This bill expands eligibility for the higher education State Need Grant to individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status (DACA, also known as the “Dream Act.”) Students are eligible if they have either completed the full senior year of high school and obtained a diploma at a Washington high school or received the equivalent of a diploma; lived in Washington for at least three years immediately prior to receiving the diploma or its equivalent; and continuously lived in the state after receiving the diploma or its equivalent and until being admitted to the institution of higher education.

Senate Bill 5193, Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5193. Gray Wolf conflict management. Passed the Senate on March 13, 2013 by a vote of 28-21.

The bill, as proposed, included designation of the gray wolf as a big game animal, which would have promoted “lethal removal” by hunting or otherwise killing them. A floor amendment removed this language, and the bill now deals primarily with compensation for livestock and crop damage. It authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to pay not more than $50,000 per year for claims. Ten dollars is added to each initial and renewal fee for the existing fish and wildlife related special plates. The added revenue from the additional $10 is deposited to the State Wildlife Account and dedicated to funding wolf management activities.

House Bill 1625, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1625. Limiting tow truck operator rates. Passed the House on March 9, 2013 by a vote of 91-7.

The bill sets a cap on the rates and fees that tow truck operators may charge for towing operations, storage of vehicles, and after-hours releases. These rates and fees are based on a schedule negotiated with the Washington State Patrol and Department of Licensing. There had been some concerns that the cap would actually allow operators to raise their rates in some locations beyond current limits, but the bill was amended to provide that local limits, if valid under existing law, remain enforceable if they were adopted before January 1, 2013.

House Bill 1944, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1944: Vehicle registration and license plate fraud. Passed the House on March 9, 2013 by a vote of 87-11.

The bill specifically prohibits the use of “flipper” license plate frames as seen in some of the James Bond films. These devices reportedly have become more prevalent with the advent of electronic tolling. The bill makes it unlawful in general to display license plates that do not match the registration, and encourages citizens to report to law enforcement when they see such devices.

House Bill 1413, Substitute House Bill 1413: Establishing the Voting Rights Act of 2013. Passed the House on March 7, 2013 by a vote of 53-44.

The bill prohibits elections from being applied in a way that denies minorities an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice or to influence the outcome of an election. To accomplish this, political subdivisions are authorized to change their election systems. This includes changing from at-large elections to district-based elections, or changing from district-based elections to a different district-based election plan. In implementing a district-based election system, the districts may not be drawn in a way that would deny minorities an equal opportunity to elect candidates of its choice or influence election outcomes

House Bill 1267, Engrossed House Bill 1267: Changing the time periods for voter registration. Passed the House on March 7, 2013 by a vote of 64-33.

The original bill had proposed allowing voter registration up to 5:00 p.m. on election day. (Same-day registration.) As amended and passed, the bill changes on-line registration from 29 to 11 days, mail-in registration from 29 to 28 days, and in-person from 8 to 11 days before an election.

House Bill 1283, Substitute House Bill 1283: Changing compulsory school attendance requirements. Passed the House on March 8, 2013 by a vote of 74-23.

The bill lowers the age for compulsory school attendance from 8 to 6. However, parents whose children receive home-based instruction must only perform certain duties for children 8 years old and older. One of theses duties is to file a declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction to prevent school districts from taking actions against either the child or parent based on the truancy laws.