Gov. Jay Inslee signs suite of clean-energy, worker-protection and consumer-safety bills
March 28, 2024 | Governor's Office - Boards & Commissions, Executive, Washington
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Governor Jay Inslee signed a package of bills at a ceremonial event at IBEW Local 46, saying the laws will advance clean energy, protect public health and support workers.
"We're gonna put people to work building a new clean energy economy," Governor Jay Inslee said, listing the state's recent policy achievements and framing the day’s signings as continuity of Washington’s climate and labor agenda.
The bills signed include measures aimed at public health and the environment: House Bill 1368 accelerates adoption of zero-emission school buses and expands grants for buses and chargers; substitute Senate Bill 5972 directs the Department of Agriculture to list certain neonicotinoid pesticides as state restricted-use pesticides to protect pollinators; House Bill 1185 phases out the sale of specified mercury-containing lights beginning in 2029 while preserving recycling and disposal options; and House Bill 1551 gives the Department of Ecology authority to regulate cookware to reduce lead exposure.
"This bill will protect our young people from asthma and help them to do well in school," said Sean Bagsby, business manager and financial secretary for IBEW Local 46, speaking before the governor signed the school-bus measure and noting Local 46 members’ role in installing and maintaining electric-bus infrastructure.
Other signed measures address clean-energy planning and procurement. Senate Bill 1282 promotes policies to reduce embodied carbon in building materials; House Bill 2039 creates a streamlined appeals process for clean-energy project reviews; House Bill 2131 allows gas and electric utilities to participate in thermal energy networks; and Senate Bill 6039 directs information gathering and early tribal and community engagement on potential geothermal resources.
The governor also signed laws to strengthen worker protections and public accountability: House Bill 2061 expands mandatory-overtime protections for additional healthcare workers; Senate Bill 5793 broadens the definition of family members eligible for paid sick leave; and Senate Bill 5778 bars employers from coercing employees into meetings aimed at influencing religious or political beliefs.
On environmental enforcement and markets, Senate Bill 5884 clarifies that courts may order payments to remedy environmental harm resulting from criminal convictions, and Senate Bill 6058 aligns Washington’s cap-and-invest program to facilitate linkage with California and Quebec markets.
The signings were largely ceremonial: the transcript records no roll-call votes or formal legislative debate at the event itself. The governor repeatedly thanked legislative sponsors and stakeholder groups, and invited bill authors, advocates and union members to join on stage for photos and pen exchanges.
The event concluded with the governor and organizers thanking attendees. Future steps for the newly signed bills — such as rulemaking by the Department of Agriculture on restricted-use pesticides or administrative actions by the Department of Ecology — were not detailed at the ceremony.
"We're gonna put people to work building a new clean energy economy," Governor Jay Inslee said, listing the state's recent policy achievements and framing the day’s signings as continuity of Washington’s climate and labor agenda.
The bills signed include measures aimed at public health and the environment: House Bill 1368 accelerates adoption of zero-emission school buses and expands grants for buses and chargers; substitute Senate Bill 5972 directs the Department of Agriculture to list certain neonicotinoid pesticides as state restricted-use pesticides to protect pollinators; House Bill 1185 phases out the sale of specified mercury-containing lights beginning in 2029 while preserving recycling and disposal options; and House Bill 1551 gives the Department of Ecology authority to regulate cookware to reduce lead exposure.
"This bill will protect our young people from asthma and help them to do well in school," said Sean Bagsby, business manager and financial secretary for IBEW Local 46, speaking before the governor signed the school-bus measure and noting Local 46 members’ role in installing and maintaining electric-bus infrastructure.
Other signed measures address clean-energy planning and procurement. Senate Bill 1282 promotes policies to reduce embodied carbon in building materials; House Bill 2039 creates a streamlined appeals process for clean-energy project reviews; House Bill 2131 allows gas and electric utilities to participate in thermal energy networks; and Senate Bill 6039 directs information gathering and early tribal and community engagement on potential geothermal resources.
The governor also signed laws to strengthen worker protections and public accountability: House Bill 2061 expands mandatory-overtime protections for additional healthcare workers; Senate Bill 5793 broadens the definition of family members eligible for paid sick leave; and Senate Bill 5778 bars employers from coercing employees into meetings aimed at influencing religious or political beliefs.
On environmental enforcement and markets, Senate Bill 5884 clarifies that courts may order payments to remedy environmental harm resulting from criminal convictions, and Senate Bill 6058 aligns Washington’s cap-and-invest program to facilitate linkage with California and Quebec markets.
The signings were largely ceremonial: the transcript records no roll-call votes or formal legislative debate at the event itself. The governor repeatedly thanked legislative sponsors and stakeholder groups, and invited bill authors, advocates and union members to join on stage for photos and pen exchanges.
The event concluded with the governor and organizers thanking attendees. Future steps for the newly signed bills — such as rulemaking by the Department of Agriculture on restricted-use pesticides or administrative actions by the Department of Ecology — were not detailed at the ceremony.
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