HomeMy WebLinkAboutBRIEFING re Legislative Update JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Mark McCauley, County Administrator
FROM: Heidi Eisenhour, Commissioner
Stephanie Wright, Strategies 360
DATE: June 9, 2025
SUBJECT: 2025 Legislative Session debrief
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
The 2025 Legislative Session is over and we want to take this opportunity to share outcomes and
impressions from our work alongside WSAC and our Legislative delegation in the first part of the year.
ANALYSIS:
Budget Priorities we focused on included:
• Hwy 19/20 and Mill Road Gateway Intersections: We collaboratively requested$500K- $1.79M for
improving the gateway to Port Townsend. This was included in the Senate version of the budget
thanks to Senator Chapman but did not make it through conference.
• Design funding for a mid-County Aquatic Center: Jefferson County requested$250,000 to complete
initial design work via a LCP request to Representative Tharinger. This was not funded.
• $3M for completion of Phase 1 of the Port Hadlock Wastewater treatment system to expand
collection system and complete customer connections. Funding from DOE and EPA for this is not
enough to get all of the existing customers connected in this economically challenged area. This was
not funded.
• $1.2M for Hoh Rainforest access preservation on the Upper Hoh Road and South Shore Lake
Quinault Road. We received $623 to repair the Upper Hoh Road.
• $1.9M appropriation via TLT for inclusion of Jefferson County's Cape George project. TLT was
funded at$21M but this was not enough to reach the Cape George project.
Policy Priorities we focused on:
• Support flexibility for Local Areas of More Intense Rural Development(LAMIRDS): ESB SB
5471 PASSED authorizing middle housing in unincorporated growth areas and unincorporated urban
growth areas, certain limited areas of more intensive rural development, and fully contained
communities. WSAC Supporting. Tharinger sponsored HB. We sent comments for 2/13 hearing.
Chapman sponsored SB.
• Create producer responsibility in solid waste and recycling: SB 5284 PASSED which is the
improved upon WRAP/RE-WRAP act being supported by solid waste managers, including ours,
because it has fixed their previous concerns and makes improvements. It establishes a statewide
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)program for consumer packaging and paper products. This
bill aims to boost recycling rates and reduce waste by holding producers responsible for the lifecycle
of their products, from design to disposal.
We also worked on:
• HB 1831 —PASSED - Concerns the reprocurement of medical assistance services, including the
realignment of behavioral health crisis services for Medicaid enrollees. It requires the Health
Care Authority (Authority)to adjust Medicaid rates to reflect increases and decreases in service
facilities and capacity. It also requires the Authority's preparations for the reprocurement of
Medicaid managed care contracts to consider methodologies for measuring network access and
adequacy, as well as contract amendments for reduce administrative burdens for health care
providers. The Authority must direct managed care organizations to establish, continue, or
expand delegation arrangements with behavioral health administrative services organizations for
crisis services.
• SSB 5798—Did not pass- Property tax reform bill which would have increased funding for
public schools, public safety, criminal justice, community protection, and other vital public
services commensurate with population growth and inflation,providing additional property tax
reductions under the senior citizen property tax relief program, and making the use of state
property tax revenues more transparent.
• HB 1805 —Did not pass- Would have created a local sales and use tax to fund services for
children and families that enhance well-being, promote mental health, and provide early
interventions. This would have been an additional I/10 of I%councilmatic tax proposal.
Tharinger is lead sponsor.
• HB 1592—Did not pass - Ensures the state and counties are partners in providing services that
meet the constitutional right to effective access to justice through effective legal representation.
We checked in with the PA on this before supporting.
WSAC's 2025 End of Session Report can be found at: https://wsac.org/wp-
content/uploads/2025/05/WSAC25 End-of-Session-Report WEB.pdf
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss.
REVIEWED BY:
Mark McCaule County Administrator Date