Legislation to make it easy for consumers to safely recycle fluorescent light bulbs will likely head to the governor’s office after a short trip back to the Senate.

Senate Bill 5543 was approved 71-29 in the House on Tuesday. It had earlier been passed by the Senate 37-9, but the House amended it slightly. Had it not been amended, it would have gone straight to the governor’s office for her signature. Instead, the Senate now must concur with the amended version.

“These are minor amendments that don’t change the substance of the bill and I don’t anticipate any problems in the Senate,” said Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, the bill’s sponsor. “We’re on our way to making it easier for Washingtonians to recycle fluorescent light bulbs safely.”

Fluorescent light bulbs save a significant amount of energy but contain small amounts of mercury that can contaminate the environment and damage the human nervous system and cardiovascular systems if not properly disposed of. Pridemore’s legislation creates a recycling program similar to a highly successful program already in place for computers, monitors, and televisions, which also contain hazardous materials such as lead and cadmium. Pridemore was the sponsor of that earlier legislation as well, in 2006, which safely recycled over 38 million pounds of electronics in its first year, 2009.

Under SB 5543, fluorescent bulb manufacturers will pay annual fees to the state Department of Ecology, which will contract with an independent organization to administer a program to recycle the bulbs. The measure requires collectors of the bulbs to register with the department, maintain a spill and release response plan including a worker safety plan, and use packaging and shipping materials that minimize the release of mercury into the environment.

Also this week, the House passed five other bills sponsored by Pridemore:

SB 6288, passed 96-0, simplifies and speeds the processing of criminal background checks. It was introduced at the request of the City of Vancouver, and now goes to the governor to be signed into law.

SB 6546, passed 96-0, allows the state fire marshal to refuse membership in the state employee retirement system. The fire marshal’s position has gone unfilled because prospective candidates would have to forfeit their existing retirement plans in order to accept the post, causing this important position to remain vacant. The bill now goes to the governor to be signed into law.

SB 6692, passed 95-1, introduced at the request of Clark County, lets counties participate in ownership agreements for electric generating facilities powered by biomass.

SB 6611, passed 94-2, gives cities and counties more time to develop comprehensive land use plans required under the Growth Management Act. Since the bill was amended in the House, it must come back to the Senate for passage before it can be sent to the governor.

SB 5902, passed 94-4, increases fines for parking in handicapped parking spots and promotes greater awareness of disability issues. It too was amended in the House and it must come back to the Senate for passage before it can be sent to the governor.