HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1066
As Reported by House Committee On:
Consumer Protection & Business
Title: An act relating to the creation of a data dashboard to track policies, funding, and program and health outcomes related to the sale, consumption, and use of regulated substances.
Brief Description: Creating a data dashboard to track use of regulated substances.
Sponsors: Representatives Reeves, Morgan, Wylie and Davis.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Consumer Protection & Business: 1/14/25, 1/29/25 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Requires the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to annually publish on its website information related to sales and use of regulated substances; compliance rates; citations; health expenditures and outcomes reported to the LCB; the amount of taxes, fees, and penalties collected from alcohol, cannabis, tobacco products, cigarettes, and vapor products; and occurrences and impacts of the inversion and diversion of cannabis.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION & BUSINESS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 13 members:Representatives Walen, Chair; McClintock, Ranking Minority Member; Abbarno, Berry, Corry, Donaghy, Kloba, Morgan, Reeves, Ryu, Santos, Steele and Volz.
Minority Report: Without recommendation.Signed by 1 member:Representative Dufault, Assistant Ranking Minority Member.
Staff: Peter Clodfelter (786-7127).
Background:

The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) licenses and regulates certain activities related to liquor, cannabis, cigarettes, tobacco products, and vapor products (regulated substances).  The LCB publishes an annual report on its website that generally includes information related to taxes and fees collected and compliance rates and citations related to the sale of these regulated substances.

 

The Healthy Youth Survey is a biennial survey administered to sixth through twelfth grade students in Washington that measures health risk behaviors including regulated substance and other drug use and perceptions.  The LCB supports the Health Care Authority's (HCA's) Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, the Department of Health (DOH), and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in the development of the Healthy Youth Survey.
Summary of Substitute Bill:

The LCB, in consultation with the DOH, the HCA, and other agencies the LCB deems appropriate, must publish specified information in a conspicuous location on the LCB's website.  The information published on the LCB's website must be updated annually, separately identify all required information for each regulated substance, and include the following information to the extent that it is available:

  • compliance rates regarding the LCB's enforcement of laws or rules prohibiting the sale of regulated substances to persons under 21 years of age;
  • the number of citations issued annually for violations of laws or rules prohibiting the sale of regulated substances to persons under 21 years of age; 
  • the number of citations issued annually for violations of laws or rules prohibiting the sale, service, or delivery of liquor to an intoxicated person or a person who is apparently under the influence of liquor, and for violations of laws or rules prohibiting the purchase or consumption of liquor by a person who is apparently under the influence of liquor; 
  • data from the Healthy Youth Survey about youth use, access, and perceptions of regulated substances in Washington;
  • information reported to the LCB from the DOH or the HCA about the prevalence of the use of regulated substances and the amount and source of funding appropriated or available per fiscal year to the DOH and the HCA for programs preventing and deterring the use of regulated substances and treating substance use disorders;
  • data reported to the LCB by the DOH or the HCA about:  (1) certain annual health care expenditures; (2) annual deaths in Washington caused by smoking or consuming regulated substances; (3) Washington's spending on tobacco prevention and cessation funding compared to funding levels recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (4) health equity metrics; and (5) demographic impact metrics;
  • the amounts of taxes collected from the sale of regulated substances; license fees collected related to the manufacture, distribution, and sale of regulated substances; and money received from penalties imposed by the LCB for violations; and
  • the number of occurrences of and economic impact on the regulated market from:  (1) the inversion of cannabis into the regulated cannabis system involving a person licensed as a cannabis producer, processor, or retailer, purchasing or obtaining cannabis from an unauthorized person or source; and (2) the diversion of cannabis out of the regulated cannabis system involving a person licensed as a cannabis producer, processor, or retailer selling or transferring cannabis to an unauthorized person or recipient. 

 

If information required to be published on the LCB's website is published on the website of any other agency, to avoid duplication, the LCB's website may reference and link to the other agency's website publishing the information.  If information required to be published on the LCB's website is unavailable, the LCB, in consultation with the DOH, the HCA, and any other agencies the LCB deems appropriate, must report this fact to the appropriate legislative committees.  Within existing resources the LCB, the DOH, and the HCA, as appropriate, must identify and collect data that, if available, would be required to be published on the LCB's website.

 

The implementation and administration of the proposed data dashboard on the LCB's website must be within the LCB's and the other agencies' existing resources.  Examples are provided of types of expenditures that may not be made to implement and administer the proposed data dashboard, other than with funds within the agencies' existing resources.  If information or data is unavailable to, or unobtainable by, an agency within its existing resources, the data or information is not required to be published on the LCB's website.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill compared to the original bill:

  • authorizes the LCB to reference and link to other state agency websites for the information required to be published on the LCB's website, to avoid duplication;

  • requires the LCB to report to the Legislature if information required to be published by the bill is unavailable;

  • requires the LCB, the DOH, and the HCA, within existing resources, to identify and collect data that, if available, would be required to be published on the LCB's website;

  • requires the implementation and administration of the proposed data dashboard on the LCB's website to be within the LCB's and the other agencies' existing resources; and
  • specifies that if information or data is unavailable to, or unobtainable by, an agency within its existing resources, the data or information is not required to be published on the LCB's website.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This legislation will streamline and offer transparency around substances that Washington regulates.  Washington lacks a central location for the public and lawmakers to access information about the sales and use of regulated substances in Washington.  This will help people understand the size of the market and how the market is regulated.  It will also be helpful to the regulated industries.  The dashboard will be a tool to help ensure accountability and measure progress in achieving Washington's policy goals.  Washington's goals of ensuring that children are protected from access to regulated substances, that markets are legal and well-regulated, and that agencies are effectively administering laws, are all furthered by this bill.

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying:

Representative Kristine Reeves, prime sponsor; Megan Moore, Washington State Public Health Association; and Scott Waller, WASAVP—Washington Association for Substance misuse and Violence Prevention.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.