From the LWV WA Lobby Team: Legislation supported by LWV that has not made it out of committee and must do so by Feb. 15th.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

HB 1312/SB 5413: Places restrictions on the use of solitary confinement, including limiting its use to situations in which there is a substantial risk of immediate harm and less restrictive interventions would be insufficient to reduce this risk. STATUS UPDATE: HB 1312 was referred to the House Public Safety Committee on Jan. 20. SB 5413 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 pm.

 ACTION ALERT: Sign in to support SB 5413 BEFORE 12:30 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 9. If your Senator sits on theHuman Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee, ask them to pass this bill out of committee through this Action Alert. 

SHB 1044: Recognizing that postsecondary education in prisons improves safety and decreases recidivism, this bill expands opportunities for such education and requires the Department of Corrections to accommodate those with learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and cognitive impairments. Scheduled for a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Feb 11 at 3:30 pm. 
 ACTION ALERT: Sign in to support SB 1044 BEFORE 2:30 pm on Thursday, Feb. 11. 

HB 1499: The Pathways to Recovery Act (1) increases funding for substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs, (2) adopts a public health-based approach by eliminating penalties for personal use drug offenses and connecting people with services to address the root causes of their substance use disorder, and (3) expands resources for statewide education about substance use. STATUS UPDATE: HB 1499 is scheduled for a public hearing on Feb. 12 at 10:00 am in the House Public Safety Committee.

 ACTION ALERT: Sign in to support HB 1499 BEFORE 9:00 am on Friday, Feb. 12.