Washington Legislators Return to Capitol for Pre-Session Planning

Posted by Joe Adamack on November 28, 2023

Washington state lawmakers will return to the state capitol in Olympia this and next week for committee meetings and overall planning ahead of the 2024 session that will kick off in January. The annual gathering known as “committee assembly days” will see the Senate in on Thursday and Friday with the House convening next Monday and Tuesday. No official business will be taken by the overall chambers or in committees, but these meetings do allow for lawmakers to hear updates on topics that they worked on during the 2023 session and learn more about issues that they may tackle in 2024.

The Senate Financial Services Committee will meet on Thursday for a work session that includes presentations from the Department of Financial Institutions on some emerging regulatory topics including potential modernizations to address “rent-a-bank” issues that has seen some online entities circumvent state rate caps through partnerships with out of state banks, among other issues. The Senate Technology Committee will also meet on Friday to discuss artificial intelligence which will be discussed in multiple policy proposals during the 2024 session.

The House Consumer Protection and Business Committee will also meet next Monday to discuss consumer protection issues and the insurance marketplace.

Beyond the formal committee and legislative caucus meetings these gatherings are a great chance to connect with lawmakers and other industry representatives all in one place. Stay tuned for any relevant updates from the committee discussions.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Washington Advocacy.