Legislative Accomplishments

Leveling the playing field for Public Housing Authorities:

• Amy was the prime sponsor of HB 1075, which enables public housing authorities to access financing tools available to private developers. Access to capital and the costs of financing are one of the major barriers to housing development for public and private entities and this bill expands their bond and financing capacity. 

• Rep. Walen was also the prime sponsor of HB 1046, which cut red tape and freed public housing authorities to construct more “mixed middle” or working family housing.

Sustainable development and permitting and zoning reform:

• As prime sponsor on HB 1757 and HB 1042, Amy has enabled the large-scale conversion of existing constructions into housing. Existing buildings are embedded carbon, and rather than tearing them down and filling our landfills with waste, getting in a long and costly line for permit approval and finding financing, they can be quickly modified and turned into housing for families.  From churches to office parks and strip malls these bills streamline and give tax exemptions for entities that do conversions.

• Rep. Walen was also prime sponsor of HB 1576, which prevents the abuse of the “historic designation” process by requiring owner consent and for a building to have to be at least 40 years old to be “historic”—except for specific exemptions in historic districts such as Pioneer Square and the International District. This bill is being used right now to develop housing that would otherwise have been blocked. 

• Arbitrary occupancy limits obstruct the ability of multi-generational families and students, or other cooperative housing situations, to settle in a neighborhood. As prime sponsor on HB 1054, Rep. Walen prohibited this practice for cities and counties in condos, townhomes, and retirement communities. When housing is scarce, we should get out of the way of people finding ways to affordably house themselves. 

• Amy has consistently supported missing middle and transit-oriented development, carrying concerns from the cities I represent and ensuring that their voices and our particular geography were allowed for. 

• Her work on a multi-family tax exemption program rewards communities who increase density in designated zoned areas. 

• In the last session, I advanced my colleague’s Representative McBride’s bill to allow religious organizations who develop dense affordable housing as long as that housing fits with the neighborhood character.  I carried this charge and handed this bill (HB 1859) to my seatmate, who completed it in 2026.

• As prime sponsor of HB 1094, Rep. Walen expanded the nonprofit property tax exemption exemption to cover nonprofit-like operations which benefit the public good. If the school district or a city is providing services, those should not have to pay property taxes. HB 1094 is also known as the Together Center bill. 

• Amy’s amendment to restore the exemption from Business & Occupation tax for nonprofits provided a vital reprieve from the Supreme Court decision that threatened to put many nonprofits out of operation.

• Rep. Walen continues to support a progressive tax code that does not unduly burden working families. However, her common sense amendments to the institution of a state income tax last session—requiring a Constitutional amendment, and enacting broad-based sales tax relief to offset this new revenue source—were rejected by the State Legislature.

• Passed with Rep. Walen’s support, HB 1867 prevents the Department of Revenue from requiring filing of a return by a widow or widower if the value of the family home is the only asset that makes the estate over the filing threshold of 3.076m.

• Rep. Walen was a strong supporter of the Climate Commitment Act, which established a carbon emissions market in WA and set a goal of reducing emissions by 95% by 2050 under a “cap-and-invest” system. The CCA additionally mandates low-carbon fuel standards as well as community engagement with tribal communities and job retraining programs for the new clean energy workforce.

• Amy was prime sponsor of HB 1033, which requires food service materials to be compostable and for waste collection companies like Recology to bring compostable food service materials to high-pressure compost facilities and out of the landfill. This is emblematic of her work on composting – there’s a virtuous cycle in waste management, where organic material generated in our communities is recycled or reused and returned to us, to be used in our parks, stormwater and transportation projects.  Compost filters water and helps salmon habitat. We all have a responsibility to allow compost facilities to operate here – sending our waste to other communities is not stewardship. 

• Amy passed HB 1730 to prevent debt collectors from taking advantage of consumers. Collectors can no longer go after “zombie debt” that is chased many years after proof of that debt may no longer even exist.

• HB 1031 strikes the right balance in the case of a stillbirth – providing that families who lose a child by stillbirth can still obtain a birth certificate in Washington state. 

• Amy has been the “go-to” legislator to negotiate garnishment and collection procedure updates. HB 1447 was passed to protect more debt from garnishment during and after the COVID pandemic.

Rep. Walen is an integral part of the group of legislators working on firearm policy. We have passed an assault rifle ban, a high-capacity magazine ban, and a permit-to-purchase policy.  I drafted the “safe storage” bill introduced in 2025 to require secure storage of firearms in vehicles, to address the persistent problem of firearms being stolen from vehicles, then used in crimes or intimate partner and family violence and suicide. 

• Amy’s HB 2118 requires more of firearms dealers—to have electronic monitoring and enhanced security around doors and windows. Point of Sale personnel should be required to recognize signs of a person in distress and tools to dissuade a purchase or reporting to law enforcement if signs designated by mental health professionals are present. Guns are fast—and suicide is the most prevalent form of gun violence. 

• An ongoing body of work started in her first term with HB 1095—restoration of firearms rights to those with criminal or domestic violence in their background.  This bill standardized processes and ensured effective notice is given to DV survivors and crime victims. 

• Her HB 2623 expanded the crimes for which firearms can be taken to include animal cruelty and brandishing. 

• Her HB 1941 reformed “active shooter drills”, making active shooter drills “age-appropriate and trauma-informed”. This work is ongoing.

Amy came from a “modern family” and has life experience in divorce, child custody, conservatorship, guardianship and child support systems. Amy serves as the legislative designee on the Child Support Work Group.

• Her HB 1088 allows for more families to use arbitration in child custody proceedings- making it easier and less expensive to settle these matters. 

• Employers are required to report to the child support collecting agency in our state, the Department of Children and Families, as their employees are onboarded, and ongoing for their wages. Amy is working on a policy that would cover contractors and gig workers. 

• Rep. Walen’s HB 1262 requires employers to report lump sum bonuses so that they can be intercepted for back child support due.

• Rep. Walen’s HB 1171 covers insurance settlement proceeds—insurers must report lump sum payment to DCYF.  

• The recommendations of the Child Support work group were carried in a bill I co- sponsored with my colleague on the work group, and was passed in 2026, updating child support payment levels and streamlining processes.

Amy founded the “Fur Fighter” caucus, which convenes a bipartisan group of legislators who meet with community and animal welfare organizations and sponsor legislation to address the needs of our wildlife and companion animals. My budget proviso for $250,000 to the Department of Agriculture created a nationwide first “Animal Welfare Plan” for Washington to roadmap this work for us. 

We can and should have animal welfare standards not county by county but statewide—subsidized spay/neuter, minimum number of veterinarians by community, shelter and boarding minimum standards.

• The Fur Fighter caucus began with the passage of HB 1424, addressing the import of dogs and cats raised in puppy mill settings, by requiring that pet dealers only source from rescue operations. 

• Rep. Walen’s HB 1097 prohibits the sale of cosmetics tested on animals in Washington state. 

• Amy’s pet insurance bill—prohibiting the cancellation of policies on elderly companion animals by insurance companies advanced but did not pass in the last session but will return in 2027.

As a member of the Public Safety caucus, Amy reviews legislation moving through the process, and consults with cities and counties, police and prosecutors, firefighters and fire chiefs. She ensures that every policy we pass makes our communities more safe, does not impact people of color or those historically disproportionately impacted by police misconduct, and does not create unfunded mandates on our cities and counties. 

I supported all of our work on police accountability and also supported expansion of slots in the Law Enforcement Academy.  We must address mass incarceration, and should start with the elderly incarcerated who are no longer a danger to our communities. Prison is no place to be undergoing treatment for cancer or dementia, or to be using hospice services. 

• Amy was a strong supporter of the latest session’s HB 2173, which barred ICE agents from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public. She also voted to prevent ICE from entering sensitive areas like schools, hospitals, and daycares without a judicial warrant.

• As prime sponsor of HB 1889, Amy helped immigrants use their skills to enrich our communities. Her bill established that professional licenses in our state shall not require US citizenship (with a few exceptions). The bill broadly expanded licensing pathways for qualified applicants. We have very strict licensing requirements in our state for all kinds of professions—from architecture to hair stylists, from medical assistants to auto dealers. If one can pass our testing, they should be able to work and participate in our economy. We have a district with a great many families coming from overseas, and their spouse or family member may have wonderful qualifications – this is win/win for employers and those who want to go to work in our state.