Legislative Updates Legislative Update: Week 7 February 24, 2023 Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email What has the Northwest Harvest Advocacy team been up to in Olympia this week? A few quick updates: This week marked a significant milestone in the legislative process: Friday the 24th signaled the last day to pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor from the fiscal committees in their house of origin. HB 1784 (emergency hunger relief bill) was unanimously voted out of the House Appropriations committee on 2/16. It has been placed on second reading by the House Rules committee. HB 1238 (school meals) has been amended since its original introduction: the bill as written will not provide free school meals to every student in Washington, but will instead expand free meal eligibility to an additional estimated 90,000 students. The amended bill was voted out of Appropriations committee on 2/24. Next this bill will need to be scheduled for a vote in the House for it to move forward in the process. The companion bill in the Senate (SB 5339) has not been voted out of its fiscal committee. HB 1559 (basic needs act/hunger free campus bill) was voted out the House Appropriations committee on 2/24. Next this bill will need to be scheduled for a vote in the House for it to move forward in the process. The companion Senate bill (SB 5566) was scheduled for executive action in Ways & Means on 2/23, but no action was taken.
