OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington state lawmakers are discussing a potential solution for Washington’s troubled ferry system.

HB 1923 was introduced to the House’s Transportation Committee on Feb. 10.

If passed, the bill would establish a so-called “mosquito ferry fleet” that would comprise of passenger-only ferries.

The bill’s text argues that the passenger-only ferries is the fastest way to get boats on the water and build capacity. It adds that increasing the ferry system’s capacity through the mosquito fleet ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup will bridge the gap in service before the other ferries are put in the water.

The bill had its first public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 19, where bill sponsor Rep. Greg Nance wants to iterate how a similar fleet helped his constituents in Kitsap County.

“As Gov. Ferguson has said: when we’re facing a crisis, we’ve got to act like it,” Rep. Nance said during the hearing. “We can meet this crisis with the focused urgency it demands. The legislation before us—the Mosquito Fleet Act—is the fastest and cheapest way to put new boats on the water [in order] to provide relief to neighbors in need, to bolster our maritime workforce and to prepare Washington for the world cup stage.”

Kitsap County’s passenger-only FAST Ferries were used to supplement service on heavily used runs last year.