A State Government & Tribal Relations committee meeting in executive session advanced Senate Bill 5077, a proposal to expand or clarify automatic voter registration, reporting the bill out of committee with a due-pass recommendation.

The measure faced three separate amendments during debate. Representative Walsh moved a striking amendment (H2044.1) that would have removed the governor’s authority to decide which state, local, federal, or tribal agencies must implement automatic voter registration (and would have removed a provision allowing third-party websites to host an API used by the Office of the Secretary of State). That amendment failed on a voice vote.

Nut graf: The bill and its amendments focused on who may be designated to implement automatic voter registration, which agencies may share applicant information, and the timeframe for notification when the health plan finder shares information. Lawmakers sharply disagreed on whether the bill appropriately protects registration integrity or unnecessarily restricts access.

During debate, Walsh described the striking amendment as narrowing provisions she called “troubling” in the underlying bill, citing concern about third-party contractors and the Department of Corrections’ role in registration. Opponents argued the striking amendment would repeal existing statute outside the bill’s scope and would add barriers to registration. Representative Walsh said the amendment would “make registration as easy as possible for eligible voters” was not her aim in that amendment, while other members called for streamlining registration.

Representative Walsh also moved SHIP 118, which would have removed sole gubernatorial control over whether agencies must implement automatic registration and instead required unanimous written agreement among the governor, the secretary of state, the attorney general, and the leaders of the two largest caucuses of the House and Senate. Vice Chair Stearns and others opposed SHIP 118 on separation-of-powers grounds; the amendment failed on a voice vote.

Representative Chase moved SHIP 119 to extend from 15 to 21 days the notice period Washington Health Plan Finder applicants would have to opt out before the exchange transmits their information to the Secretary of State for registration purposes; that amendment also failed on a voice vote.

Representative D'Oleo led final debate in favor of the underlying bill, saying automatic voter registration “addresses” the barrier of needing to register and that the bill is permissive and could be adopted by agencies such as the Health Benefit Exchange. Representative Walsh and Representative Chase opposed the bill on grounds of registration security and post-2020 election integrity concerns, respectively. Representative Stearns highlighted tribal participation in the bill as an important access issue for Native American voters.

Roll call on the bill showed Representative Mena aye, Representative Stearns aye, Representative Waters excused, Representative Walsh nay (do not pass), Representative Chase nay (do not pass), Representative D'Oleo aye, and Representative Varvar aye; staff announced the final tally as 4 ayes, 2 nays, and 1 excused. By that vote, Senate Bill 5077 was reported out of committee with a due-pass recommendation.

Ending: The committee did not adopt any of the three amendments discussed. The bill will move forward from committee with a due-pass recommendation; further action (floor scheduling, amendments, or gubernatorial action) was not addressed in the executive session transcript.