Today is the 10^th day of the 60-day 2020 Legislative Session as Washington Retail begins assessing retail-related bills for consideration by lawmakers.

The first upcoming deadline for action before the scheduled March 12 adjournment is February 7, when House and Senate committees are due to submit reports on bills not related to finances and transportation.

Here’s a summary of some of the bills WR is reviewing:

• House Bill 1159/Senate Bill 5248, by Representative Dan Griffey and Senator Manka Dhingra. The bills would allow law enforcement to detain shoppers known to be concealing merchandise before paying. It could deter threats to steal merchandise from stores. WR supports passage.
• Senate Bill 6182, requiring closed captioning on certain television models for sales in stores. The bill by Senator Mike Padden has bipartisan support but retailers are concerned about challenges in complying regarding a similar law in enforcement in Seattle.
• House Bill 2360 by Representative Strom Peterson. It would establish a voluntary recycling program for used needles. WR is checking to ensure the program would be voluntary by pharmacies.
• House Bill 2496 by Representative Jared Mead. It would establish a manufacturer-funded recycling program for lithium-battery collection. Many WR members already sponsor such programs.
• Senate Bill 5473/House Bill 1445 by Senator Rebecca Saldaña and Representative Mia Gregerson. They would extend unemployment benefits available to persons with family responsibilities and other availability issues. WR has testified in opposition.
• House Bill 2689/Senate Bill 6440 by Representative Jared Mead and Senator Derek Stanford. They would place restrictions on independent medical examinations performed to verify workers’ compensation claims. WR opposes the bill.

WR will follow up with more reports as bills are filed and sorted for their potential impact on retailers. Look for follow-ups in this weekly newsletter leading up to adjournment.