Pending Legislation
OLYMPIA UPDATE
Below is an early-session snapshot of the bills in the Washington State legislature that may have impacts at the City of Mercer Island. While I have not yet researched all the bills, those that I’ve examined have been through the lens of a City Councilmember and secondarily as an Information Technology manager. I’ll continue to update this report periodically during the session as existing bills advance and as new bills of interest emerge.
New bills in 2026 that I have researched
High impact to MI:
· HB 2374 – Concerning e-motorcycle regulation.
· SB 6002 – Regulations on Automatic License Plate Reader cameras
· SB 6015 – Concerning permit-ready residential buildings.
· HB 2346 – Concerning performance based building codes for middle housing.
· HB 2381 – Concerning performance based building codes for low-rise residential buildings.
Moderate impact to MI:
· HB 2265 – Protecting tenants from extreme heat.
· HB 2266 / SB 6069 – Encouraging permanent supportive housing.
· SB 6026 – Concerning residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones.
Low impact to MI:
· HB 2213 – Addressing theft and vandalism of metal property, in particular EV charger cables
· HB 2236 / SB 6018 – Concerning the housing finance commission
· HB 2251 – Concerning Climate Commitment Act accounts
· HB 2294 – Prohibiting negative use restrictions limiting access to food and medicine.
· HB 2345 – Shifting deductions for FML premiums
· HB 2359 / SB 6027 – Funding for affordable housing.
· HB 2366 – Concerning school board compensation.
· HB 2418 – Concerning the permit review process
New bills in 2026 that I have not yet researched
These could have some impact on Mercer Island:
§ HB 2267 – Concerning urban forest management ordinances.
§ HB 2273 – Reducing embodied carbon emissions in building materials.
§ HB 2296 / SB 6050 – Expanding the use of distributed energy resources.
§ HB 2373 – Requiring electric utilities to provide discounts to low-income households.
§ SB 6008 – Incentivizing grid-connected residential batteries
§ SB 6028 – Establishing a revolving loan fund for affordable housing.
Reintroduced bills from 2025 that I have researched
High impact to MI
§ HB 1592 – Public Defender Funding
Moderate impact to MI
§ HB 1690 – Statewide Water & Sewer Assessment
§ HB 1907 – Taxing Self-Storage Rentals as Retail Sales
§ SB 5612 – SEPA Exemptions for Affordable Multi-Family
§ SB 5746 – Addressing EV Charger Facility Vandalism
Low impact to MI
§ HB 1170 – AI Disclosure of Created Content
§ HB 1732 – Limits Corporations to Owning 25 SF Homes
§ HB 1867 – Allow the use of REET for Affordable Housing
§ HB 1960 – Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Generation Sites
§ HB 2018 – Solid Waste Trust Fund
§ SB 5576 – 6% Short Term Rental Tax for AH
Legislative priorities of the City of Mercer Island that do not yet appear to be addressed by proposed new legislation
Adjustments to the Dept of Ecology’s nutrient regulation in wastewater management.
Funding for body worn video or evidence processing systems.
Increased support for community- or school-based behavioral health services.