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New Washington laws in 2024
A host of bills are on their way to being signed into law in Washington state.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - A host of bills are on their way to being signed into law in Washington state.
The 2024 legislative session has ended, with some bills being deliberated into the early morning hours of the final day, including a controversial gas tax bill that Republicans claim was muscled through by Gov. Inslee, who they say threatened to torpedo other bills they were working on if they did not pass it.
But there is far more than just climate policies and law enforcement laws going to the governor's desk.
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Other laws that passed include:
- SB 5462: Public schools in Washington must now teach students about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and their perspectives.
- HB 2180: Increases money for special education, raising the funding formula based on how many students are enrolled in a school district. The funding formula goes from 15–17.5%.
- HB 2118: Requires gun stores to carry $1 million in liability coverage. It also requires extensive camera and audio surveillance on site, and requires major security infrastructure. Opponents have called this a death sentence, especially for small gun stores, saying they will not be able to afford the hefty cost.
- SB 5778: Employers can no longer require employees to join meetings that discuss their religious or political views.
- HB 1889: The state can no longer deny someone a commercial or professional license in most industries based on illegal status in the U.S.
- SB 5882: Raises the number and funding for paraeducators in public schools. The law will dump about $700 million to hire more paraeducators. Opponents say right now only 50% of public school staff are licensed teachers, and that the money should be spent on hiring licensed teachers. They say this will lower the student-teacher ratio.
- SB 5427: Requires the Attorney General’s Office to create a hate crime hotline where people can call in, report and get advice. Originally, this bill was going to allow a $2,000 dollar reward for any hate crime tips; that part of the measure was controversial and expensive, and ultimately nixed from the final version.
- SB 6058: Officially links Washington carbon to Canada and California. Supporters say this will allow for a more streamlined way to cap carbon and also lower costs. But with the Climate Commitment Act under threat of repeal, some are asking if this measure is too early to pass.
- SB 6069: Creates what’s now Washington Saves, automatically creating an individual retirement account (IRA) for workers who don’t have access to employer 401K.
- HB 1903: Penalizes gun owners for failing to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours after discovering it. It would be a $1,000 infraction.
- HB 1958: Allows people to go after another person if they remove or tamper with a condom without consent. It would only be a civil case, allowing the alleged victim to go after someone for $5,000.