage part of the program to increase profits and drive-up costs – too often by limiting or denying access to needed care. Improving benefits in Original Medicare, the public part of the program, and cracking down on fraud and abuse in private Medicare Advantage programs will save billions in taxpayer money and strengthen our whole healthcare system.

• 1.5 million Washington residents are Medicare beneficiaries.

• When first enrolling, people must choose between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Original Medicare has many advantages: beneficiaries can choose almost any doctor or hospital, and rarely experience delays or denials due to prior authorization requirements. However, Original Medicare has a 20% co-pay with no cap, so many purchase supplemental insurance which averages over $200 per month.

• Medicare Advantage (MA) is private, usually for-profit insurance that has significantly lower monthly premiums than Original Medicare plus supplemental insurance, making it seem more attractive. But its plans have limited provider networks, often require prior authorization, and can end up bein very costly for people needing extensive care.

• Many seniors opt for MA plans, especially those with limited incomes, disproportionately people of color. However, when they face a complex problem like cancer or a stroke, many discover the doctor or hospital they want is out of network, and insurance gatekeepers frequently delay or deny prescribed care, potentially causing serious harm.

• Medicare Advantage insurers take significantly more money per beneficiary from the Medicare Trust Fund than Original Medicare, because they do their own risk assessment on each beneficiary and bill the Medicare Trust Fund upfront. Government and academic studies estimate that overpaymentsthrough upcoding, fraud and other abuses cost Medicare between $85 billion to $140 billion annually.

• SJM 8002 requests Congress to simply create equity and fairness between the two options by:

  • Recouping the billions that the Medicare Advantage corporations have overcharged the Medicare Trust Fund and changing the practice that leads to upcoding, delays, and denials of care.

  • Leveling the playing field for all Medicare beneficiaries by 1) capping out-of-pocket costs and eliminating the 20% co-pays in Medicare Part B that force Original Medicarebeneficiaries to buy expensive supplemental insurance and 2) providing all Medicare beneficiaries vision, hearing and dental coverage.