As the end of Washington’s eviction moratorium approaches, state lawmakers hope to stem the tide of a potential tsunami of evictions with a bill that would establish a “right to counsel” for tenants facing eviction statewide.

That’s great! But it’s not as great as it could be. The state bill, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer, would only provide lawyers for people making less than 200% of the federal poverty level, or around $53,000 for a family of four. Since landlords evict most people for non-payment of rent, that provision amounts to a pretty unnecessary means test. More worrisome is the fact that the bill wouldn’t go into effect until next year, and that’s assuming it passes the notoriously creaky Legislature in the first place. January of 2022 comes well after the state’s eviction moratorium is scheduled to lift, and so the protections tenants need might come too late for many across the state.