State policy priorities for the 2025 legislative session
The Seattle Aquarium is working with partners to pass policies and secure funding in the 2025 Washington state legislative session that will protect ocean health and advance environmental and social justice, including the efforts outlined below.
To reduce waste and plastic pollution and keep our ocean clean, we are actively supporting:
- Recycling Reform Act (HB 1150/SB 5284) to modernize and transform our recycling system and reduce waste through a producer responsibility program for packaging and printed products. Graduated fees for packaging manufacturers (based on how readily reusable, compostable, or recyclable their packaging is) will fund infrastructure improvements and incentivize shifts to more sustainable alternatives.
- Right to Repair Act (HB 1483/5423) enabling small businesses to repair devices such as computers and cell phones. This will reduce electronic waste and help limit the need for new minerals that may be sourced through harmful practices like seabed mining.
To recover orcas and salmon, we are actively supporting:
- Designating bull kelp forests as the state marine forest (HB 1631) to increase awareness of Washington’s bull kelp forests and their importance to species such as pinto abalone, salmon, and orcas. Seattle Aquarium Youth Ocean Advocates are playing a leading role in this effort.
- Continued funding for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s (WDFW’s) Restoring Washington’s Biodiversity package to support the 268 species that are near threatened, threatened or endangered.
- Continued funding for Quiet Sound at $750,000/biennium (via PSP) to reduce impacts on endangered orcas from commercial ships.
- Increasing renewal fees for personalized license plates (those with driver-selected text) to increase funding for WDFW’s management of endangered species and other non-game wildlife.
To protect communities and ecosystems from climate change impacts and pollution, the bills we are supporting include:
- Sewage Spill Right-to-Know (HB 1670/SB 5450), creating a public portal for timely information about sewage spills that occur in waterways across the state.
- CURB Pollution Act (HB 1303/SB 5380), led by Front and Centered, requiring an environmental justice impact statement for projects in communities disproportionately harmed by pollution, including evaluation of existing public health and environmental stressors in those communities.
- Establishing sampling or testing requirements for toxic PFAS chemicals in sewage sludge (SB 5033), because that sludge may be applied to farms and forests.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydrofluorocarbons (refrigerants) (HB 1462/SB 5438) by transitioning to more sustainable alternatives and promoting use of reclaimed hydrofluorocarbons.
- Promoting resource conservation in public schools (HB 1134), including funding for school-based advisors, education, and student leadership opportunities related to waste reduction, energy reduction, water conservation and environmental preservation.
We also support the other Environmental Priorities Coalition priorities:
- Protect advanced clean trucks to continue the transition to zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
- Continued investment in climate action like clean air, public health, transportation, and environmental justice.
- Language Assistance and Accessibility in Elections (HB 1381), led by the Latino Community Fund, to increase accessibility in election processes.
To deliver on the Seattle Aquarium’s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we recognize we need collective and inclusive action, including improved voting access and turnout in marginalized communities. In this vein, the bills we’re supporting include:
- Even-year local elections (HB 1339/SB 5373), which would let local governments shift their elections to years when voter turnout is typically up to twice as high and far more diverse.
- Act for Civic Engagement (ACE Act, HB 1147), which supports civic engagement for incarcerated and institutionalized individuals in state custody.
- Expansion of automatic voter registration services (SB 5077), allowing automatic voter registration through government agencies in addition to the Department of Licensing.
Ocean Pavilion funding and Building for the Arts
The Building for the Arts program is a critical tool for nonprofit, community-based cultural organizations to renovate and build new facilities across Washington. The Aquarium was granted a one-time allowance to apply for the 2025–2027 cycle and we were excited to be recommended for funding at the $878,000 level to help close out the Ocean Pavilion’s fundraising campaign. We are supporting full funding for this important program as part of this year’s capital budget.
The Ocean Pavilion plays an important role in the overall development of Seattle’s new waterfront and has a strong arts connection through our partnership with the local Coast Salish and Urban Indigenous Community. Arts elements include an installation by local glass artist Daniel Joseph Friday (Lummi) on the exterior and inside the Ocean Pavilion and many other artistic elements done in partnership with Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot), Owen Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo), Paige Pettibon (Confederated Salish and Kootenai) and Asia Tail (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and member of the urban Native community).
