Week 4 of the 2025 legislative session is packed with committee work, including reforms to juvenile justice, fairer credit scoring, and expanding free school lunches to all 1.1 million Washington students. The Senate will also take the floor Wednesday to pass its first policy bills of the session.
SAFE COLLEGE CAMPUSES

10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 3
The Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5355, sponsored by Sen. Tina Orwall. The bill expands resources for sexual assault victims and strengthens Title IX training for students and faculty. Watch on TVW.
PROTECTING WASHINGTON’S WORKFORCE

10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 3
The Labor & Commerce Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5525, sponsored by Sen. Annette Cleveland. The bill requires businesses to provide more notice to employees ahead of a mass layoff. Watch on TVW.
JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM

1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3
The Human Services Committee will hear public testimony on several bills to help reduce the overcrowding in Washington’s juvenile rehabilitation system. Senate Bill 5296, sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, aims to prevent young Washingtonians from entering juvenile rehabilitation in the first place. The bill would provide new discretion to judges to assess the need to sentence someone to confinement and also requires periodic reviews every six months to determine that incarceration is still necessary to preserve public safety. Watch on TVW.
FAIR CREDIT SCORING

8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
The Law & Justice Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5480, sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli. The bill prohibits using medical debt in the calculation of a person’s credit rating. Watch on TVW.
FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES

8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
The Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5352, sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli. The bill expands Washington’s free school lunch program to all 1.1 million students. Watch on TVW.
HEALTH CARE TRANSPARENCY

10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
The Health & Long-Term Care Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5561, sponsored by Sen. Annette Cleveland. The bill requires Washington health care entities to register with the Department of Health, helping lawmakers and others better understand market dynamics, including private equity involvement. Watch on TVW.
MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES

10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
The Labor & Commerce Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5501, sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford. The bill prohibits job postings from requiring a driver’s license unless essential for the role, expanding job opportunities for Washingtonians with disabilities who don’t have one. Watch on TVW.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY

10:45 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
Senate and House Democratic leaders will answer questions from the press on Tuesday. Watch on TVW.
REVITALIZING CAMPUS

1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
The State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5522, sponsored by Sen. Deb Krishnadasan. The bill expands the State Capitol Committee from four to 13 members, adding eight legislators, the chief justice, and others. Currently composed of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and commissioner of public lands, the committee will also gain a clear decision-making process for naming buildings and major art installations on the Capitol campus. Watch on TVW.
RIGHT TO REPAIR

8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5
The Environment, Energy & Technology Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5423, sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford. The “Right to Repair” bill requires manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair shops access to tools and materials for fixing electronics, small appliances, and more. Watch on TVW.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING

10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5
The Housing Committee will hear public testimony on several bills to expand affordable housing in Washington.
SB 5496, sponsored by Sen. Emily Alvarado, limits large investment entities from buying single-family homes to preserve homeownership opportunities for residents and families. Investor purchases in Washington have surged 46% in recent years, with investors now owning over 7% of the state’s housing supply.
SB 5497, also sponsored by Alvarado, streamlines permitting for supportive and transitional housing and shelters by requiring cities to use administrative review. It also creates a dispute resolution process through the Department of Commerce to address local regulatory barriers.
SB 5555, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon, updates zoning regulations to allow housing in commercial and retail areas near transit, permitting ground-floor units outside major pedestrian corridors. It also establishes an expedited approval process for developments that modify street-level use requirements to create more housing.
FLOOR ACTION

12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5
The Senate will convene Wednesday to debate its first policy bills of 2025 and honor the military with a Navy Day resolution. Watch on TVW.
HEALTHY WASHINGTON

8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7
The Health & Long-Term Care Committee will hear public testimony on bills aimed at preserving affordable health care access for Washingtonians. Senate Bill 5387, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson, ensures that health care providers make care decisions free from corporate control or influence. SB 5557, sponsored by Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, codifies Department of Health emergency rules guaranteeing pregnant patients in Washington the right to emergency care. Watch on TVW.
CLEANER, SAFER WASHINGTON

10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7
The Environment, Energy & Technology Committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 5450, sponsored by Sen. Vandana Slatter. The bipartisan bill improves the system, effectiveness, and speed of public notifications for sewage spills. Watch on TVW.
FLOOR ACTION

12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7
The Senate will return to the floor Friday. Watch on TVW.