Bill > HB1923

This bill, known as the Mosquito Fleet Act, aims to increase the availability of passenger-only ferry services in Washington state to address disruptions in existing ferry services, improve access to essential services like healthcare and education, support tourism-dependent businesses, and create job opportunities in the maritime sector. It expands the types of government entities that can establish passenger-only ferry service districts to include counties, port districts, public transportation benefit areas, city transit systems, county transportation authorities, metropolitan municipal corporations, unincorporated transportation benefit areas, and regional transit authorities that border Puget Sound or Grays Harbor. These districts will have the authority to establish, finance, and provide passenger-only ferry service, similar to how public transportation benefit areas operate. The bill also emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment, particularly southern resident orcas, by requiring these ferry services to adhere to existing laws and adopt best practices and technologies to minimize impacts, such as whale reporting systems and advanced propulsion. The act will take effect on July 1, 2026.