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Legislative Session Week Two: COVID updates

Legislative Session Week Two: COVID updates

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Legislative Session Week Two: COVID updates

SENATE BILL 5868 UPDATE
 
Senate Bill 5868 - Concerning .09 funds - Expanding the use of the rural counties public facilities sales and use tax to include affordable workforce housing.
 
Earlier this week, Senator Brad Hawkins presented Senate Bill 5868, which is legislation focused on affordable housing in Chelan County, particularly in Leavenworth.
 
Hawkins originally formed a partnership with Leavenworth Mayor Carl Florea to pen the legislation with the goal to give local government flexibility to spend lodging tax funds for workforce housing. Hawkins is shifting toward using another tax source, the rural counties’ public facilities sales and use tax, and moving away from tapping into lodging tax funds.
 
The bill will have a public hearing Wednesday, January 26th at 10:30am.
To Testify Click Here
 
 
WA CARES FUND COULD BE DELAYED
 
A bill to delay the program for 18 months - HB 1732 - is scheduled for hearing in the Senate on January 25th.
 
The Democratic-led House passed one measure that would delay the tax — which was supposed to start being collected by employers this month — until July 1, 2023 and would refund any premiums that were collected before that date.
 
The Legislature and Governor Inslee have announced plans to change and improve the WA Cares Fund during the 2022 legislative session, which is scheduled to conclude in March 2022. Per direction from the Governor, ESD will not collect premiums from employers until April 2022 or until further direction is received.
 
The current statutes and laws for the WA Cares Fund did go into effect on January 01, 2022. This means that all employers subject to this law are technically required to collect the taxes for their employees as of January 01, 2022, to the current date or until this law is changed by the Legislature. Please consult with your financial advisor and/or attorney regarding whether you should collect these taxes now.
 
 
AT-HOME TEST KITS
 
People can now start ordering free at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests from the government.
 
President Joe Biden’s administration is purchasing 1 billion of the tests to be made available to people in the U.S. for free. The first 500 million of those tests are now available online.
 
The website through which to order the tests launched on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
Order Your At-Home Test Kit Here
 
 
TESTING SITES & TRIAGE CENTER
 
COVID-19 testing at the Town Toyota Center is now available.
 
To be tested a patient must be symptomatic for COVID and pre-registration is required by visiting the health district website or by calling 509-903-3900. 
 
A triage center has opened at the Saddlerock EPC Church for those who are experiencing symptoms. The triage center is to free up space for non-COVID health emergencies at Central Washington Hospital.
Testing Sites

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