Legislative Priorities

Below are 350 Spokane's priorities for the 2026 Washington Legislative Session

350 Spokane is prioritizing a variety of legislative solutions to the climate crisis.

How to support climate-related bills in the Washington Legislature

If you want to tell your legislators to support a bill:

  1. Go to “Bill Information” page: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
  2. Put the bill number in the “bill number” box and click on the “Search” button.
  3. Click on “Comment on this bill”
  4. Put your address in the form and click the “Verify District” button.
  5. Select one or more of your representatives to receive your comment.
  6. Enter your contact information.
  7. Click the “support” button.
  8. Add a comment in the box provided. It may be as simple as “please support this bill.”
  9. Click “Send Comment” button.

If you want to participate in or send a comment to a committee hearing

  1. Go to “Bill Information” page: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
  2. Scroll down to “Site Contents” at the bottom of the page and click “Participate in Committee Hearings”
  3. Click either “Register to Testify Remotely During a Hearing” or “Submit Written Testimony”
  4. Select “House” or “Senate”
  5. Select the name of the committee from the list provided
  6. Then select the time of the hearing from the list provided
  7. Then select the agenda item from the list provided
  8. Select “Type of testimony”
  9. Follow the instructions provided.

Bills We Our Prioritizing in the 2026 Washington Legislature

SB 5466 Improving Electricity Transmission

SB 5466 creates a new statewide entity — the Washington Electric Transmission Authority — whose job is to plan, coordinate, and accelerate the build‑out and modernization of Washington’s electric transmission system. In short, it tackles one of the biggest bottlenecks in the clean‑energy transition: not enough transmission capacity to move clean power where it’s needed.

Key benefits

  • Unlocks clean energy projects by expanding grid capacity so wind, solar, and storage can connect faster.

  • Reduces emissions by enabling more clean electricity and decreasing reliance on fossil‑fuel backup.

  • Improves climate resilience through modernized lines, grid‑enhancing technologies, and distributed energy solutions.

  • Minimizes land impacts by prioritizing upgrades within existing rights‑of‑way and requiring community and tribal consultation.

SB 5466

Bill Status: Dead

HB 2416 is both complex and important to the Spokane Region. 

Some Context:

  • The Climate Commitment Act provided a temporary exemption for Spokane’s Waste To Energy plant, due to expire in 2027.
  • The City of Spokane is not financially prepared for this exemption to fully expire. 

In order to address these problems and to help ease the financial burden on the residents of the Spokane region, the City is asking for a gradual adoption of the CCA compliance, slowly increasing over the next few decades, rather than complete compliance beginning in 2027. 

The details of how much compliance and how fast the adoption rate are still up for debate, and are changing often enough that we cannot recommend a strong support or oppose stance at this time. 

HB 2416

Bill Status: Alive

SB 6092

Bill Status: Alive

HB 2095 makes drivers accountable when they hit walkers and bikers in bike lanes or crosswalks, and on sidewalks.

 

At present when someone is hit by a negligent driver, even on a sidewalk, it is up to the police or the victim to show that the driver was negligent. This bill reverses the burden of proof, requiring drivers to disprove negligence when they crash into people on sidewalks, in bike lanes and crosswalks. It would also provide training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges in the aftermath of crashes between people driving and people walking and biking.

HB 2095

Bill Status: Alive

SB 6200 aims to prevent landlords from banning air conditioning units or other cooling devices in rental housing and mobile home parks, provided certain safety standards are met.

 
  • Renter Protections: Landlords generally cannot prohibit a tenant from installing or using a portable cooling device (like a window AC unit or a portable floor unit).

  • Safety & Installation Standards: To protect the property, landlords can enforce specific requirements, such as:

    • Ensuring the device does not damage the window frame.

    • Requiring the device to be installed in a way that doesn’t block emergency exits (egress windows).

    • Requiring the device to be removed during the winter months.

  • Mobile Home Parks: The bill extends similar protections to residents of mobile home parks, who often face unique restrictions from park management regarding external attachments to their units.

SB 6200

Bill Status: Alive

HB 2515 applies new regulations to large data centers that are more than 20 MW. They also improve transparency requirements and add a fee to the energy used by these large centers.  The bill:

  • Sets clean energy mandate: 80% clean by 2031
  • Community benefit: $0.005/kWh fee funds low-income energy assistance and workforce education
  • 60% → low-income energy assistance, weatherization, etc.
  • 40% → public higher-ed workforce + AI/quantum education

HB 2515

Bill Status: Alive

SB 5581 supports implementation for safe system approach strategies for active transportation infrastructure.  The bill

  • Requires active transportation facilities to be included in highway design when they connect to local plans
  • Protects existing and planned trails and shared‑use paths from being destroyed by highway projects
  • Expands and strengthens the state’s Complete Streets requirements
  • Enhances programs that fund walking and biking infrastructure, especially in underserved communities

 

SB 5581

Bill Status: Alive

The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) budget is a vital part of ensuring our carbon credit system works to build climate resiliency and new clean energy projects. Governor Ferguson wants to divert climate commitment act dollars towards non-climate costs.

  • Governor wants $556 million from carbon fee revenue for non-climate purposes.
  • The Climate Commitment Act was created to fund:

– Cutting Emissions
– Transition Off Fossil Fuels
– Adaptation
– Disaster Aid

Say “NO”. Call Governor Ferguson at (360)-902-4111. And call your state reps.