RE: https://pnw.zone/@waprivacy/116008188639208748
I testified live on HB 2599, and sent in extensive written testimony -- thanks @Wolven @histoftech @emilymbender and @anthropunk for all the feedback on that!
https://privacy.thenexus.today/hb-2599-hw/ is my testimony, and here's the Blacksky thread with the very very helpful discussion https://blacksky.community/profile/did:plc:7ax27mj5qwhqaa3ite2ezlzy/post/3mddvm4g3pk24 Decentralized social networks FTW!
There will probably be an amended version of HB 2599 today -- everybody agreed that definitions needed some work, I had some suggestions on improving consent and disclosure, associations representing therapists were concerned that it might restrict valuable AI uses ...
Amendments are often released the day before the vote. Of course lobbyists usually get to see earlier drafts. Sometimes so do grassroots folks like me, but not this time.
Amendments, if any, will be posted in the Committee Materials for the exec session. Click on the folder for the bill (HB 2599 in this case) in the left tab. If there's a folder saying Amds/Proposed Subs, that's wehre the amendments will be. There's also a "Fiscal note", with the proposed budget. https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/Home/Documents/33841
If I have time, I often send mail to the committee with perspectives on at least some of the amendments on a bill I've testified on. There's a lot of other stuff going on, so not sure that'll happen in this case, but stay tuned!
Very occasionally, last-minute amendments are bad enough that they lead to me changing my position on a bill, and I'll tell committee members to vote no on the bill if an amendment passes. That's not likely to happen in this case; even if the bill gets weakened, I want the committee to advance it.
Most of the time though it's more along the lines of "the substitute has several valuable improvements, please approve it and then vote yes" or "amendments XXX and YYY strengthen the bill, please vote yes, but amendment ZZZ is bad, and here's why, please vote no"
Of course there's no guarantee my feedback will even get read, let alone listened to. Still, except in toxic party-line situations, most legislators do want to pass good legislation, and since I testified on the bill they'll recognize me. So some of them might read it and think about what I say
And legislators do pay attention to feedback in general. Even if their staff doesn't have time to read the mail before the vote, they'll still see the subject line.
So if you're in Washington state, please take action on HB 2599 and SB 6312 today or tonight!
