Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 2025 legislative session has officially adjourned for the year after a challenging 105 days in Olympia. Despite a historic state budget deficit and increasing uncertainty from a chaotic federal government, the Legislature made significant progress on a wide range of issues this year. In this newsletter, I’ll highlight key housing, education, and environmental legislation that will improve life in the 40th Legislative District and across the state.

Support for affordable housing

The Legislature took significant steps this session to expand our housing supply, support homeownership opportunities, and provide stability for renters. I was proud to vote for House Bill 1217, which caps rent increases annually at 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is less. This will help prevent extreme price hikes that are forcing too many people out of their homes. You can watch my floor speech on the bill here. We also passed a number of bills to expand the state’s housing supply, cut red tape, lower construction costs, and increase density and middle housing options:

  • SB 5559: I prime-sponsored this bill that will streamline the subdivision process so it’s easier to sell smaller footprint lots and housing types. With home ownership out of reach for many families, this tool will complement our middle housing policies to create more opportunities for people to build equity and economic prosperity.
  • SB 5148: Enforces housing mandates to ensure affordable housing legislation is implemented and establishes a builder’s remedy for noncompliant cities, so more housing gets built.
  • HB 1491: Supports transit-oriented development by requiring denser housing near major transit stops with affordability requirements.
  • SB 5184: Creates flexibility for minimum parking requirements to reduce costs and make housing less expensive.
  • SB 5471: Authorizes up to four units of middle housing per lot in rural areas which was previously not allowed.

The final capital budget includes a record-setting $605 million for the construction of affordable housing projects through the Housing Trust Fund. This landmark investment directly builds affordable homes for Washingtonians of all income levels, from shelters and recovery housing, to senior living and homeownership opportunities.

Recycling Reform Act Passes!

I’m excited to report that my bill to modernize our state’s recycling system passed the Legislature and will be signed into law this year! SB 5284, the Recycling Reform Act, will create a producer responsibility program to require manufacturers and consumer brands to reduce unnecessary packaging, fund statewide collection services, and ensure materials put in curbside bins are recycled. People will be able to use a statewide comprehensive list of what can be recycled and nearly 500,000 Washington households – particularly in rural areas – will finally have access to curbside recycling. It will take a few years to implement this ambitious plan, but I’m proud that our state is seizing the opportunity to reduce pollution, improve recycling rates, and divert materials away from landfills.

Support for public education

With two kids attending public schools, I know how concerned students, teachers, and parents are about the potential impact of district budget shortfalls. This session the Legislature was able to preserve maintenance-level funding in K–12 education while also making a significant new investment of $1.4 billion over the next four years to boost special education services and help districts cover materials, supplies, and operating costs.

In addition to direct state funding, the Legislature gave school districts greater levy authority.  We also clarified the state’s parents’ rights law and adopted new anti-discrimination protections for students based on their gender expression or identity.

Here are a few major bills we passed this session to give our students and families the resources and supports they need to succeed:

  • SB 5263 will increase funding for special education services by $750 million over the next four years. The bill also removes the artificial cap on the number of students who are eligible for these critical services.
  • SB 5253 extends special education services for students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which they turn 22.
  • SB 5192 will invest an additional $213 million to fill critical funding gaps for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) at our public schools.
  • HB 2049 will give school districts the option to ask communities for more levy support for their local schools. This is something our districts have been asking our legislative team about for years, and I’m grateful we can meet some of our funding gap locally. The budget also includes $200 million over the next four years for local effort assistance funding to help school districts without enough property value to raise funds through levies.
  • HB 1296 clarifies the 2024 parents’ rights initiative by adjusting provisions to eliminate ambiguity and confusion. It updates Washington’s anti-discrimination laws to ensure all students are protected in public schools and strengthens parent’s ability to be central to their children’s success. These changes will help give certainty to schools as they work to provide a safer and more welcoming classroom for all Washington students.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov.

 

Sen. Liz Lovelett