2023 Legislative Update

We have attended several meetings with lawmakers over the year and communicated our legislative priorities like getting our “Fix” bill passed, advocating for no natural gas bans, developing the workforce, and maybe most importantly addressing the non-approval of trainee hours by Labor & Industries.

In January 2023, the industry had felt enough pain and showed up to a Plumbing Advisory Board meeting in Renton to communicate their frustrations, and there were many. As a result, Labor & Industries met with PHCC-WA to collaborate on solutions. The result of those collaborations was positive.

LNI recognized its contribution to the problem and charted a new course. PHCC-WA learned that there were a couple of unintended consequences from SB 6170 that was signed into law in March of 2020, and began working with stakeholders to craft a “fix” bill to correct the unintended consequences.

We are introducing a bill by December 1 and will be working hard to get it passed through the legislature in Quarter One of 2024. 2024 is a short session, only 60 days, so we need to work hard.

The stakeholder meetings include PHCC-WA, Mechanical Contractors Association, and Washington State Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters. We have been meeting about twice a month for 2-3 hours to work the issues of our industry together.

There will be continued work to do in 2024 so stay tuned. Please plan to attend our Day on the Hill on January 31, 2024, to help your lawmakers understand the needs of our industry. The event will be published on the website soon, until then block out the day so you can be involved.

Chester Baldwin and Mark Gjurasic have been helping Todd Allred get in front of lawmakers in various settings and meetings. This is very important because relationships are started and built this way. Thanks to Chester and Mark for their continued support and efforts to advance the legislative agenda
of PHCC-WA.

If you have interest in serving on the Government Affairs Committee, contact Todd Allred. Thank you and please consider a donation to our Political Action Committee.