[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6329745,"mediaKeyId","2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915","parentId",2315660,"title","Senate hearing on ‘Before You Dig’ bill draws broad support from contractors, utilities and safety advocates","audioSeconds",2205,"startMs",1562000,"endMs",3767000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915&start=1562&end=3767","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915/thumbnail_1562000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6329745/Washington/Senate-hearing-on-Before-You-Dig-bill-draws-broad-support-from-contractors-utilities-and-safety-advocates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329745-b3bb3aa3163e0e812c07189820d13339/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139601&Signature=Ihy~Z2bw1dDumS9bM1PUy-O8NR5t~QPsXfsvzM0ctJcCFf~D5KvsfkLti5lAdG9iXDjq26o1cxKCs-5GA3bUXpmIaokHGsaI~VEcjQiu~SeufB7mip51OBAxzWyLMj2nK2dvN5M4NEh7lr5h8wVKJQ-zZVAnWx5c9CpSaNzHsBv-vROUvwSNJMxJfO2QCnFSQyDdQH4K6E2jqPJrbjHMma9qTjw~hHH5YjyHVESl68AX1HckR~XryKzVAbL5A6np2kw~KB8D~Q~6gyCdAonEdf1WcnWc8ye7PYbzIfOb9zsYtelMeHyriY21k4osbGjR2ATK-Q~vEmaXwymy9MYJFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Environment, Energy & Technology","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 5627, which updates the state’s Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act (the state “call-before-you-dig” law), drew broad participation at a public hearing in front of the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee. Sponsors and witnesses emphasized worker safety, more reliable locate responses, and modernizing the 811 process by adding a free, web-based mapping and ticketing platform.

Senator Bill Ramos, sponsor of SB 5627, said the bill “is trying to update, modernize it, move it into a web based program versus just a, you know, 1-800 number.” Committee staff detailed a package of changes that would require the one-number locator service to maintain a free web platform with digital mapping (staff: “the platform must be free and use digital mapping software permitting an excavator to mark the area on an electronic map and it must require the excavator to include a work to begin date”). If an excavator marks the area on that digital platform, they would not be required to also physically mark the ground, though staff noted physical markings would “take priority.”

Why it matters: Witnesses said timely and accurate locates improve worker safety and reduce project delays and costs. Testimony focused on three recurring concerns: (1) late locates that force contractors to delay or cancel work, (2) how multiple contractors on a single ticket will share responsibility for on‑site markings and updates, and (3) requirements and practical limits for locating or documenting “unlocatable” infrastructure.

What the bill would change (staff summary)

- Require the 1‑number locator service to provide a free web platform permitting excavators to mark the work area on a digital map and to include a work-begin date. Digital marking can substitute for physical white-lining, but physical markings would take priority.
- Allow general contractors to provide notice on behalf of subcontractors; require excavators not to dig until all known facility operators have marked or provided sufficient information.
- Require facility operators to provide reasonably accurate information by the work-to-begin date and to maintain records of abandoned or out-of-service lines beginning in 2026.
- Expand the emergency exemption to include dangers to health and unplanned customer service outages, and create new misdemeanor violations and increased civil penalties in limited circumstances. Staff also reported an initial UTC estimate of roughly $520,000 of operating expenses for a related pipeline safety implementation in 2025–27 and 2027–29 biennia.

Public testimony highlights

- Don Evans, executive director of Washington 811, said the bill “will very much improve the damage prevention industry as well as behavior in the state,” and confirmed the call-before-you-dig service is historically funded by utility fees tied to tickets.

- Nick Massey, a general contractor, told the committee the proposal improves communication and worker safety and pressed that facility owners should be required to locate laterals that are currently marked as unlocatable: “This will also increase worker safety… We want our young and our workers to go home every night, free of that.”

- Charlie Brown of Cascade Natural Gas said his company supports modernizing and updating the dig law and is engaged in pilots testing certain provisions.

- Utilities including Avista and representatives of public utility districts registered concerns (signed in “con”) about specific provisions: Avista asked for clarity on multiple-excavator tickets and the operation and liability of digital white-lining; several utilities sought alignment with federal pipeline safety code for hazardous liquid and gas pipelines and raised due-process concerns regarding the safety committee and penalties.

- Contractors and dig advocacy groups emphasized “positive response” — a confirmation the locate was completed — as a key operational improvement. Witnesses said late locates remain a recurring problem (testimony described late locates “anywhere from 1 day to 30 days” in some busy months), and that positive response helps contractors decide whether to mobilize crews.

- Representatives of water and sewer districts and university utilities urged careful drafting for requirements to locate or maintain records on lines that are effectively unlocatable, noting older infrastructure (50–100 years old) poses technical and cost challenges.

Positions and next steps

Testimony came from a diverse set of stakeholders: emergency and worker-safety advocates, Washington 811, contractors, lobbyists for gas utilities, PUDs, municipalities, and statewide dig-safety advocates. Multiple groups said they were willing to continue negotiations; Avista and others asked for draft clarifying language on responsibility for maintaining markings and on how multiple excavators on one ticket would operate. Sponsors and proponents urged the committee to consider the bill as a modernization that balances equity for contractors with public and worker safety.

The hearing closed with no committee vote; committee staff and the sponsor signaled willingness to continue stakeholder discussions and technical fixes before the bill moves toward committee action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Environment, Energy & Technology - 2/14/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 5627, a package of updates to Washington’s Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, prompted broad testimony urging modernization of the 811 notification system, stronger positive-response practices, and clearer rules about on-site marking responsibilities.","taxTitle","Environment, Energy & Technology, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20502,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329750,"Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee adopts substitutes, forwards bills to rules and appropriations panels",838,44000,882000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915&start=44&end=882","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915/thumbnail_44000.jpg","/articles/6329750/Washington/Senate-Environment-Energy-Technology-Committee-adopts-substitutes-forwards-bills-to-rules-and-appropriations-panels","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329750-b7b061ccc735a700459218faf593d294/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139601&Signature=HQoJNGALqE-SQqXf0wJoxrFzbW4xEuO9vIE2W0Y4PHAvctdWhCuaGBk-KQkj~borsXO91lQxiNB8YVvYYmqo0PSVfFfjSqPKf-kFeg4uBFHnN1U4WIuKaPpAO~amQ97BGURVsNO9iIRAisuwZ-YvlSEH-eyHL~6KHBoRuUGxu9pXQM9gjA~r0zQLjELQkcMqxNCC9Ms9ZZkJtHQpcZAcCNJt-eae7mkQjFy1Nn~s645tWQCLACKZfXAOLc-SBv6VtlGiUnCx2hBdmyHYNJVpaZrSwobnCVgf6b1T5f-8K3wOPOvjPJs9TOP-D2V9l1Hlhr-YDcpwktzFAiCYSP18HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee met in executive session and adopted substitute language and due-pass recommendations on several bills spanning utility wildfire plans, wood-burning device oversight, producer responsibility for paper packaging, beverage-container recycling, broadband financing, and aviation fuels. Committee members moved the measures on to the next stage of review — either the Rules Committee or Ways and Means — as appropriate.

The executive session opened with staff briefings on the bills. Kim Cushing and committee staff walked members through amendments and proposed substitutes, including substitute A for Senate Bill 5430 (electric utility wildfire mitigation plans), substitute C for SB 5174 (solid-fuel home heating device oversight), substitute D for SB 5284 (extended producer responsibility for paper and packaging), substitute E for SB 5502 (covered beverage container recycling and deposit), and others. After caucus, members returned to the floor and debated and voted on the proposed substitutes and procedural recommendations.

Why it matters: each bill addresses a distinct policy area that affects utilities, public health, municipal budgets, or consumer and environmental protections. Adoption of substitutes or due-pass recommendations moves the measures closer to floor action or budget review, maintaining momentum on multi‑stakeholder packages that committee staff said reflect extensive negotiations.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 5430 (electric utility wildfire mitigation plans) — Committee adopted proposed substitute A (mover: Senator Short) and voted to send the substitute with a due-pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. (Motion to adopt substitute carried; subsequent motion for due pass carried; specific roll-call tallies not recorded in the transcript.)

- Senate Bill 5174 (wood-burning devices) — A proposed substitute C (Senator Short) failed on a voice vote; a different proposed substitute B (Senator Shoemake) was later adopted. The bill (as amended) was passed out of committee with due-pass recommendation and referred to Ways and Means. (Transcript records voice votes; tallies not specified.)

- Senate Bill 5284 (extended producer responsibility for covered paper and packaging) — Committee adopted proposed substitute D and accepted Amendment D1 (Senator Behnke was noted as withdrawing an amendment after stakeholder engagement). The bill was recommended to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- Senate Bill 5502 (covered beverage container deposit and producer responsibility organization) — Committee adopted proposed substitute E (with amendment E1 repealing the litter tax offered by Senator McEwen withdrawn during debate). The bill was recommended to Ways and Means with a due-pass recommendation.

- Senate Bill 5188 (public works board loans for broadband infrastructure repairs/replacement) — The bill received a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (no amendments stated in committee).

- Senate Bill 5505 (universal service fund renewal) — Renewed by committee through July 1, 2027 and updated allowable fund uses; no amendments were recorded and staff said there were no amendments.

- Senate Bill 5601 (alternative jet fuels) — Committee adopted a committee substitute F (Senator Elias) clarifying Commerce Department assistance and PEIS limits; substitute was adopted and the bill was recommended to Ways and Means.

- Senate Bill 5317 (local government agreements related to energy facility siting under FSEC jurisdiction) — The bill was given a due-pass recommendation to Rules Committee.

Procedure and limitations

Most recorded votes in the transcript were taken by voice (“All in favor say aye; opposed, nay”) and the committee clerk announced that the bills passed “subject to signatures.” The transcript does not include roll-call tallies or named recorded votes; where the transcript gives a named mover for a motion, that person is recorded as the mover in committee action notes. Committee staff repeatedly emphasized that proposed substitutes reflected long stakeholder processes and that additional technical or fiscal details (fiscal notes) were available or pending for several bills.

Context and next steps

Committee staff noted fiscal analyses where available (for example, staff referenced a fiscal note for the Extended Producer Responsibility bill and a preliminary UTC estimate that appeared for another bill), and sponsors and staff urged continued stakeholder engagement on items that remained technically detailed (time-of-use rate language in battery incentive proposals and processes for producer responsibility fee settings). For bills recommended to Ways and Means, fiscal and budget implications will be addressed in that committee; bills recommended to Rules will await scheduling for floor consideration. No bill was reported as having final enactment; the session’s actions were procedural committee steps that advance each measure’s legislative pathway.

Ending note: Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed further negotiations and technical fixes remain for many of the measures, and sponsors urged continued stakeholder work before floor action.","In an executive session, the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee adopted proposed substitutes for multiple bills on wildfire mitigation, wood-burning-device standards, producer responsibility for paper packaging, beverage-container recycling, and more, and recommended several bills for further committee review.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329735,"Bill to incentivize grid‑connected residential batteries advances to broader review after hearing",651,4891000,5542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915&start=4891&end=5542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915/thumbnail_4891000.jpg","/articles/6329735/Washington/Bill-to-incentivize-gridconnected-residential-batteries-advances-to-broader-review-after-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329735-1ea1dafab7a7d73d5cf9bfcb7f70e981/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139601&Signature=QNAPPmF1tGKD0l5USLYO3zmKnZdNuLHgu1PXYx~Ft7H06z9s6d3bZd2yCYdkaY4qFS7Yr2YQBFb2xLvFN0i-nyYqKliBxd~meYbRJaUbpj0HGPgo42MpMx7ZXQ4tLyHPZjo39Yyictt4JpboXcIqKlv8I4pA6L5JIo~fquvOFkiSQRCWoSIzSDcLFOhaeCIe42p~zTyAiN3QUusCXno5x2zI7vHs4EGrz5Jk7xPuJMPoowWoh67Ltm0kO2hjoXRf6lquwktgorbpyetPc78tLwugoMfAj2M2fsnDR-wQtQ2le8sM0P5-wqVxOnztIcVn-NkI~4W9GvMmrduhcyNiMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5727, a measure to incentivize grid‑connected residential battery energy storage systems, was the subject of a public hearing in which sponsors and utilities discussed program design, eligibility, and rate structures. The bill would direct the Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program to administer a battery-incentive program and require large utilities (more than 100,000 retail customers) to participate; smaller utilities may opt in.

Key provisions (staff summary)

- Utilities must provide a one-time battery incentive to qualified customers (residential customers, nonprofits, public entities, tribal governments and academic institutions).
- Incentive levels in the bill text: up to $765 per kilowatt-hour for low-and-moderate-income customers and $450 per kilowatt-hour for other customers; each system is capped at 18 kilowatt-hours.
- Utilities must include program designs that either enroll customers in a time-of-use rate or incorporate the batteries into a utility-operated virtual power plant (VPP) so utilities can aggregate and manage distributed storage for grid benefit.
- Utilities may receive a public utility tax credit equal to battery incentive payments and associated costs; JLARC review of the tax preference is directed in the bill.

Why it matters: Sponsors described the bill as a way to strengthen household resilience to outages while allowing utilities to manage peak demand. The measure targets affordability barriers to battery adoption and would require further regulatory and program design work between utilities and the commission.

Testimony highlights

- Senator Slatter, sponsor in the Senate, described outages in her district during a recent storm and said distributed batteries can provide neighborhood-level resilience and assist utilities in reducing peak demand.

- Utilities (Puget Sound Energy, Avista and others) said they support the bill’s goals but requested flexibility in implementation, especially on rate design. Puget Sound Energy asked that rate-setting and value determinations not be overly prescriptive in statute because utilities and regulators must be able to design programs that fit different service territories and evolve with new data. Avista asked for a menu of options rather than forcing a single model and requested that pilots and existing learnings inform statewide design.

- Industry groups (Washington Solar Energy Industries Association and manufacturers/installers) and installers urged the committee to advance the bill and said that unlocking aggregated, grid‑interactive behavior for residential batteries is important to reap grid and customer benefits.

Positions and next steps

All parties signaled continued negotiations on technical language, especially around time-of-use rate design and the mechanics of utility-operated virtual power plants. Committee staff noted that certain program details — including rate designs and the value-of-solar and energy-storage accounting — require further regulator and stakeholder work before the program could be deployed at scale.

The committee took testimony and heard large‑scale stakeholder engagement; no committee vote was recorded at the public hearing stage.","Senate Bill 5727 would direct utilities to offer one-time incentives for residential battery storage, prioritize low- and moderate-income customers, and allow utility tax credits for incentive payments. Utilities supported the goals but urged flexibility on time‑of‑use rate design and virtual power-plant approaches.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329740,"Right-to-repair bill for mobility equipment draws emotional testimony from wheelchair users and advocates",1011,3775000,4786000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915&start=3775&end=4786","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315660-bfe4abdd4f46e3535c622499461d9915/thumbnail_3775000.jpg","/articles/6329740/Washington/Right-to-repair-bill-for-mobility-equipment-draws-emotional-testimony-from-wheelchair-users-and-advocates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329740-6b527bce5fd2d10dddf974a4a911604d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139601&Signature=bzfQD4d75CydUoPhfNUqwSUL00wU9xWET~KTpF1MnizTXRLMPNxv9JHlh4QGMs5NF~Zym8oFy~0h-dm-JatymyPly64FKYlK~R3I9x~dUNBPsJA0jVIAdkkELGLsuSE1qHvOfGcj-QH8QUpOfKZc-n2tVaJiU2IVgz10PW1iL6GkI0fVBiW9sjR3NjVhFNiJyw1pzyZ~XmAJM629XXhtwZlB~BGkicrPcmkgpT8Dw2E3z-6e6g7Im0mgWF09TY-LkuGnV5PSCUpa0ISGtAcyUYc8ymh6LFPVVkQRzDGbNgckQXz00Ag0PX5KkhTyf64sqJEdbiZ0kOQ7jORkMm5gjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5680 would require original equipment manufacturers of mobility devices to make parts, documentation, embedded software, firmware and tools available on “fair and reasonable terms” to independent repair providers and owners. Committee staff explained the bill as a wheelchair-focused right-to-repair measure modeled in part on other state statutes and federal Magnuson‑Moss warranty rules.

Why it matters: Witnesses described long repair wait times that leave users immobile and at risk of pressure injuries, medical complications and social isolation. Multiple wheelchair users and advocates urged the committee to pass the bill, saying local or independent repair options could restore mobility far faster than centralized manufacturer repair shops.

Hearing highlights

- Marcia Cutting, vice chair of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, described months-long delays and a lack of certified technicians, noting one manufacturer’s shop held her four-year-old chair for weeks without repair; she urged passage so family and local technicians can help: “Most of us have mechanically inclined family and friends who could do these repairs if they had access to the schematics, parts, and tools.”

- Several family members and users, including Krista Burke testifying for her son and Nathan Proctor (a national right-to-repair advocate), said surveys show large shares of wheelchair users require repairs annually and many face multi‑week waits; Proctor cited a 2022 survey in which 93% needed a repair in a year and 68% waited four or more weeks for service.

- Providers and volunteer mechanics said lack of schematics and access to parts forces otherwise-repairable chairs into the scrap pile; a volunteer group in Bremerton reported refurbishing and loaning more than 100 power chairs last year but said it discarded at least 60 due to unavailable schematics or parts.

What the bill would do (staff summary)

- Require an original equipment manufacturer to make documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools available to independent repair providers or owners on fair and reasonable terms (the bill lists exceptions for unavailable parts, trade secrets, and information provided to authorized repair providers).
- Enforcement would be by the Attorney General under the state Consumer Protection Act.

Positions and concerns

- Disability advocates, users and repair volunteers strongly supported the bill, arguing it reduces the time people spend without mobility and lowers landfill waste from discarded chairs.

- Witnesses urged careful drafting to preserve safety and protect trade secrets but said the bill’s exceptions allowed manufacturers to withhold truly unavailable components and proprietary secrets.

The committee took public testimony from wheelchair users, family caregivers, right-to-repair advocates and volunteer mechanics. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing; sponsors and witnesses requested additional engagement on technical language and enforcement details.","Senate Bill 5680 would require manufacturers to provide parts, diagnostics and information on fair and reasonable terms to wheelchair users or independent repair providers. Testimony focused on long repair waits, individualized equipment, and safety harms from delays.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate hearing on ‘Before You Dig’ bill draws broad support from contractors, utilities and safety advocates

Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee adopts substitutes, forwards bills to rules and appropriations panels

Bill to incentivize grid‑connected residential batteries advances to broader review after hearing

Right-to-repair bill for mobility equipment draws emotional testimony from wheelchair users and advocates