Six bills authored by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker survived the Wednesday, March 8 house of origin deadline, each passing the House unanimously, and were sent to the Senate.
“I’m grateful for the team effort behind these bills to get them over the finish line in the House, especially from the stakeholders involved, and our amazing staff. However, the process starts all over again in the Senate,” said Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale.
“These bills are important requests from our communities and in the 14th District. However, I’m especially appreciative for passage of the power supply inadequacy measure, House Bill 1117, that was vetoed by the governor last year, but continues to have strong support in the Legislature. I’ve worked this year with the governor’s office to address his concerns and I think we have a bill that will pass his approval,” added Mosbrucker.
“I’m thankful for passage of the bill that would create a missing persons’ toolkit to help families find their missing loved ones. My legislation also received unanimous House support to ban the sale and distribution of do-it-yourself in-home sexual assault test kits, which provide false promises for sexual assault survivors,” said Mosbrucker. “Plus, I’m hopeful we can learn more about how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning through Mary’s Law, which is House Bill 1779.”
The following is a list of Mosbrucker bills that passed the state House of Representatives before the March 8 deadline:
- House Bill 1114 – Sentencing Guidelines Commission: This bipartisan-sponsored bill addresses the state’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission membership, including adding four voting members to give more representative voices. Mosbrucker is a member of this commission. This bill passed the House unanimously on Feb. 8. It is now in the Senate Law and Justice Committee.
- House Bill 1117 – Power supply inadequacy: This bill passed the House and Senate unanimously last year, but when it arrived on the governor’s desk, he vetoed it. The measure would ensure the state continually addresses plans to help avoid energy blackouts, brownouts, or other inadequacies of the electric grid. Mosbrucker met with the governor’s office to address his concerns. The bill passed the House unanimously on March 4. It is now in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee with a public hearing scheduled for 8 a.m. on Friday, March 17.
- House Bill 1171 – Motorcycle Safety Board: This measure would add two certified motorcycle riders to represent motorcycle safety instructors, one from the east side of the Cascade mountain range and one from the west, to Washington’s Motorcycle Safety Board. This bill passed the House unanimously on March 3. It is now in the Senate Transportation Committee.
- House Bill 1512 – MMIWP and Lucian Act: The bill is recommended by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force and the Office of the Attorney General. It would provide resources for immediate actions that need to take place when a person vanishes. The bill recognizes missing and murdered indigenous people, an issue Mosbrucker first brought to the forefront in 2018 legislation. It is also named after four-year-old Lucian Munguia, who was reported missing on Sept. 10 from Sarg Hubbard Park in Yakima and drowned in the Yakima River. The measure passed the House on March 1 with a unanimous vote.
- House Bill 1564 – Would ban over-the-counter sexual assault kits: Do-it-yourself at-home rape kits can mislead survivors to believe they have evidentiary value, when in fact, they are not admissible in a Washington state court. A New York company teamed up with a University of Washington sorority to offer its “Early Evidence Kits,” which Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson says deceives a Washington consumer to believe they have equivalent value to a free sexual assault evidence kit administered by a medical professional. Several states, including Washington, have written cease and desist, and/or warning letters against the sale of the kits, often stating unlawful business practices. Mosbrucker’s bill would prohibit the sale of these DIY kits in Washington state. She says it’s wrong for companies to profit from sexual assault survivors. The bill passed the House on Monday, Feb. 27, with a vote of 96-0.
- House Bill 1779 – Reducing toxic air pollution: Also known as “Mary’s Law,” this bill was brought to Mosbrucker by a constituent who was harmed by breathing carbon monoxide through the vents of a vehicle. The measure seeks to convene a state interagency carbon monoxide work group to investigate how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The measure passed the House unanimously on March 7. It is now in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, where a public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 at 8 a.m.
“Although these bills have passed the House with unanimous approval, there is still much work to be done to ensure they will survive the Senate. I will be spending much of the remaining portion of the session working to get these bills through their Senate committees and to the floor of the Senate, hopefully with passage on to the governor,” said Mosbrucker.
The legislative session is scheduled to end April 23.
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