EV Policy Update for the week of March 9, 2026

[Grace Reamer]

EV POLICY UPDATE 3-9-26

Hello electric vehicle advocates! Entering the final week of the 2026 Washington legislative session, the bill to allow some direct EV sales is still alive, but will need support to make it through the House of Representatives. Transportation funding is still in negotiations. The Legislature has until March 12 to conclude its business this year. Following are details:

UPDATES

Senate Bill 6354 - EV Direct Sales. Sponsors Sens. Liias and King. Allows direct sales of BEVs by Rivian and Lucid, and requires in-state service centers and dealers licenses. After passing in the Senate the previous week, the House Transportation Committee heard both support and opposition testimony in a public hearing on March 5. Testifying in support were lobbyists for Rivian and Lucid as well as representatives from Climate Solutions, the Port of Seattle and the Washington State Auto Dealers Association, which negotiated the compromise deal with Rivian. But the auto dealers remain at odds with auto manufacturers on the issue. Testifying against direct sales were representatives of Honda, Toyota, Ford, General Motors and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. They argued the bill would foster "a slow erosion of the franchise system" and "unfair competition." The House Transportation Committee is scheduled to consider the bill for a vote in executive session at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 9. Read the text here. Recommendation: SUPPORT. Send your comments to lawmakers here.

Senate Bill 6005  - Supplemental transportation appropriations. Sponsor Sen. Liias. The bill was approved by the full Senate on Feb. 27 by a vote of 49-0. In the House, following a number of amendments, the bill was approved on Feb. 28 by a vote of 93-0. On March 3, the Senate refused to accept the House amendments and sent the bill to conference committee. Read the text here. Recommendation: SUPPORT. Send your comments to lawmakers here.

HOW TO TESTIFY:

If you haven't registered your comments yet, it takes just a minute to sign in with your support or opposition. The online Committee Sign In portal allows you to register your support or opposition to a bill, submit a comment for a public hearing, or sign up to testify online on a Senate or House bill.

You also can call and e-mail your state senators and representatives directly - find your district, names and e-mail addresses at www.leg.wa.gov.

Please share with anyone you know who is interested!

Grace

gvre...@gmail.com

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