Klicker’s legislation to fight litter in WA receives committee approval

OLYMPIA – The House Environment and Energy Committee on Tuesday approved Rep. Mark Klicker’s (R-Walla Walla) legislation to create a state task force aimed at reducing littering.

The Republican from Walla Walla introduced House Bill 1293, which would require the Washington State Department of Ecology to create a task force with members from various state departments and associations to suggest policies aimed at reducing litter. The task force must include one member each from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Patrol, the Washington State Association of Counties, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The task force is directed to consider four factors for policy recommendations: The results of Ecology’s 2022 statewide litter study; how to reduce litter at specific public sites; how to reduce the most common types of litter; how to reduce the cost-per-mile of litter cleanup along state roadways and to gain an understanding as to why litter levels per mile are higher than in other states.

The bill also suggests increasing the penalty for littering, with penalties set at $125 plus a $93 base fine for littering on state highways.

“Washington is a beautiful place to live, but we need to take better care of it,” Klicker said. “I hope this legislation will prevent people from polluting our great state with some much unsightly trash and debris. Let’s keep Washington clean.”

The bill is pending a vote by the entire House of Representatives.

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