News Releases

OLYMPIA — Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) was appointed to the Joint Higher Education Committee Wednesday by Lt. Gov. Denny Heck.  The joint committee consists of eight members — two members from each of the major caucuses in both the House and Senate — and meets at least twice annually.  Nobles is the current chair of the Senate ...

OLYMPIA — Washington state will soon have the highest Medicaid reimbursement rate for birth doulas in the U.S. thanks to the efforts of Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest).  The supplemental operating budget, signed into law Friday, allows birth doulas to claim up to $3,500 per doula — making it the highest rate in the nation, according to the National ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to improve the long-term health of individuals convicted of crimes where mental health, cognitive issues, or brain injuries are a factor was signed into law Friday.  Senate Bill 5588, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), makes the mental health sentencing alternative process more efficient by requiring the Department of Corrections ...

OLYMPIA — Legislation to allow students to receive state financial aid for the same amount of time they can receive federal aid was signed into law Thursday.  Senate Bill 5904, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), aligns the maximum eligibility time frames for the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport to Careers programs with ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to create more affordable homeownership opportunities was signed into law Friday.   Senate Bill 6173, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), aims to expand the production of affordable housing by enabling local municipalities imposing an affordable and supportive housing sales and use tax to support organizations in creating homeownership opportunities for households ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to continue a statewide program improving active transportation connectivity in overburdened communities was signed into law Thursday.  Senate Bill 6283, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), eliminates the expiration date for the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program, which was set to end in 2027. Williams, a Black ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to provide youth in foster care with financial literacy skills and support passed the Senate Monday.  Senate Bill 5591, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to develop a program to provide youth in care, ages 14 and up, with the ability to establish a ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to create more affordable homeownership opportunities passed the Senate on a 48-1 vote Friday.  Senate Bill 6173, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), aims to expand the production of affordable housing by enabling local municipalities to support organizations in creating homeownership opportunities for households earning up to 80% of ...

OLYMPIA — Legislation to allow students to receive state financial aid for the same amount of time they can receive federal aid passed the Senate on a 34-14 vote Friday.  Senate Bill 5904, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would align the maximum eligibility time frames for the Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and Passport ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to continue a statewide program to improve active transportation connectivity in overburdened communities unanimously passed the Senate Thursday.  Senate Bill 6283, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would eliminate the expiration date for the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program, which is set to end in 2027. Williams, a Black ...