Despite the challenges presented during the 2025 legislative session our members and advocates, coalition partners, key stakeholders, and our champions in the legislature came together to make significant progress on key environmental priorities and investments. With a climate crisis that grows every day, a hostile federal administration intent on undoing years of environmental progress, and a state government facing a $16 billion shortfall at the beginning of legislative session, we made the most of an uphill battle in the fight to protect our environment and reduce pollution.
At the end of it all, our more than 70,000 Sierra Club members and supporters from across Washington state came together and made an impact that will be felt for years to come. Here are some of the highlights and thoughts on what’s next.
Big, significant wins in the fight for Clean Transportation for All
The Policies
SB 5184: Eliminating Outdated Parking Minimums
SB 5184 eliminates outdated parking mandates and was one of the early highlights of the legislative session, moving swiftly through both chambers. This bill is a key piece in the fight for affordable housing and against the urban sprawl caused by arbitrary parking quotas that make it incredibly expensive – between $40,000 and $60,000 per slot – to build homes. With these outdated parking mandates now out of the way, we can look forward to communities with less dependency on personal vehicles, less traffic, and less pollution – all while opening up space for much needed new housing, businesses, parks, and more.
HB 1837: Upgrades to Passenger Rail (Amtrak)
HB 1837 directs the state’s Department of Transportation to develop a more ambitious plan to increase speed and reliability of passenger rail (Amtrak) between Vancouver, WA and Vancouver B.C. For our state's climate goals, shifting away from highway travel requires improved Amtrak service along our most populous I-5 corridor. A faster, more reliable, and more competitive service from Amtrak through upgrades to service management and infrastructure improvements will help reduce the reliance on personal vehicles and the associated carbon emissions.
HB 1491: Transit Oriented Development
Another complimentary bill in our fight against urban sprawl and the associated carbon impact, HB 1491 encourages transit-oriented development so we can build more housing near transit, services and goods.
Transportation is Washington’s #1 source of carbon emissions and lawmakers took a big swing in addressing emissions and improving air quality this legislative session with HB 1409. This bill strengthens the Clean Fuel Standard program by reducing the carbon intensity of all transportation fuels by 45% by 2038, expanding the availability of cleaner, cheaper fuels, and incentivising investments by electric utilities in electric vehicle charging to support local fleets.
The Investments
$10 Million for Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle (Fleets) Investments and $35 Million for Electric School Buses
Washington is among the states leading the clean transportation transition including stricter regulations on vehicle emissions and incentives for fleets and families. Maintaining state funding for programs that help communities adopt cleaner and updated technologies will keep our state on track to meet our climate goals while also boosting local economies.
$32 Million for Green Transit Capital Projects and $81.7 Million for pedestrian and bicycle safety
Washington continues to invest in local jurisdictions and their efforts to reduce traffic fatalities while improving quality of life in our neighborhood streets. These dollars will be available for cities to develop their green transit networks and the infrastructure necessary for people and families to walk, bike, and roll their destinations
$15 Million for hydrogen refueling and $3 Million for Medium and Heavy Duty Charging Corridor
Washington is actively developing charging corridors for clean transportation. Alongside California and Oregon, this multi-state project aims to build public EV charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations on the West Coast, primarily along I-5 and other freight routes.
Key progress continues in conservation and investing in forests
$23 Million in the Capital Budget for conserving mature forests & increasing carbon sequestration on state forestlands.
Growing our public lands base and conserving mature, structurally-complex forests is our best natural solution to combat climate change. This funding builds on $98 million invested over the past two years and was a key piece of collaboration between conservation organizations and counties across the state to help support their conservation goals – all while maintaining revenue-generating timber activities where it is more sustainable to do so. This funding allows for the purchase of replacement timber-lands in Clallam, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties for already encumbered lands, opening new pathways for future revenue.
$16.9 Million in the Capital Budget for the Trust Land Transfer Program.
The Trust Land Transfer program also grows our public lands base by transferring economically under-performing state trust land into conservation status, turning them into new parks, open spaces, nature preserves, and more. This year's funding is going towards critical projects led by tribes, including:
-- Beckler 6 - Tulalip Tribes
-- Tract C North - Yakama Nation
-- Okanagan G - Confederated Colville Tribes
-- South Lake Ozette - Quileute Tribe
Other priority bills for the environment:
In addition to our progress on clean transportation and conservation, we worked in coalition and with our volunteer leaders on some bills that will have a significant impact on the future of solid and municipal waste, as well as unlocking a better way for us to manage our forests against wildfires.
Will hold manufacturers accountable for packaging and bring true statewide recycling to Washington. Residents across the state are fed up with excess waste and distrust our existing recycling systems, where they are available. SB 5284 reforms those systems by developing a plastic source reduction target; implementing a reuse fund; and eliminating false “advanced recycling.” It will also expand recycling opportunities to 500,000 homes, primarily in rural areas and multi-family residences. A bill that
Helps eliminate massive e-waste by requiring manufacturers to allow customers to repair their own devices (i.e., smartphones and tablets) and to sell the parts to make that possible.
HB 1670: Sewage Spill Right to Know
Creates a central website for letting Washington residents know when toxic human waste spills out into our communities.
HB 1563: Prescribed Fire Claims Bill
Sets the stage for better wildfire management through prescribed burns by setting up state-funded insurance for any potential damages caused by prescribed burns.
Climate and Natural Resource Investments Protected
While legislative efforts to move Climate Commitment Act funding failed to make any progress, and CCA investments largely went untouched in the final budget, the act itself did see some changes that big businesses were advocating for, with HB 1975 set to adjust carbon emission auction prices. These changes come in spite of the overwhelming support from voters this past November and the myriad of federal environmental protections currently under attack by the Trump administration.
While we are happy that significant cuts to environmental protections were avoided, it was disappointing to see that no significant new, progressive revenue options were considered to balance our historically upside-down tax code that burdens working families more than the wealthiest. You can read more about how the legislature balanced the budget from the Seattle Times, the Washington State Standard, KUOW, and the state's budget office.
Bills that didn't make it to the finish line...
As always, a multitude of environmental and conservation focused bills are considered during the legislative session. Here's a recap of the bills that didn't make it past the finish line. Read below to learn the good and bad of it all.
Bad Bills We Helped Stop - aka the Good News
- Nuclear as "Clean Energy" - A bill that would extend existing tax preferences to include nuclear energy by labeling them as "clean energy" despite the radioactive waste they produce.
- Spokane Incinerator Bill - A bill that would have exempted the Spokane municipal waste incinerator from complying with the Climate Commitment Act without any requirements to reduce carbon emissions or other toxic air pollutants that continue to impact nearby communities.
- Nuclear "Liftoff" Bill - A bill that would have created a commission to increase the production of nuclear energy by 2045.
- Wolves Endangered Status - A bill that would have reclassified gray wolves in WA from "endangered" to "sensitive", putting their population at risk.
- Wolves and Local Jurisdictions - A bill that would have allowed local counties and tribes to manage wolf populations in lieu of state rules.
Good Bills That Didn't Make It - aka the Bad News
- Ending Cougar Killing Posses - A bill that was aimed at eliminating deputized volunteers - for the purpose of wildlife hunting - from local law enforcement.
- Wildlife Connectivity Bill - A bill that was aimed at enhancing wildlife connectivity and reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions through a comprehensive strategy for habitat connectivity by the Dept.s of Fish and Wildlife and Transportation.
- Ocean-Going Vessels Bill - A bill that was aimed at reducing ocean-going vessels emissions from high-sulfer fuels near WA shores.
- EV Battery Recycling Bill - A bill that was aimed at expanding WA's battery stewardship program to include electric vehicle batteries, setting requirements for proper disposal, recycling, and management.
- No Coal Act - A bill aimed at requiring the State Investment Board to divest from coal companies by 2030.
- CURB Act- A bill aimed at integrating environmental justice into government decision-making processes to reduce disparities in cumulative environmental and health impacts.
- Environment Crimes Bill - A bill that would establish new degrees and penalties for environmental crimes on water pollution, air quality, and hazardous waste management.
Looking ahead at what's next
From the weekly action meetings attended, to the thousands of actions to taken, and those that stood with us from across the state and virtually as we lobbied in Olympia - the Chapter Legislative Committee extends a sincere and very large appreciation.
With the legislative session (finally) coming to a close, our work has already begun on upcoming local elections - including key races to fill legislative seats that were vacated at the beginning of the year with the new government coming into power. If you want to learn more and/or support this critical work that helps us hold our environmental champions accountable, you can email our Chapter Political Committee Chair.