Climate Action This Week: 
  • Improving Washington's solid waste management outcomes through the WRAP Act
  • Right to Take Action from Police Harm
  • Home Energy Scores
  • Developing Decarbonization Plans in District Energy Systems
  • Opposing the Criminalization of Substance Use Disorder
  • Accelerating Stability for People with a Work-limiting Disability or Incapacity
  • Promoting Transit-Oriented Development
  • Establishing Independent Prosecutors in the Attorney General’s Office
  • Allowing for Administrative Design Review in Housing Projects
  • Improving Traffic Safety
  • Providing for Responsible Environmental Management of Batteries
If you're viewing this on a smartphone, make sure you're in your browser, and when calling or emailing, be sure to mention if you are in the representative or senator’s district. And, unfortunately, SurveyMonkey does not support copy and paste on mobile devices.

Question Title

* Your Information

Pick as many or as few actions as you’d like. Remember to scroll down and click the "DONE" button when you finish.

Thank you for taking action with the 350 WA Civic Action Team!
We think these first three actions will take about 10 minutes.
All of the actions today use the “Comment on this bill” page. Similar to committee sign-ins, you confirm your district by entering your address (hopefully with the help of your browser’s auto-complete) and select who you want to contact (Senator and/or Representatives). For most of today’s actions, it will be both Representatives; for a few, it will be your Senator. Then choose your position on the bill from the three green buttons and write a sentence or two on why you care about the bill, or include any of our talking points.
📜 1. Improving Washington's solid waste management outcomes - HB 1131

The Washington Recycling and Packaging (WRAP) Act will modernize our recycling system by making producers of packaging and paper products responsible for their products' full lifecycle. It will incentivize producers to reduce unnecessary packaging and make packaging more sustainable; provide recycling access for residents across the state; and establish a redeemable deposit on beverage containers to improve the recycling of bottles and cans.

We are following the lead of Zero Waste Washington on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1131 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own. Please include the first talking point:
  • I urge you to vote yes on the WRAP Act and to keep the policy as strong as possible. Please do not support amendments that would weaken the source reduction standards or the criteria for approving alternative recycling processes.
  • The state’s recycling system has not kept pace with the avalanche of packaging created by manufacturers. By shifting the cost of recycling from residents to the companies that make the packaging decisions, this bill will incentivize companies to reduce unnecessary single-use packaging and use greener, more recyclable materials.
  • This bill will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing our reuse and recycling rates. We save energy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions when items are made from recycled materials rather than new resources. Decreasing the need to extract new resources helps frontline communities that often bear the brunt of environmental impacts from resource extraction.
  • Recycling should be convenient, affordable and accessible, but only 58% of municipalities currently have curbside recycling services in Washington.This bill will help expand equitable recycling access for residents across the state, including at apartments and in rural areas, and reduce confusion by developing a clear common list of what can be recycled statewide.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1131?

📜 2. Creating a private right of action for harm from violations of the state Constitution or state law by peace officers - HB 1025

This bill, also known as the Access to Fairness Act, allows meaningful redress for victims of police violence when their Washington State constitutional rights have been violated. Essentially, it would support people taking action against police officers who cause unlawful injury or fail to prevent injury. Few families of police violence victims bring lawsuits to state court because of the many obstacles to holding officers accountable, including qualified immunity. This bill follows in the footsteps of several other states to provide a legal remedy to people whose rights have been violated by law enforcement. Check out this WCPA 1-pager for more info.

We are following the lead of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and ACLU WA on this bill. 

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1025 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • HB 1025 holds police departments accountable by holding them liable for negligent hiring, training, supervising, and disciplining officers involved in misconduct.
  • Victims of police violence and their families are often pushed into poverty, housing instability, and mental health crises as they navigate a confusing and abusive system while being plunged into debt through the costs of funerals, attorney fees, costs for childcare, and loss of work. Few are offered any compensation for the financial and emotional loss caused by violent policing. Families and victims of police violence need compensation for state sponsored violence.
  • The current fear-mongering that passing the Access to Fairness Act will unleash a flood of litigation is unfounded. California passed a similar law 30 years ago. Colorado, New Mexico, and Connecticut have all passed similar bills. None of these states have seen a flood of litigation.
  • The passing of HB 1025 will provide protection for Washington citizens against police violence, making these cases less frequent, as well as allowing victims redress when harm is done.
  • People of all races deserve meaningful redress when their civil rights have been violated. That is why I am urging your support of HB 1025.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1025?

📜 3. Concerning energy labeling of residential buildings - HB 1433

This bill will create a state-wide system that homeowners may use to obtain a “home energy score.” This bill’s proposed labeling procedure would use a well-tested analytical tool, the Home Energy Score (“HES”), developed by the federal Department of Energy.  Much like the estimated miles per gallon labels on new cars, home energy labels help buyers evaluate the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of an existing home. The bill also creates a framework for licensing Home Assessors who will prepare the HES. Oregon and other states already have specially trained professionals that use HES in analyzing a home’s physical characteristics to create the home’s energy score label. This uniform framework is likely to increase interest in energy efficiency and help reduce emissions. Check out this fact sheet from People for Climate Action for more info.

We are following the lead of People for Climate Action on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1433 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill will allow home buyers to understand and compare the energy costs of existing homes for sale. 
  • Home energy labels increase energy efficiency awareness, promote efficiency improvements, and help homeowners save money.
  • Interest in home upgrades will increase, including clean fuels heating, renewable energy systems such as solar panels, and weatherization. Resulting home improvements will help us meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and slow climate change.
  • A state-wide labeling standard will help multiple local governments implement uniform labeling programs. A uniform labeling system will help realtors assist buyers in evaluating a home’s utility costs.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1433?

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think these next four actions will take about 15 minutes.
📜 4. Concerning district energy systems - HB 1390

This bill requires owners of state campus district energy systems to develop a decarbonization plan by June 2024 and provide their final plan to the Department of Commerce for approval by June 2025, and again every five years thereafter. It establishes an alternative compliance pathway to meet the state energy performance standard for an owner of a state campus district energy system if the owner: (1) is implementing an approved decarbonization plan; (2) meets benchmarking, energy management, and operations and maintenance planning requirements; and (3) gets a request approved by Commerce once every five years. The bill also provides owners of non-state owned campus district energy systems the option to pursue the alternative compliance pathway.

350 WA CAT recommends this action.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1390 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • Upgrading existing district energy systems has great potential to increase efficiency, oftentimes more so than a building-by-building approach.
  • Upgrading and constructing district energy systems will employ skilled labor, including trades that have historically been employed in the fossil fuel sector. This work will be an important part of a just transition to a clean energy economy.
  • District energy policy could be used in coordination with any future statewide building performance standards policies to reduce commercial and large state-owned building emissions.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1390?

📜 5. Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment - SB 5536

This bill re-criminalizes substance possession and leaves substance use disorder treatment in the hands of prosecutors and the court instead of health providers where it belongs. The criminalization of substance possession would harm our communities by treating a public health crisis as a criminal legal issue.

We are following the lead of ACLU WA and the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee (SURSAC) on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact your Senator using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Oppose” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please OPPOSE SB 5536.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • 85% of Washingtonians believe that substance use disorder should be treated as a public health disorder, not a criminal justice disorder. This includes large majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
  • The war on drugs has been an abysmal failure. Addressing substance use disorder as a crime has failed to improve public safety, while disproportionately impacting our Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian and other marginalized communities. 
  • There is overwhelming evidence that addiction should be treated, not penalized. We are seeing a record number of overdose deaths from fentanyl in Washington State, and we know that treating a public health crisis as a criminal legal issue is not effective.
  • A broad coalition of public health experts, advocates, and impacted individuals have worked together to create evidenced-based models that center the voices and heeds the concerns of those directly impacted, especially BIPOC individuals who are disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. I support implementing the full recommendations of SURSAC, the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee. Not SB 5536.

Question Title

* Did you contact your Senator about SB 5536?

📜 6. Accelerating stability for people with a work-limiting disability or incapacity - HB 1260

The Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) cash assistance program provides cash assistance, a referral to the Essential Needs and Housing (HEN) program, and help accessing federal disability benefits to eligible low-income adults who are age 65 or older, blind, or determined likely to meet federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) criteria. Currently, the state requires that people who receive ABD assistance must pay back a portion of the assistance they receive while they are waiting for their full benefits to be approached. This bill would remove the payback requirement for recipients of ABD cash assistance.

We are following the lead of the Low Income Housing Alliance on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1260 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • Current state law requires that people who receive assistance through the aged, blind, and disabled cash assistance program are required to pay back a portion of the assistance they receive while they are waiting for their full benefits to be approached. This is an unfair and unreasonable requirement that for decades has penalized those who are extremely low income and disabled. 
  • Too often ABD assistance recipients are not aware that they will have to pay back a portion of this assistance, and have already used the money for rent, groceries, utilities, and medical bills. Receiving a notice of payback forces them into a situation where they have to choose which bills to pay, and this isn't a choice anyone should have to make, let alone those who are supposed to be receiving assistance. 
  • The state currently collects $40 million each year in payback funds. This is a small amount for the state, but these paybacks have major consequences for the low-income people who are required to pay them.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1260?

📜 7. Promoting Transit-Oriented Development - SB 5466

This bill creates flexible standards for cities to allow mid-sized apartment buildings within three-quarters of a mile of transit stops with frequent service, and larger buildings within a quarter-mile of light rail stations. It also removes off-street parking requirements, streamlines permitting, and incentivizes affordable units. Check out this Sightline article for more info.

We are following the lead of Homes4WA on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact your Senator using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that SB 5466 is pulled to the floor for a vote and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own. Please include the first talking point in your comment:
  • Removing parking requirements around public transit sites helps to reduce costs, increase the number of units that can be built, and encourages the use of public transit. Please RESIST any amendments that would remove the parking requirement prohibition.  
  • Transit-oriented development focuses on increasing housing density around public transit infrastructure. Given the major investments in public transit that Washington made last year through the transportation package, this is the ideal time to pair building these new transit investments with new housing.
  • To incentivize affordable housing development, this bill offers an automatic 50 percent increase in allowed FAR for housing affordable to people earning 60 percent of area median income (AMI).
  • To protect communities from displacement pressures that could be exacerbated by FAR allowances, this bill would require that cities preemptively take the actions defined by a 2021 bill that established new anti-displacement standards for local planning.

Question Title

* Did you contact your Senator about SB 5466?

📜 8. Establishes an Independent Prosecutor in cases of alleged police criminal misconduct - HB 1579

This bill establishes an office of independent prosecutions within the state attorney general’s office to prosecute a crime associated with a police officer’s deadly use of force. The independent counsel will have concurrent investigating authority with the county prosecuting attorney. In 2020, the Governor’s Task Force on Police Use of Deadly Force identified real or perceived conflicts of interest by the local prosecutor as an obstacle in the prosecution of alleged police criminal conduct. HB 1579 is important in valuing the lives of Black, Indigenous and people of color who are disproportionately impacted by police violence

We are following the lead of the Washington Committee for Police Accountability and People Power Washington on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1579 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • HB 1579 is crucial to valuing the lives of Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are disproportionately impacted by police violence.
  • County Prosecutors work closely with law enforcement and rely on them for gathering evidence, and interviewing witnesses. Prosecutors, exercising prosecutorial discretion, often fail to file criminal charges even when unarmed citizens are killed at the hands of law enforcement.
  • All people deserve safety from police violence no matter their race, gender, or income. Police officers, like all other citizens, need to be held accountable to the law. In 2021 Washington State became the first state in the country to establish an Office of Independent Investigation. Independent Investigation is the first step. Help Washington State continue to lead the way in police reform and take the next logical step by establishing an Independent Prosecutor.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1579?

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the "DONE” button to submit your actions!
Time for more? We think these last three actions will take about 10 minutes.
📜 9. Concerning local government design review - HB 1026

This bill would require that housing projects have the option for administrative design review (that is, by a government employee). In larger cities, many housing projects currently go through community-based Design Review Boards which focus on the aesthetics of the project and often lead to delay and increased costs while projects are required to make small cosmetic design changes. These reviews are separate from the cities’ safety and building standards reviews. Unlike building and safety standards, it is hard for designers to know what Design Review Boards will find aesthetically pleasing and Boards use “neighborhood character” to justify blocking projects.

Administrative design review is a less subjective process where a government employee compares project plans to city-based design standards. It tends to be quicker, requires many less modifications, and is more objective. During Covid, Seattle implemented this policy for affordable housing projects and saw projects move much more quickly through the review process.

We are following the lead of Homes4WA on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1026 is brought to a vote on the floor and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own. Please include the first talking point in your comment:
  • The substitute bill allows exceptions for historic districts. This broad language could allow cities to designate entire neighborhoods as historic to by-pass this legislation. A more narrow exception would make this bill more impactful.  
  • In larger cities, many housing projects currently go through community-based Design Review Boards which focus on the aesthetics of the project. These reviews are separate from safety and building standards reviews done by the city.
  • Design Review Boards have often been a place where housing projects have been slowed down and costs have increased while projects are required to make, often very small cosmetic, design changes. Unlike building and safety standards, it is hard for designers to know what design review boards will find aesthetically pleasing. This is also a location where ‘neighborhood character’ is used to justify not allowing projects to move forward.
  • Administrative review is a less subjective process where a government employee compares project plans to city-based design standards. This process tends to be quicker, require many less modifications, and is more objective.  
  • During Covid, Seattle implemented this policy for affordable housing projects and saw projects move much more quickly through the review process. They saw such success that they recently extended the policy going forward.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1026?

📜 10. Improving traffic safety - HB 1513

This bill reduces disproportionate impacts on communities of color and low-income people by reducing stops for low-level traffic violations that do not affect public safety. It allows law enforcement to focus on addressing real hazards such as impaired, distracted, or reckless driving. The bill creates resources for public safety programs that help people comply with the law and fix their vehicles to avoid low-level violations: repair vouchers, taillight installation workshops, helmet vouchers, fee waivers for expired tabs, etc. This solution-oriented fund ensures safer vehicles on the road, supports low-income drivers, including cyclists, and fixes vehicles to improve road safety.

See these ACLU and WCPA information sheets for more information.

We are following the lead of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and ACLU WA on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1513 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • The horrific death of Tyre Nichols has put a national focus on just how dangerous traffic stops can be. Traffic stops for minor traffic infractions have, at their most severe, turned deadly for Black and Brown Washingtonians, like Giovonn Joseph McDade, Jenoah Donald, and Iosia Faletogo, and hundreds of others throughout the country. A traffic stop should never put someone’s life at risk. Under this substitute bill, police officers would retain authority to enforce non-moving violations as a secondary offense.
  • Harmful fishing expeditions by law enforcement have been shown to be ineffective at uncovering crime and ineffective at reducing traffic fatalities, but have significant social and civic costs. This bill helps law enforcement officers focus on traffic stops related to impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding – the leading causes of traffic accidents.
  • HB 1513 is a common sense solutions-based bill. This bill provides for local jurisdictions to develop pilot programs for repair vouchers, tail light installation workshops, and helmet vouchers. This legislation will also support low-income drivers, including cyclists, and improve safety for all road users.
  • Many jurisdictions, including Seattle as well as others across the country have restricted or banned traffic stops for low-level offenses. Washington should lead the way in traffic safety for all users by passing HB 1513.

Question Title

* Did you contact both of your Representatives about HB 1513?

📜 11. Providing for responsible environmental management of batteries - SB 5144

This bill requires battery manufacturers to manage and pay for a responsible recycling program for single use and rechargeable batteries which will be convenient, free, and accessible for Washington residents. For more detail, see Zero Waste Washington’s factsheet.

We are following the lead of Zero Waste Washington on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact your Senator using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that SB 5144 is pulled to the floor for a vote and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • Batteries are becoming incredibly important as we move into a renewable energy future. We are using more and more batteries of all sizes and we need to recover the critical minerals they contain, not throw them in landfills.
  • This bill will make recycling batteries convenient, free and accessible for all Washington residents, including overburdened communities.
  • By recycling the materials in batteries and decreasing the need to mine raw materials, the bill will decrease greenhouse gas emissions, other pollutants, and landscape destruction.
  • By making battery manufacturers responsible for the lifecycle of their products, the bill creates a financial incentive for manufacturers to make batteries that last longer or are easier to recycle.
  • Proper handling and recycling of used batteries help prevent the release of toxic materials into the environment.
  • Use of lithium batteries is on the rise as we move into a renewable energy future. A responsible recycling program will help remove them from the waste stream where they can ignite fires in collection trucks and solid waste facilities, creating safety problems for workers.

Question Title

* Did you contact your Senator about SB 5144?

Question Title

* You did it! Thank you for your continued support and hard work! Please let us know if you had any issues.

Please click “Done” to record your actions. Thanks!

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

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