Long days and late nights marked this week in the Washington Legislature. Wednesday’s House of Origin cutoff meant lawmakers had to vote bills out of their respective chambers by 5 p.m. to be eligible for further consideration.
House Committee Hears Bar-request Bill
The House Judiciary Committee heard Bar-request bill SB 5011 on Thursday, March 9. Eric DeJong, representing the Corporate Act Revisions Committee of WSBA’s Business Law Section, testified in support and explained how the measure seeks to modernize Washington law to make our state more business friendly.
Prime-sponsored by Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-43, SB 5011 has no fiscal impact.
Section-supported Notarial Acts Bill Heard
In the same hearing, the House Judiciary Committee also heard SSB 5081. Supported by WSBA’s Elder Law Section, this bill creates a uniform process for notaries, replaces outdated notary laws, and encourages notaries to keep a journal of all notarial acts.
SSB 5081 is also prime-sponsored by Sen. Pedersen and is by request of the Uniform Law Commission.
Bill Action
Since the beginning of session, WSBA’s Office of Legislative Affairs has referred more than 665 bills to various Bar entities. A number of these bills are still in play this session. For a list of these measures, please see the Bill Referrals List.
For additional legislative information, please see the 2017 Session Cutoff Calendar and please visit WSBA Legislative Affairs.
Alison Phelan. Alison joined the WSBA as Legislative Affairs manager in 2015 after spending three years as legislative director for the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. Her career also includes government relations work for state agencies and the Washington state Senate. She has a degree in political science and communication from the University of Washington. She can be reached at alisonp@wsba.org.
