OLYMPIA, Wash.

Washington state’s 2022 legislative session will look a lot like a year ago: with a limited number of lawmakers on-site on Capitol Hill and committee hearings totally remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Classes.

There are a few key differences: While the galleries leading to the Chambers of the House and the Senate are closed for the time being, the Capitol building itself will be open to the public. Last year it was closed due to the pandemic, but the public was also unable to approach the building due to fences and hundreds of National Guard members stationed there due to security concerns following the Jan.6 attack on the United States Capitol and a group cross the fence of Democratic Governor Jay Inslee’s residence on the State Capitol campus.

For those working on campus during the 60-day legislative session that begins Monday, testing, masking and distancing protocols will be in place.

In the House, regular testing will be required and only lawmakers who have provided verification of their vaccination – including a booster – will be among the total five lawmakers in attendance. In the Senate, 15 lawmakers – eight Democrats and seven Republicans – will be allowed regardless of their vaccination status, but will have to provide a negative test the same day.

House and Senate leaders have said they will reassess their plans every two weeks and changes may occur depending on the state of the pandemic.

All committee hearings, in both chambers, will be held remotely, with public participation. As before the pandemic, hearings and votes on the ground will continue to be broadcast or broadcast live by TVW, the state’s government affairs channel.

Majority Democratic leaders have expressed confidence that they will be able to be productive working primarily remotely, pointing to the multitude of bills they passed the previous year under similar circumstances and the increase in public participation in commission hearings since people could attend virtually from across the state.

Republicans – and some Democratic lawmakers – have argued that the same protocols that keep children safe in their classrooms show that it is safe to meet in person on Capitol Hill.

The main goal of the session is for lawmakers to develop a supplementary two-year budget plan. Inslee released a nearly $ 62 billion plan last month, and the House and Senate will release their own proposals in the coming weeks.

Lawmakers are enjoying a year of forecasting positive state revenues and unspent federal money as they move through the budget process.

“It’s a short session, but I think it can be a special session,” Inslee told the Associated Press Legislative Preview Thursday. “And the reason is that we have extraordinary challenges of multiple crises in our state, and I think we have the ability to respond to them with the boldness and action-oriented agenda which in my opinion are necessary for our state. “

Here’s a look at some of the issues lawmakers are likely to address:

COVID-19 RESPONSE: This is the third legislative session where the pandemic has loomed over the work of lawmakers. There is over a billion dollars in unspent federal funds, and Inslee and Democrat executives want to use that one-time money – in addition to state funds – to help in areas such as government programs. food aid, increasing the capacity of acute care hospitals and specialized COVID-19 units, and tackling things like learning loss and providing more mental health and social supports to people. Kindergarten to Grade 12 students who struggled during the pandemic. Inslee has also offered to spend nearly $ 300 million to contain the ongoing pandemic, on things like diagnostic testing, contact tracing, outbreak response and expanding access to vaccines.

HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING: Inslee came up with several ideas to tackle homelessness in the state, including a plan to help people stay in their homes, increase emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing, and expand services for addiction or mental health issues. Inslee wants the state to spend around $ 815 million, more than two-thirds of which is covered by federal coronavirus funding the state has received. Inslee also wants a policy change on so-called “mid-level housing” and a bill sponsored by six House Democrats has already been introduced that seeks to expand the supply of housing such as duplexes, triplexes and quads. .

LONG-TERM CARE ACT: Democratic lawmakers have already introduced a bill to delay a payroll tax for the state’s long-term care program, which was approved in 2019 and aims to provide a assistance with things like home care, home modifications like wheelchair ramps and trips to the doctor. The lifetime maximum benefit is $ 36,500, with annual increases to be determined based on inflation, and the program is funded by workers, who pay a premium of 0.58% of total wages by check from pay from this month. After criticism of options to opt out of the program, as well as those who contribute to the program but may never benefit from it, Inslee announced last month that the state would not be collecting ratings from employers until April. A bill tabled would delay the tax until July 1, 2023 and refund all premiums collected before that date. Another bill would allow people who work in Washington but live in other states to opt out, as well as spouses or partners of active military personnel. Republicans want the underlying law repealed and have argued that the effort should be focused on working with private sector plans to make them more affordable.

POLICE REFORM: Inspired by the 2020 racial justice protests, Democratic lawmakers passed the country’s most ambitious police reform package last year, despite objections from Republicans and law enforcement officials. order in which some changes went too far. While Democrats say the bills on the whole are working, they have acknowledged that restrictions on the use of force have hampered officers in certain situations, such as responding to mental health crises, and this session, they intend to clarify that the police can use force to help in these cases. They also plan to ease restrictions on the use of force in cases where police are investigating violent crime, and they say they are open to considering a Republican proposal that would reduce restrictions on car chases.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Inslee wants lawmakers to spend $ 626 million out of existing state revenues for a series of measures including a plan to offer discounts for new and used electric vehicles. He also wants to demand that all new construction that begins in 2034 reduce energy use by 80% and use all-electric equipment and appliances, and allow consumer-owned utilities to use taxpayer funds for programs. incentive to replace fossil fuel customers like gas. electric space and water heating. Republicans argue that the governor’s proposals do not help protect the state from climate impacts such as wildfires and flooding. A proposal from House Republicans wants to devote public funds to climate adaptation, such as flood protection infrastructure.

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AP writer Gene Johnson contributed from Seattle.