Washington state lawmakers unveiled their new drug policy plan on Monday evening, a day before a special session was set to convene to prevent automatic decriminalization.

Lawmakers will return to the state Capitol on Tuesday for a special session after Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) insisted members pass a new bipartisan drug bill that “balances accountability and treatment.”

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Before the legislative session ended, Senate Bill 5536 was introduced, making possession of an unlawful drug a gross misdemeanor, but it failed in the Senate at the end of April.

The bill agreed upon on Monday evening includes a reduction in maximum sentencing for some possession convictions and loosens measures set in the previously proposed bill that would have banned cities and counties from making their own guidelines around drug possession, according to the Seattle Times.

As pressure ramps up from Washingtonians and leaders for members of the chamber to reach a deal, some cities are taking policy laws into their own hands.

The city of Lakewood passed its own law on Monday, making knowingly possessing a controlled substance a gross misdemeanor, which carries a sentence of up to 364 days in jail and, or both, a fine of up to $5,000. Mayor Jason Whalen said, “Due to the uncertainty at the state level, we knew we needed to do something for our residents,” according to MyNorthwest.

Lakewood now joins two other cities enacting their own laws, including Kent, which moved forward on May 3.

“Our council voted unanimously on an ordinance to make possession of controlled substances a gross misdemeanor in the city starting July 1,” Mayor Dana Ralph said on The Gee and Ursula Show.

Everett created a new ordinance earlier this month as well, banning the use of controlled substances in public spaces within the city with a 4-3 vote.

Pierce County joins the growing list of areas passing drug possession rules, with officials having a countywide ordinance in place if legislators fail to come to a resolution during the special session, according to News Tribune.

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In 2021, a Washington Supreme Court decision known as State v. Blake axed the state’s drug possession laws, finding that unintentional illegal drug possession is not a felony. The state legislature has been scrambling to pass definitive legislation as Washington’s drug possession laws are in limbo. A temporary law applied shortly after the court ruling makes possessing small amounts of narcotics a misdemeanor, but that law is set to expire on July 1.

As discussions between Democratic and Republican lawmakers intensify, a possible vote could commence on Tuesday, giving Washington state definitive drug possession regulations.