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The Retiree ADVOCATE The Monthly Publication of PSARA EDUCATION FUND “Uniting Generations for a Secure Future” March 1, 2026 Kaiser Permanente’s Hand in the Cookie Jar Robby Stern Robby Stern's article "Kaiser Permanente's Hand in the Cookie Jar." Read More Never Forget! Our remembrance of those who have died trying to help others during the ICE actions in Minnesota. Read More Advocate Editorial Cartoon Barb Flye takes a look at a new White House addition Read More Coal: The Low-Hanging Fossil Fuel Jefl Johnson The latest in Jeff Johnson's series on divesting from fossil fuels. Read More SSA Workers Union at US Capitol Steve Kofahl A report by Steve Kofahl on AFGE's legislative conference in DC. Read More Capitol Outlook 2026 Pam Crone Pam Crone's update on PSARA's work with the state legislature. Read More How States Can Unite, Fight Back, and Reclaim Our Democracy Lisa Dekker Lisa Dekker explains the strategy of "soft secession." Read More Vertical Integration: How UnitedHealth Group Consolidated Market Power Katie Harris Part II of Katie Harris's series on vertical integration in the health care industry. Read More Federal Government Walks Back Home Care Nursing Hours Carla McLean Carla McLean discusses the damages created by federal roll backs of home nursing care hours due to lobbying by Corporations that own senior care centers. Read More Resisting Authoritarianism - Free Washington Project Cindy Domingo Cindy Domingo explains the Free Washington Project. Read More A brief excerpt from Major General Smedley D. Butler, USMC anti-imperialist book, War Is a Racket: Read More

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The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents March 2026 Federal Government Walks Back Home Care Nursing Hours Carla McLean Older people and their families need to pay attention to recent changes in staffing in nursing homes. Decades of work on this issue resulted in the Biden administration mandating 3.5 hours of care per resident per day and an RN on site at all times. Although the number was lower than supporters wanted, at least it was a win. Because of lawsuits on the part of corporations, the guidelines were never implemented. In July, as part of Trump’s budget bill, Medicare was prohibited from implementing the new staff standards before 2034, and then the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services repealed the standards completely. It is estimated that these regulations could have saved 13,000 lives a year, according to an analysis by University of Pennsylvania researchers. Nursing homes have usually had a hard time filling vacancies for staff due to low pay and poor working conditions. According to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s website, “the average nursing home loses more than half of its nursing staff within a year due to poor pay, lack of benefits, high workloads, inadequate training, poor management and lack of career advancement.” It is clear that these changes could be due in large part to donations by 40 nursing home entities of $250,000 each to Trump’s campaign, with some like Ensign Group donating $750,000, and NHS Management giving $600,000 ( NYT , 1/28/26). All of these would eventually total nearly 4.8 million for MAGA Inc, the super PAC. According to Sen. Warren's website, CEOs for three of the largest publicly-traded nursing homes were paid nearly $70 million in 2023, on top of $650 million in dividends and compensation for shareholders and executives between 2018 and 2022. The White House made final the repeal of the minimum staffing regulations by putting the old rules back in place. An RN is required to be on site only eight hours a day, and staffing levels have no minimum numbers in the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes; instead, they say they must be “sufficient to meet patients’ needs,” which certainly is too vague to help patients much. As reported by the New York Times (Jan. 17, 2026), Sam Brooks, director for the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, said, “It’s clear CMS has no interest in ensuring adequate staffing.” Senators Warren, Sanders, Blumenthal, and Schakowsky wrote, “It is insulting that the for-profit nursing home industry, which receives billions of taxpayer dollars annually to run its operations, appears to prefer lining the pockets of its executives and shareholders rather than creating sustainable conditions for nurses and staff. The basis of your opposition to minimum staffing standards appears to be quite simple: greed.” Since most people want to “age in place," a major concern is the cost and availability of home care help. On this front, there was another rescinded regulation, even more unexpected than the nursing homes staffing rules. In July, the Department of Labor re-turned to a policy of excluding home care workers from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). That act mandated that workers receive the federal minimum wage (which is currently only $7.25 an hour) and get overtime pay. This seemed to treat home care workers as teenage babysitters with no particular skills. After 40 years of lobbying, the Labor Department included home care workers under the labor act in 2013. However, there were many complaints of non-compliance and home care agencies have had to pay about $158 million in back wages. But in July that department said it would return to 1975 regulations, saying it “hindered consumer access to care.” With the anticipated $914 billion cut to Medicaid in the next decade, it is clear that the United States has never committed to funding long-term care of seniors. Although Harris and Trump tied at 49% among voters 65 and older in the 2025 election ( AARP.org ), those Americans who helped return Trump to the White House may die from a lack of care, not only in nursing homes but also at home. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents March 2026 Resisting Authoritarianism - Free Washington Project Cindy Domingo The Trump administration’s systematic attacks on human rights call for the broadest and most united response possible by all who oppose the implementation of Project 2025’s agenda. PSARA heard this call, and, in January, joined with 12 other Washington state organizations to launch the Free Washington Project (FWP). Inspired by other unified efforts such as Free DC, ICE Out of California, Hands Off Chicago, and Bay Rising, FWP brings together grassroots groups, nonprofits, unions, religious organizations, student groups, and anti-intervention organizations to connect and coordinate efforts against authoritarianism, especially to stand against military escalation and the criminalization of protest. Organizing the Resistance In Free Washington Project’s first large public event, the webinar “Organizing the Resistance: Voices from Minnesota” was organized in early February and drew 250 participants. With all eyes on the struggle between the resistance movement and Trump’s militarized ICE forces, FWP sought to learn applicable lessons and build solidarity with the forces that comprise Minnesota’s resistance. Guest speakers from Minnesota included Mark Tilson from Freedom Trainers, Sophie Breen of Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Bernie Burnham and Todd Dahlstrom from Minnesota AFL-CIO, Friendly Vang-Johnson with Friendly Hmong Farms, and Rabbi David Basior who is from Seattle and traveled to Minnesota with 1,000 faith leaders to support the resistance. The speakers’ clear message was that Minnesota’s tremendous response to Trump’s militarized attacks against the people of Minnesota, who are acting in defense of immigrants and want justice for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, was a result of years of the movements there working in coalition. According to Burnham, “We started organizing for a number of things that we felt were good for working people and families, one of those being paid family medical leave. So that goes back a lot of years. Since that time, people have stayed in coalition…It’s labor, community groups, faith groups. You name it… a lot of people stuck together…One of the things that has made this a bit easier [is that] we’ve been in a relationship for a long time.” Breen from MIRAC also noted that the networks that came together after George Floyd’s May, 2020, murder by police reignited the Black Lives Matter movement and contributed to the response to repression in the state. Since the webinar, Tilson and Breen have been contacted by local Seattle groups to assist in rapid response training as Washington groups prepare for a potential uptick in ICE activity. Mission and Goals In addition to building a network of anti-authoritarian groups, Free Washington Project also seeks to build a diverse network that would be multi-racial, multi-sector, and multi-generational to coordinate actions and events by FWP’s member organizations. Through FWP’s website, freewaproject.org , member organizations can share resources, trainings, and announcements to reinforce all efforts of the network at the local, regional, and state levels. A broad network will also protect those most impacted such as LGBTQ-IA+, immigrant, and refugee communities. FWP has been working with One America and NWIRP and others on efforts to protect immigrant communities, since mass deportation continues to be the most visible centerpiece of Trump’s domestic repressive policies. Organizations that want to join Free Washington Project’s work should start by going to the website to see FWP’s complete mission and goals and points of unity. Minnesota’s resistance movement makes it clear that a unified movement with diverse response tactics can force the Trump administration to start removing some of their armed ICE forces. These tactics include rapid response, mass mobilizations that range from local to national, civil disobedience, utilization of social media to override false propaganda and misinformation, general strikes, and pressuring elected officials to protect all people from violent militarized actions. Minnesota’s resistance movement has also forced Congress to begin taking concrete action around ICE. However, it is clear from Alex Pretti’s and Renee Good’s murders and the violence perpetrated in Minnesota by ICE, that ICE must be abolished. ICE cannot be reformed. < Back to Table of Contents

PSARA advocates on a range of issues. Our committees work in the areas of Social Equity, Environment, Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. We also publish a monthly newsletter: The Advocate. We welcome New Members and Volunteers. PSARA Committees Meetings/Events Race and Gender Equity (RAGE) Committee Typically meets the 3rd Thursday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Race and Gender Equity Committee works to highlight issues of racial and gender equity and to advocate for diverse and marginalized communities in the Puget Sound region and beyond. Current topics include Black Reparations, immigrant rights, and the impacts of environmental and land use decisions on communities of color. Government Relations Committee Typically meets the 1st Thursday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Government Relations Committee is an active and engaged committee of volunteers that believes PSARA’s advocacy will make a difference in forming our state’s policies and priorities. We meet year around and are open to all PSARA members. Our work helps to center PSARA’s advocacy priorities and lead our members to greater activism in making Washington a healthier and more equitable place to live and thrive. We advocate for the quality of life and well-being of all Washingtonians and particularly seniors emphasizing retirement security, economic and social justice, revenue reform, climate justice, healthcare and housing affordability. Click here for more information. Climate & Environmental Justice Committee Typically meets the 1st Thursday of the month Contact: tplux@comcast.net PSARA's Climate & Environmental Justice Committee was formed out of the urgency of the escalating global climate crisis. We engage with Labor, environmental organizations and indigenous allies to help build a political movement to transition to clean energy and keep the world livable for future generations. We demand a just transition and livable wages for workers displaced by the move to clean energy and we advocate for justice and compensation for low income, communities of color and other communities adversely affected by fossil fuels and inequality. The threat of climate change requires education, advocacy, and direct action now! Fund Raising Committee Typically meets the 2nd Monday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Fundraising Committee raises funds to support the great work of PSARA. Members conduct two major fundraising campaigns annually including Give Big in the spring and an End of Year solicitation. It also sponsors events such as concerts, storytellers, book reading by local authors and more. We reach out to other organizations for annual donations and apply for grants as the opportunity presents itself. Members also support agency events such as organizing our general membership meetings and PSARA’s anniversary celebration. Our work results in significant resources for PSARA and the PSARA Education Fund. We welcome all who want to help and we have fun planning and organizing our events and activities.

For more than a quarter century, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) has been active in fighting for older Americans, retirees, their children and families through social justice activities. P uget S ound A dvocates for R etirement A ction Working across generations for social justice, economic security, dignity, and a healthy planet for all of us. WA State Legislature is in session Click Here for our weekly update Click here for PSARA ’ s Legislative Agenda & Talking Points Click here for answers to Pam Crone ’ s questions in the February Retiree Advocate Sat. March 28th, 12 noon Cal Anderson Park 1635 11th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122 Click here for more info & to RSVP Click Here for other No Kings Rallies Support our Federal Workforce Every Friday Protect Federal Workers @ 11:30 a.m. Federal Building Plaza on 2nd & Madison, Seattle. Click here for a list of other rallies around Washington State Click here for additional information on how Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid Are Under Attack! Upcoming PSARA Events/meetings PSARA Pierce County Organizing Committee March 12, 5:30 p.m. Central Co-op 4502 N. Pearl St. Tacoma, WA You can attend this event In-person and through Zoom. To receive the Zoom Link contact Lynne Dodson: lynned.dodson@gmail.com PSARA March Retiree Advocate Click here to read the Advocate online In this issue we feature an article by Carla McLean on federal roll backs of home nursing care hours. Also in this issue: Robby Stern's article "Kaiser Permanente's Hand in the Cookie Jar." The latest in Jeff Johnson's series on divesting from fossil fuels. A report by Steve Kofahl on AFGE's legislative conference in DC. Pam Crone's update on PSARA's work with the state legislature. Lisa Dekker explains the strategy of "soft secession." Part II of Katie Harris's series on vertical integration in the health care industry. Cindy Domingo explains the Free Washington Project. And more! If you haven't done so yet, you can REGISTER for a Know Your Rights training sponsored by PSARA by clicking here:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/CfLfsUrzQ6SDVe_cuUZhiA Thank you for being PSARA members! Health Secretary Kennedy is Attacking Traditional Medicare in Washington State In January, the Trump administration will be rolling out a new control on Traditional Medicare in six states, including Washington State. This program is called WISeR. It will affect Medicare benefits by requiring a new prior authorization for a number of medical decisions. This means your doctor will need to receive prior authorization from the Federal government before you get some medical treatments. C lick Here for more on the WISeR Program and what you can do to stop it. On December 6th PSARA Board Members Robby Stern and Anne Watanabe (hosted by Dan Grey and Evegreen State College) discuss the attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Please listen to the interview and share with your friends: Click here to hear the interview. Protecting our Assets Protecting our Asses In the last year PSARA’s Co-President, Jeff Johnson, wrote a series of articles for PSARA’s Retiree Advocate highlighting the need to move beyond fossil fuels and the responsibility of unions to insure that their retirement plans stop investing in fossil fuels not just because its good environmentally but also good economics. Unions can play a key role in jump starting our green future. These articles have been consolidated into a single publication: Protecting our Assets Protecting our Asses. Click here to download the pamphlet or read it online. DOWNLOAD JOIN PSARA in making a difference! Back to Top

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are Under Attack Social Security* Closing of SSA offices across the country. Announced plans to cut 7,000 employees. Reduction in phone customer support services. Increases in wait times for services. requiring in-person interviews for many recipients Data security has become a major concern at SSA, Medicare* The Trump administration is introducing a new control on Traditional Medicare in a six state demonstration program, which includes Washington State. This program, called WISeR, is an attempt to control your medicare benefits by requiring prior authorization before you and your doctor can make certain medical decisions. Threats to Social Security staffing may spill over to Medicare impacting customer service. Privatization of Medicare (Medicare Advantage) is expected to expand. In 2025. Medicare is expected to pay $84 billion more for Medicare Advantage, or about 20 percent higher, than if Medicare Advantage enrollees were enrolled in Traditional Medicare. Medicaid* Discussions are underway to significantly reduce or eliminate Medicaid. As part of its overall service to the low Income Community Medicaid assists Medicare patients in the following ways: Click here to see what the impacts to Medicaid will be for the State of Washington. One in five Medicare enrollees relies on Medicaid to help pay Medicare premiums and cost sharing. Nearly 30% of Medicaid funding goes to people with Medicare. Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing facility residents. Without Medicaid, over 12 million Medicare enrollees would experience gaps in care that jeopardize their health and well-being. * Click here to review our source documents What you can do: Alert your friends and family to challenges faced by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. On December 6th PSARA Board Members Robby Stern and Anne Watanabe (hosted by Dan Grey and Evegreen State College ) discuss the attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Please listen to the interview and share with your friends: Click here to hear the interview Read Ann Widger’s Letter to Federal Employees and add your Experience in dealing with Social Security Sign the Social Security Works Letter: Tell Congress: Stop Musk and Trump from Destroying Social Security! Or separately write your U.S. Representative and your U.S. Senators. Even if you know that they support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid make sure that they know how much you care about these entitlements and benefits and the importance of maintaining them for future generations. Participate in the Friday Rallies at the Seattle Federal Building Join PSARA Rallies to defend attacks on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Click here for our Calendar page Click here for our resources page which further documents the attacks on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

Save Traditional Medicare stop WISeR The Trump Administration has been busy devising a new threat to your Traditional Medicare benefits. On January1, 2026 they are introducing a new control on Traditional Medicare in a six state demonstration program, which includes Washington State. This program, called WISeR, is an attempt to control your medicare benefits by requiring prior authorization before you and your doctor can make certain medical decisions. The administration is outsourcing these decisions to private companies whose compensation will be based on how much cost savings they can generate by limiting or eliminating patient procedures. PSARA opposes this demonstration and we are in good company. On this page you can access Senator Patty Murray’s video outlining her opposition, WA State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer’s critique and concerns with the program, as well as the American Medical Associations letter in opposition to the program. This is an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to end traditional medicare in an attempt to further outsource Medicare to private equity companies. This despite the ongoing issues of private equities investments in the medical industry and Medicare advantage in particular. Our brief slide presentation below will provide you with more background on WISeR and what you can do to prevent it. (Double click on the slide presentation to expand to full screen) Click here to hear Senator Patty Murray’s concerns on President Trump’s WISeR Program for Traditional Medicare beneficiaries On November 7, Rep DelBene introduced HR 5940, the “Seniors Deserve Smarter Care Act” that would prohibit implementation of WISeR. Rep Adam Smith on Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid Read WA State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer’s critique and concerns with the WISeR Program Read the American Medical Association ’ s letter in opposition to WISeR On December 6th PSARA Board Members Robby Stern and Anne Watanabe (hosted by Dan Grey and Evegreen State College) discuss the attacks on Medicare and Medicaid. Click here to hear the interview 1/15

Ann Widger, Director, AFSCME Retirees Letter to Retired Federal Employees I have been working to protect Social Security for almost 30 years and I’ve never seen so many attacks against the Social Security system and the people who depend on it. They’re hoping you’ll stay quiet while they trample over many seniors' only source of income after retirement. Do you still trust them to protect the benefits you earned? Tell us where you stand. Just look at what they’ve done to Social Security — and it’s only June. Project 2025 architect Russell Vought — who admitted he wants to slash Social Security — is now running the federal budget. DOGE, under Elon Musk, demanded access to private Social Security data — and forced the acting Commissioner to resign when she said no. The SSA announced office cuts that guarantee longer wait times, delayed benefits, and total chaos for retirees and disabled workers. Musk went on national TV, called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme”, and declared it “the big one to eliminate.” Social Security is YOUR money and you are entitled to it. When a federal judge blocked DOGE from accessing your personal data, Commissioner Leland Dudek threw a tantrum and threatened to shut the whole program down. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly mocked seniors, saying his 94-year-old mother-in-law wouldn’t miss a Social Security check — and that only “fraudsters” complain. Reports surfaced that wait times for benefits are projected to skyrocket — from 236 days to 412. Deaths while waiting for disability could more than double, reaching 67,000 people a year. DOGE falsely declared living Americans dead or undocumented, cutting off their benefits without warning and putting their ability to pay their rent and buy groceries at risk. The Senate confirmed Frank Bisignano, a billionaire known for gutting jobs and services, to run the SSA. The White House announced plans to defund the Social Security Advisory Board — eliminating oversight just as the attacks ramp up. And that new commissioner? Bisignano admitted he had to Google the job. He didn’t even know what the SSA did — and now he controls benefits for 70 million Americans. And just last week, the Supreme Court ruled to give DOGE access to your personal Social Security information, even though many DOGE staffers are not properly training on accessing personal data and are not qualified to have access to such sensitive information. This isn’t politics. It’s sabotage. What This Means for You: Reports indicate a surge in early retirement claims, as individuals fear benefit reductions or disruptions to what is their main source of income. Social Security recipients have started noticing changes. Longer drives to reach the nearest office. Longer wait times on the phone. No response. One AFSCME Retiree — Louisa Pedraza — was told she would hear back soon about her Social Security. She heard nothing. The attacks not only strained the SSA's resources but the misinformation and lies spread by Elon Musk and his minions have also eroded trust in the system — paving the way for even more cuts. They said they wouldn’t touch Social Security. Instead, they infiltrated it, accessed private information, fired the staff, closed the offices, spread lies about fraud and threatened to shut the entire program down. Did they think you wouldn’t notice? Do you trust them with your Social Security? Tell us what you think here. In Solidarity, Ann Widger P.S. Social Security is more than just a program; it's a promise made to every American. It’s food on the table and a roof over the heads of millions of Americans. Let's ensure that promise is kept and that we’re not cheated out of everything we’ve worked for. Contributions or gifts to the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees PEOPLE (AFSCME PEOPLE) are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. All contributions to AFSCME PEOPLE are voluntary and will be used to support pro-worker candidates in federal, state and local elections. Contributions are not a condition of membership or employment and refusal to contribute is free of reprisal. Any contribution guideline is only a suggestion, and you may contribute more or less than that amount or nothing at all, and you will not be favored or disadvantaged because of your contribution amount or decision not to contribute. In accordance with federal law, AFSCME PEOPLE accepts contributions only from AFSCME members, executive and administrative personnel, and their families. Contributions from other persons will be returned. If you would prefer to donate to AFSCME PEOPLE offline, please click here . All content © 2025 AFSCME Retirees Privacy Policy

2026 PSARA Legislative Priorities talking points HB 1214 SB 5768 / Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older. PSARA Posit: Pro 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 HB 1303 SB 5380 / Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. PSARA Posit: 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. HB 1661 SB 5541 / Concerning the Washington future fund pilot project. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 1773 SB 5626 / Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 2090 SB 5821 / Integrating advanced nuclear energy into the state energy strategy. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. HB 2100 SB 6093 / Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. HB 2103 SB 6004 / Authorizing certain public entities to contract for the capability of renewable or nonemitting electric generation projects. PSARA Posit: con 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 HB 2105 SB 5852 / Concerning immigrant worker protections. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 2173 SB 5855 / Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. PSARA Posit: Pro 2332 / Driver Privacy Protection PSARA Posit: HB 2409 SB 6045 / Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining. PSARA Posit: SB 5380 HB 1303 / Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 5395 HB 1566 / Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. SB 5439 / Concerning divestment of funds under management by the state investment board from thermal coal. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. SB 5541 HB 1661 / Concerning the Washington future fund pilot project. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. SB 5626 HB 1773 / Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. SB 5768 HB 1214 / Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 5821 HB 2090 / Integrating advanced nuclear energy into the state energy strategy. PSARA Posit: Con 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. SB 5852 HB 2105 / Concerning immigrant worker protections. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. SB 5855 HB 2173 / Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. PSARA Posit: Pro 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. 6002 / Driver Privacy Protection PSARA Posit: SB 6004 HB 2103 / Authorizing certain public entities to contract for the capability of renewable or nonemitting electric generation projects. PSARA Posit: Con 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 6045 / Collective Bargaining Farmworkers PSARA Posit: SB 6093 HB 2100 / Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 6173 / Creating an apple health employer assessment. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Alvarado , Robinson , Dhingra , Bateman , Frame , Stanford , Pedersen , Lovelett , Trudeau , Hasegawa , Chapman , Cleveland , Conway , Nobles , Orwall , Riccelli , Saldaña , Valdez , Wilson, C. 6346 / Millionaire Tax PSARA Posit: SMJ 8002 / Concerning Medicare. PSARA Posit: Pro 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.

PSARA 2026 Legislative Agenda (01/29/26) Click here to download pdf Click here to download talking Points PSARA is a multi-generational grass roots organization advocating for all people, and seniors in particular, being able to live their lives with economic security, dignity, and respect. Healthcare PSARA believes that comprehensive, affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate health care is a fundamental human right. Promote Leveling the Playing Field in Medicare , SJM 8002 Protect against healthcare program cuts and advance immigrant health equity and food security (budget) Creating an apple health employer assessment.SB 6173 Regulate the use of Prior Authorization in healthcare decisions, SB 5395 /HB 1566 Climate and Environmental Justice PSARA supports the right of all people to live and work in a clean and healthy environment. Divest Washington State Investment Board funds from fossil fuels, No Coal Act SB 5439 Increase environmental justice by improving government decisions, Curb Act HB 1303 / SB 5395 PSARA opposes the following four bills: Integrating Advanced Nuclear Energy into the State Energy Strategy HB 2090 /SB 5821 Authorizing certain public entities to contract for the capability of renewable or non emitting electric generation projects HB 2103 / SB 6004 Fiscal Reform and Revenue PSARA supports a state budget that is transparent, pays a living wage to state workers, and provides services that help our people, economy, and environment thrive. Millionaire Tax Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account. HB 2100 / SB 6093 Support progressive revenue Housing and Homelessness PSARA supports keeping people housed, building more low-income housing, and preventing homelessness in the first place. Workers’ Rights and Economic Justice PSARA supports legislation that promotes healthy families and workplaces. Extend unemployment benefits to undocumented workers SB 5626 /HB 1773 Expand Working Families Tax Credit HB 1214 /SB 5768 Strengthen Paid Family & Medical Leave financing Promote Washington Future Fund pilot (Baby Bonds) HB 1661 /SB 5541 Provide greater security to Washington workers against ICE practices on the job (Immigrant Worker Protection Act) SB5852 /HB 2105 Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older HB 1214 / SB 5821 Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining.SB 6045 /HB 2409 Community Safety and Justice PSARA supports legislation that promotes community safety and justice for all of our community members. Ensure proper identification of law enforcement (No Secret Police Act) SB 5855 /HB 2173 Driver Privacy Protection HB2332 /SB6002

PSARA Talking Points (03/13/25 Update) Lobby Day Training Page Healthcare PSARA believes that comprehensive, affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate health care is a fundamental human right. Highest Priority: SJM 8002 (Hasagawa), Urge Congress to Level the Playing Field between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Status: Passed Senate 30-19. Hearing House Healthcare and Wellness March 21, 8:00 a.m. Sponsors: Hasagawa, Chapman, Stanford, Trudeau, Valde 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 being 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 insu rance 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 overpayments through upcoding, fraud and other abuses cost Medicare between $85 billion to $140 billion annually. SB 5291 (Conway): Strengthening WA Cares Act, by implementing the recommendations of the Long-term Services and Supports Trust Commission. Status: Passed Senate 38-31. Sponsors: Senators Conway, Saldaña, Cleveland, Frame, Nobles, Stanford, Valdez, C. Wilson; Reps.(HB 1415) Macri, Tharinger, Reed, Fey, Ormsby, Hill Washington took the lead in creating the first public long term care program in the country to address the growing crisis in elder care. As with any major program, continuing improvements are required. The substitute bill strengthens the program by adjusting provisions for workers who move out of state, providing automatic exemptions for military, and launching a pilot for supplemental insurance. The vast majority of people do not purchase private long term care insurance because it is expensive and too often cannot be relied on at the point when someone needs care. WA voters showed their support of WA Care by voting down the 2024 initiative to undermine the program (I-2124). S JM 8004 (Hasagawa): Requests that the federal government create a universal health care program or allow Washington State to implement one. Status: Passed Senate 30-19. Hearing House Healthcare and Wellness March 21, 8:00 a.m. Sponsors: Senators Hasegawa, Bateman, Lovelett, Nobles, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez and Wellman. Despite gains in coverage, too many Washingtonians are struggling to both access and afford health care as premiums rise in the commercial health insurance market. Inadequate coverage and medical costs are the largest contributors to bankruptcies. Universal health care coverage will improve the health of our whole community. We must bring everybody in and leave nobody out of this basic right to health care. Workoers Rights PSARA supports legislation that promotes healthy families and workplaces. HB 1213 (Berry): Provides job protection for all workers using Paid Family & Medical Leave benefits. Status: Passed House 55-41. Sponsors: HB 1213 - Representatives Berry, Fosse, Reed, Obras, Fitzgibbon, Alvarado, Mena, Macri, Ryu, Farivar, Doglio, Simmons, Peterson, Street, Wylie, Pollet, Ormsby, Lekanoff, Salahuddin and Hill. SB 5539 - Senators Alvarado, Stanford, Frame, Nobles, Riccelli, Slatter, Trudeau, Valdez and C. Wilson. Washington had the best PFML program in the country when first passed. Since benefits began in 2020, hundreds of thousands of Washington workers and families have benefitted from parental leave, time to heal from surgeries or recover from cancer, and time to be with loved ones during health crises. But only about half of workers are guaranteed their jobs will be protected and health insurance will continue during their leaves. Low wage workers and workers of color are most at risk of being forced back to work too early in order to keep their jobs. Now job protection only covers those in companies with 50+ workers who have been in their jobs at least a year and worked at least 1250 hours in the previous year. This bill changes that to all workers who have been with their employer at least 90 days. Nine of the 13 other states with programs include job protections for most workers. The bill expands the small business grant program to cover health insurance premiums for employees out on PFML in companies with fewer than 50 employees. The bill also reduces the minimum claim from 8 to 4 consecutive hours and incorporates additional employer protections concerning coordination with FMLA requested by the business community. A broad coalition of labor, senior, health, and community groups support the bill. The Association of Washington Business (AWB) and other major business groups are neutral on the substitute bill, although a few business groups oppose. SB 5041 (Riccelli) Extends unemployment benefits to striking workers. Status: Passed Senate 28-21. Hearing House Labor and Workplace Standards 3-18 10:30 a.m. Sponsors: Senators Riccelli, Conway, Hasegawa, Saldaña, Salomon, Stanford, Dhingra, Nobles, Trudeau, Valdez, Bateman, Lovelett, Cleveland, Frame, Orwall, Pedersen, Slatter, Wellman and C. Wilson This bill would allow striking and locked out workers to collected unemployment insurance after 2 weeks out of work. UI provides a vital safety net for working families and their communities, allowing them to cover basic necessities. This bill will help level the balance of power between workers negotiating in good faith for fair working conditions and their better resourced employers, especially for lower wage workers. Most strikes are resolved quickly, within 2 weeks. Only 7 strikes in the past decade would have qualified, so the bill will have minimal impact on the UI trust fund. HB 1214 (Thai)/SB 5768 (Saldana): Expands eligibility for the Working Families' Tax Credit to include people 18 years of age or older. Status: SB 5768 Dead. HB 1214 Sponsors: Representatives Thai, Reed, Shavers, Farivar, Simmons, Pollet, Lekanoff and Scott. SB 5768 Sponsors: Senators Saldaña, Cleveland, Cortes, Dhingra, Frame, Krishnadasan, Nobles, Riccelli, Slatter, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez and Wilson, C. Background: In 2021, the Legislature established the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) Program, based in part on the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program. It provides a refundable credit for retail sales or use tax paid by low-to-moderate income Washington residents who meet certain eligibility requirements. Under current law, to be eligible one must be over 24 years old, but under 65 years of age, or have a qualifying child. How does eligibility change under the proposed legislation? Expands eligibility for the Working Families' Tax Credit to include people 18 years of age or older without regard to filing with a qualifying child. For seniors still working, this is a critically significant benefit. Housing and Homelessness PSARA supports keeping people housed, building more low-income housing, and preventing homelessness in the firs place. HB 1217 (Macri)/ SB 5222 (Trudeau): provides renters and manufactured homeowners with predictability over their housing costs by limiting annual rent increases to no more than 7% a year. Status: HB 1217 Passed House 53-42 Senate Hearing Housing 3-19 1:30 p.m. HB 1217 (Macri) Sponsors: Representatives Macri, Ramel, Peterson, Berry, Mena, Thai, Reed, Obras, Farivar, Parshley, Ortiz-Self, Cortes, Duerr, Street, Berg, Taylor, Fitzgibbon, Doglio, Timmons, Tharinger, Fosse, Gregerson, Simmons, Wylie, Pollet, Kloba, Nance, Davis, Ormsby, Lekanoff, Berquist, Scott, Stonier, Hill SB 5222 (Trudeau) Sponsors: Senators Trudeau, Chapman, Bateman, Conway, Frame, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Nobles, Orwell, Pedersen, Riccelli, Robinson, Saldana, Slatter, Stanford, Valdez, Wilson, C. Why is rent stabilization needed? Washington is already one of the most expensive rental markets in the country, and many tenants receive excessive rent increases even while landlords are not performing basic repairs. Black, Indigenous, and other people of color households in Washington are disproportionately renters. In addition, data from the Census Bureau Pulse Survey in 2024 showed that Black renters in Washington receive higher rent increases than other demographic groups. Advancing tenant protections like rent stabilization is critical to address the housing needs of BIPOC households. Evictions continue to rise on a year-over-year basis, with several parts of our state seeing higher eviction rates than before the pandemic. Rent increases are a key driver of evictions and homelessness. HB 1491 (Reed) promotes transit-oriented housing development. Status: Passed House 58-39. Senate Hearing Housing 3-14 1:30 p.m. Sponsors: Representatives Reed, Richards, Berry, Duerr, Cortes, Doglio, Ryu, Fitzgibbon, Alvarado, Davis, Ramel, Parshley, Mena, Peterson, Nance, Macri, Fosse, Kloba, Ormsby, Scott. HB 1491 Requires cities planning under the Growth Management Act to allow new residential and mixed-use development within a station area at certain transit-oriented development densities. Establishes affordability requirements and authorizes a 20-year property tax exemption for residential and mixed-use buildings constructed within a station area. Why is HB 1491 needed? This bill addresses the urgent need for housing by making it possible to build new and denser housing around the most used transit assets. Transit oriented development will help the state add significantly more homes while reducing sprawl, cutting pollution, and making communities more affordable to a range of incomes. Climate and Environmental Justice PSARA supports the right of all people to live and work in a clean and healthy environment. HB 1150 (Berry) /SB 5284 (Lovelett) improves Washington’s solid waste management program. Status: SB 5284 Passed Senate 27-22. House Hearing Energy 3-17 1:30 p.m. HB 1150 Sponsors: Representatives Berry, Donaghy, Ryu, Ramel, Farivar, Mena, Alvarado, Duerr, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Callan, Macri, Doglio, Fosse, Simmons, Street, Pollet, Kloba, Nance, Davis, Ormsby, Salahuddin and Hill. SB 5284 Sponsors: Senators Lovelett, Shewmake, Nobles, Bateman, Salomon, Saldaña, Stanford, Wilson, C., Frame, Pedersen, Hasegawa, Liias, Orwall, Slatter and Valdez. Background: In 2021, the Legislature established minimum recycled content requirements applicable to three categories of plastic products or products in plastic containers: trash bags, household and personal care product containers, and plastic beverage containers. Producers subject to minimum postconsumer recycling content (PCRC) requirements were required to register with Ecology and pay fees to cover Ecology's administrative costs related to minimum recycled content standards beginning in 2022. What improvements do the bills make? Establishes an extended producer responsibility program for covered packaging and paper products. Requires producers of covered packaging and paper products to join a producer responsibility organization. Specifies requirements related to planning, funding, enforcement, and outcomes for the program. Budget and Fiscal Reform PSARA supports a state budget that is transparent, pays a living wage to state workers, and provides services that help our people, economy, and environment thrive. New progressive sources of revenue are essential to prevent devastating cuts to programs that keep people across Washington housed, fed, and healthy. Please don’t pass a budget that further harms the very people already struggling and undermines our children’s future. We can make our tax system and state stronger now and in the long run by finally asking the very wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes. The legislature must pass a new 2-year for the biennium that starts July 1, 2025, but the state faces a multi-billion dollar shortfall due to inflation, increased caseloads, and slower tax revenue growth. Possible cuts include sharp reductions in health care affordability and access, fewer kids in childcare and preschool, furloughs for state employees, less support for foodbanks and housing, and cuts to almost all state programs, including senior services. The all-cuts budget of 2009 harmed the health and well-being of Washingtonians for years, and made our families and communities less prepared and resilient for the devastation of the COVID pandemic. The influx of federal funds and the strong, forward-looking budgets passed by our legislature during the early stages of the pandemic helped get our people and state through that crisis. 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. Possible new revenue sources include: HB 1319 Wealth Tax (Street) Creates a 1% tax on financial assets (stocks and bonds) over $100 million. Sponsors: Reps. Street, Macri, Ormsby (Office of Fiscal Management request legislation, requested by Gov. Inslee) Wealth inequality is skyrocketing, while our state struggles to fund educational opportunity, health care, and basic services. Middle class Washingtonians pay annual property taxes on their most significant asset – their home – while the main financial assets of billionaires and mega-millionaires go untaxed. A modest 1% tax on financial assets such as stocks and bonds would allow for ample funding of public education, childcare and early learning, higher education, and provide the services that will allow all our people to thrive. In previous sessions, the Dept. of Revenue estimated that a similar wealth tax proposed by Sen. Frame and Rep. Thai would raise up to $4.5 billion annually. This new tax would make Washington’s highly regressive tax system more fair. HB 1839 (Reed) Creating equity in high tech tax by removing the cap. Sponsors: Reps Reed, Pollet, Berg, Parshley, Scott, Ormsby and Hill. This bill will help stave off devastating cuts to education and vital public services, and make Washington’s tax system less regressive by asking our biggest and most wealthy corporations to pay a little more. The bill eliminates an arbitrary cap of $9 million for high tech companies with worldwide gross revenues over $25 billion in the advanced computing surcharge. The Dept. of Revenue estimates the bill will add $231 million in the 2025-27 biennium, and $404 million in 2027-29. Revenue from the advanced computing surcharge is dedicated to the Workforce Education Investment Account.