Legislative Initiatives

The WALPA Legislative Committee has launched its 2026 work coordinating bill tracking, developing perspective papers to inform potential revisions to state law governing Lake Management Districts, expanding lake management funding opportunities offered by the state, and organizing comments on Washington Department of Ecology's water quality rulemaking for Harmful Algae Blooms and Lake Nutrient Criteria.

WALPA’s “Bill Watch” Legislation:

HB 1822 – 2021-22 Improving Puget Sound water quality.
SB 5786 – 2021-22 Protecting Puget Sound from wastewater pollution by requiring the department of ecology to strengthen the Puget Sound nutrient general permit.
SB 5525 – 2021-22 Allowing persons to take immediate action to remedy water quality conditions to protect public health and welfare without the threat of penalty.

SJR 8210 – 2021-22, HJR 4205 – 2021-22, HJR 4209 – 2021-22 Adding a new section to the Washington state Constitution regarding the conservation and protection of the state’s natural resources.
SB 5721 – 2021-22 Consolidating natural resource management under the commissioner of public lands.
SB 5207 – 2021-22 Concerning environmental permit streamlining.
SB 5081 – 2021-22 Concerning the burden of proof in disputes involving enforcement actions by certain regulatory agencies.
SJM 8008 – 2021-22 Asking the United States Government to enter into a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty.
SB 5608 – 2021-22 Concerning free public access to state parks and lands.
SB 5392 – 2021-22 Concerning criteria for excluding artificial water bodies as shorelines of the state.
SB 5585 – 2021-22 Setting domestic wastewater discharge fees. By Request: Department of Ecology
HB 1200 – 2021-22 Requiring private operation of publicly owned sewerage systems that fail to achieve minimum water quality performance.
HB 1606 – 2021-22 Concerning the correction of culverts.
HB 1753 – 2021-22 Concerning tribal consultation regarding the use of certain funding authorized by the climate commitment act.

Supporting documents:

WACD Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Management in Washington Report

WALPA SUPPORTS

SB 5141 – 2021-22 Implementing the recommendations of the environmental justice task force.

SB 5063 – 2021-22 Concerning the expiration date of the invasive species council.

WALPA OPPOSES

No current listings

WALPA IS NEUTRAL