POLICY RESOURCES

 

SESSION TIPS AND TOOLS

 

Hook Line Sinker: Virtual Session

Meetings with legislators are often short and it can be difficult to figure out where to start and what to say. This can be even more challenging this session given the virtual convening of the legislature. Following the Hook, Line & Sinker model provides some simple structure to so you can have an effective and impactful meeting with your legislators.

 

Tips & Tricks for Legislator Meetings: Virtual Session

Following these tips, you should be able to have a productive meeting with your legislators and be on your way to establishing a good working relationship and advancing your issue.

 

Tips for Testifying: Virtual Session

12 Tips for testifying during virtual session.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

Policy Decisionmaker Guide

It's not enough to vote! Read the Policy Decisionmaker Guide and watch the videos below to learn how to communicate with your legislator, including step-by-step guides to writing your pitch, avoiding pitfalls, and crafting your message.

Crafting a Message

Session Flow

WA Legislature 101 Mini Series:

The WA Legislature 101 mini-series from Prevention Voices WA includes twelve 2–5-minute videos on the Washington Legislature basics. Watch the videos back-to-back in the player below or click the icon in the top right to select a video. Watch the videos on Youtube.

Guide to Reading a Legislative Measure

While reading a bill, have you ever been unsure of what certain things mean? Click here for a Guide to Reading a Legislative Measure.

Legislative Glossary

Does some of the terminology during session confuse you? Check out this Glossary of Legislative Terms.

Testifying On A Bill

Are you planning to come down to testify on a bill or budget issue this session? Get tips about how to sign in to testify before a committee, learn about what happens during a hearing, and how to provide effective testimony, here

Washington State Budgets

For a guide to understanding the Washington State Budgets, click here

Bill History

Need support reading and understanding the bill history page? The Legislative Center created this easy to understand tutorial

Shortcuts for Tracking Bills & Finding Out What You Want To Know

To check on a bill, go to the main bill information site to set up a log-in account. You can then find legislation by bill number, prime sponsor, or by topic.

Legislative Committees schedules, agendas and calendars.
To see video, or hear audio, of any legislative meeting or floor debate, go to www.tvw.org.

Summary of Introduced House Legislative Bills, here; Senate Legislative Bills, here.

House Floor Activity Reports, here (shows live status of House floor).

Senate Floor Activity Reports, here (shows live status of Senate floor).

A Primer on Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference

If a bill was amended in the opposite house from which it was originally introduced, the house of origin has to decide whether it will concur with the amendments or not. Learn more about the three potential paths for these bills.

A Primer on the Rules Committee

Before a  bill can make it to the chamber floor for debate and vote it must first make it out of the Rules Committee. Learn more about the process, here.

 

HEALTH POLICY NEWSLETTERS

2024

Stay informed on health policy news for the WA State Legislative Session.

Week 1 - Inaugural Issue

Week 2 - One Week Down

Week 3 - Heading Closer to First Cutoff!

Week 4 - First Cutoff

Week 5 - Cutoffs!

Week 6 - Switching Sides and a Forecast

Week 7 - Here Come the Budgets!

Week 8 - Another Packed Week in Session

Week 9 - Countdown to Sine Die

Week 10 - Sine Die!

2023

Stay informed on health policy news for the WA State Legislative Session.

Week 1 - Inaugural Issue

Week 2 - Things are Underway!

Week 3 - Bills, Bills, and more Bills

Week 4 - Moving Bills

Week 5 - Moving Towards First Cutoff

Week 6 - First Cutoff

Week 7 - Fiscal and Floor

Week 8 - Floor Dance

Week 9 - Switching Sides

Week 10 - The Next House

Week 11 - Here Come the Budgets!

Week 12 - Forecasts, Budgets, and a Decision

Week 13 - Budgets, Cutoff and Floor Action

Week 14 - Floor Dance

Week 15 - Countdown to Sine Die

2022

Stay informed on health policy news for the WA State Legislative Session.

Week 1 - Inaugural Issue

Week 2 - Omicron Update, Bills & Budget Proposals

Week 3 - Week Three of Legislative Session

Week 4 - Session Updates

Week 5 - Session & Cutoff Updates

Week 6 - We've Passed the Halfway Mark

Week 7 - Here Come the Budgets!

Week 8 - Budgets & Policy Cutoff!

Week 9 - The Final Week of Session

Week 10 - Sine Die

2021

Stay informed on health policy news for the WA State Legislative Session.

Week 16 - Sine Die

Week 15 - Countdown to Sine Die

Week 14 - Last Cutoff!

Week 13 - Floor Daze

Week 12 - Budget Action & Heading to Another Milestone

Week 11 - Here Come the Budgets

Week 10 - Switching Sides

Week 9 - Looming Deadline

Week 8 - Floor Dance

Week 7 - Busy Week Ahead

Week 6 - First Cutoff

Week 5 - Countdown to First Cutoff

Week 4 - Challenges & Changes

Week 3 - Working Toward Recovery

Week 2 - On to Week Two!

Week 1 - 2021 Virtual Session Begins!

2020

Week 1 - 2020 Session Begins!

Week 2 - We made it through week 1!

Week 3 - Bills, Bills, Bills!

Week 4 - First Cut-Off!

Week 5 - Another Cut-Off!

Week 6 - Floor Action

Week 7 - Here Come the Budgets

Week 8 - Budgets, Cutoff & COVID-19

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