Update on status of WA AMC Bill (ESHB 3040)

Hello all.

Thought I would give you a thumbnail update of the AMC legislation continuing to make its way through the WA legislature:

This bill (ESHB 3040) was heard by the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, and Consumer Protection on TU afternoon. There was no opposition. The bill seemed to be well-received, in particular by the chair (Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and especially by Sen. Karen Kaiser, who met with me afterwards and voiced her strong support for the bill!).

Now, if they adopt the further, minor amendments and pass it today (there is an Exec Session by the committee this afternoon on the bill), this bill will then go to Senate Ways & Means, and will have to pass before next Monday. If it passes Senate Ways & Means, it will then be referred to the Senate Rules Committee (SRC). SRC will have to vote to put it on the Senate Floor Calendar for a floor vote. If it passes the Senate it has to go back to the House Floor for concurrence on the Senate amendments. All of this will likely occur within about the next WEEK! ….whew!


Most of recent amendments suggested have not come from either me (ACOW) or the AMCs, but rather predominantly from House and Senate legal staff, DOL, and/or the AG’s office, who have read and re-read the bill drafts, and it seems each time someone looks it over they either find a meaningless element (such as a definition that no longer fits after original Section 15 was removed), a confusing one (does not make sense or they do not know how to interpret or potentially enforce), one that conflicts with another section or another law, or one where some further element (timing, cycle period for renewals, and such) was needed, so we have had to admit that ‘yeah, this needs some more tweaking’…. That has been the problem with trying to rush to put a bill together and get it out without sufficient time to really vet it to everyone who may be able to provide perspective on language, provisions, etc.

Overall, I think it is a good bill, and it appears that it has a very good chance of being adopted into law …. No apparent major obstacles at this point. Will continue to monitor (TK Bentler, our lobbyist, is keeping me apprised with regular updates), and will let you know.

ONE MORE APPEAL TO APPRAISERS IN WA STATE: Call and/or email your Senator, at this time, and ask that he/she support ESHB 3040 as amended!

Thank you.

Stan Sidor
President ACOW - Appraiser's Coalition of Washington