Rep. Ruth Kagi, D- Lake Forest Park, was bustling to advance two bills she sponsored on behalf of constituents in the 32nd District.
Both bills must be forwarded out of the House of Representatives by Wednesday, March 2, after The Enterprise deadline. If bills do not advance out of the policy committee at this time, they die.
The first bill, House Bill 1477, was requested by Innis Arden residents, Kagi said, and would amend provisions of the Home Owners’ Association Act. Also sponsoring the bill is Rep. Maralyn Chase, D- Edmonds.
“A number of residents are concerned about the existing law which governs how home owners’ associations operate,” Kagi said. “Innis Arden residents came to me over the summer and we worked on a bill.”
According to legislative documents, House Bill 1477 would amend various provisions of the Home Owners’ Association Act, relating to the election or removal of directors, budget ratification, special meetings, board action, quorum requirements and application of the act.
The bill prohibits using cumulative voting (pooling votes for a minority group candidate) in an election or removal of a member of the board of directors, and stipulates that boards are prohibited from taking official action through electronic communications. The bill also requires governing documents to specify a budget ratification process, and when a required number of owners request a special meeting of the association, the board of directors must take action within 15 days to set a date and location for a meeting, which must be held within 45 days after the request.
A quorum for a meeting, according to the bill, is determined according to quorum requirements in governing documents, the absence of which necessitates 34 percent of the votes in the association. A new provision in the bill would also state that the law applies to all associations.
Innis Arden residents traveled to Olympia to testify on the bill during a hearing in the Judiciary Committee, Kagi said, along with association members from around the state.
Kagi said the chair of the Judiciary Committee agreed to turn the bill into a study of the Home Owners’ Association law, and during the interim would commence a full-fledged study, involving representatives developing proposed legislation to resolve existing conflicts. Kagi was hopeful that the bill would advance to the Senate before the March 2 deadline.
“I think it will get out,” Kagi said. “There is good probability it will get out.”
Kagi is also working to advance House Bill 2190, which was heard by the House Children and Family Services Committee, which Kagi chairs.
The bill relates to the planning for residential care needs for developmentally disabled individuals.
“We need to move forward and plan for the needs of individuals with care needs,” Kagi said. “We have not been able to do that because of the stalemate between residential habilitation centers and residential care providers.”
The bill would establish a commission in the governor’s office with representatives from all stake holders, including the Department of Social and Health Services and the Legislature, to assess the existing capacity, utilization and demand of residential care settings. The commission would also look at the existing utilization of Residential Habilitation Centers and the relative costs and benefits of serving individuals in different settings. The committee would return to the Legislature in January with recommendations.
“This really is an effort to get parties together and move us forward in deciding what the best policy is,” Kagi said, “and how should we utilize community residential capacity and how much of each should be expanded or contracted.”
Kagi said testimony she heard was positive and people support taking a broader look at the issue and developing recommendations for how to proceed. She also expects to report this bill out on Wednesday morning.
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