Boehnke bill seeks to free Washington from California vehicle emissions rules

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate

OLYMPIA…Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, the new Republican leader on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, has introduced a bill ahead of the 2025 legislative session that aims to separate Washington from California’s vehicle-emission standards.

Senate Bill 5091 would direct the state Department of Ecology to adopt rules that align with federal standards rather than California’s. Should the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waiver that allows California’s emissions standards to depart from federal standards be reversed, the proposal is expected to receive attention in Olympia.

Boehnke’s bill also requires Ecology to submit yearly reports on Washington’s progress toward reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Year after year lawmakers have tried in vain to get Ecology to track the state’s GHG emissions better,” Boehnke explained. “The public deserves to know, to determine if the programs meant to reduce emissions are actually working.”

The system requires reporting every two years, but Ecology has fallen behind and only has data up through 2019. Supposedly, Boehnke said, data through 2021 will be made available by the end of 2024.

“Whether the data is five years old or just three years behind, that isn’t good enough if we are to assess the effectiveness of programs like the Climate Commitment Act.,” he explained.

Boehnke noted that SB 5091 does not change the state’s GHG targets but would simply hold the state more accountable for its progress toward those targets.

Under the federal Clean Air Act, the federal government sets vehicle emissions standards, but California is allowed to differ, and states may choose to follow California’s rules. Washington is one of several that has.

Boehnke said the incoming presidential administration is widely expected to rescind the waiver recently granted to California waivers. Washington law still requires DOE rules to match California. If SB 5091 passes, this will change, and Washington will follow the federal rules.

Boehnke expects his bill to be considered by the Senate ENET committee. The 105-day legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 13 and end April 27.