---
type: "Bill"
title: "Incentivizing the use of biochar in government contracts."
description: "Incentivizing the use of biochar in government contracts."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "SB 5961"
citation: "Washington SB 5961 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["AGRICULTURE", "CLIMATE", "FOREST LAND", "FOREST PRACTICES AND PRODUCTS", "LOCAL GOVERNMENT", "STATE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Sefzik"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 38
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2022-01-28T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-03-31T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b526c092-d291-41e1-9769-11a2719b101c"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5961&year=2021"
source_hash: "1f69042154f5764d0d644d7cc478f50eba4c0d84c1ab1c8934d004bf998ac791"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5961 (2021-2022) — Incentivizing the use of biochar in government contracts.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5961.htm)
2. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5961-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#23) — **96–1** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#38) — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#9) — **49–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Sefzik — primary (person)
- Honeyford — cosponsor (person)
- Rolfes — cosponsor (person)
- Short — cosponsor (person)
- Van De Wege — cosponsor (person)
- Warnick — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-01-28T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks. `reading-1`
- **2022-02-01T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks at 1:30 PM.
- **2022-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks at 1:30 PM.
- **2022-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** AWNP - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2022-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2022-02-07T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:00 AM.
- **2022-02-07T05:00:00+00:00** WM - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-07T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2022-02-07T05:00:00+00:00** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2022-02-09T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2022-02-10T05:00:00+00:00** 1st substitute bill substituted (AWNP 22). `substitution`
- **2022-02-10T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2022-02-10T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2022-02-12T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to State Government & Tribal Relations. `reading-1`
- **2022-02-21T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 1:30 PM.
- **2022-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 8:00 AM.
- **2022-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** SGOV - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-24T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2022-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2022-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2022-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2022-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2022-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2022-03-09T05:00:00+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2022-03-09T05:00:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2022-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2022-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2022-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Chapter 293, 2022 Laws. `became-law`
- **2022-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Effective date 6/9/2022. `became-law`
- **2022-02-01T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks at 01:30 PM
- **2022-02-03T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks at 01:30 PM
- **2022-02-05T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 09:00 AM
- **2022-02-07T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:00 AM
- **2022-02-21T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 01:30 PM
- **2022-02-23T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 08:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b526c092-d291-41e1-9769-11a2719b101c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).