Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House Mar 16, 2026

HB 2353: Concerning predesign thresholds.

HB 2353 raises Washington State's predesign threshold for major capital construction projects from $10 million to $15 million, with annual inflation adjustments starting July 1, 2027. It requires state agencies to conduct predesign reviews for projects exceeding this threshold, including value-engineering analysis and cost comparisons, to improve efficiency. The bill directly affects state agencies planning large facilities like schools or infrastructure, ensuring projects over $15 million (adjusted for inflation) undergo formal cost and design evaluations. The legislation also establishes reporting requirements for exceptions to these reviews, maintaining transparency in budgeting for public construction.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates cost comparisons and value-engineering for large projects to improve fiscal efficiency, promoting responsible spending on state capital construction.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House Mar 16, 2026

HB 2254: Providing flexibility in the partnership access line assessment to cover administrative costs.

HB 2254 proposes changes to how mental health program costs are funded in Washington State. It requires health carriers, self-funded health plans, and employers to pay a proportional share of administrative costs for partnership access lines and psychiatric consultation services based on their share of insured residents served by these programs. The bill allows third-party administrators' reasonable costs to be included in the assessment, but excludes the Health Care Authority's own administrative expenses. This would shift some funding responsibility from state budgets to covered health entities while maintaining state funding for programs under Chapter 74.09 RCW.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates proportional cost-sharing by health carriers/employers for mental health admin costs, ensuring stable program funding without new taxes or tax increases.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates proportional cost-sharing for mental health program admin costs, ensuring stable funding for psychiatric services and partnership access lines.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5963: Modifying funding for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant.

SB 5963 connects two Washington state education programs by automatically qualifying students eligible for the Passport to Careers program as income-eligible for the Washington College Grant. This change eliminates the need for separate income verification, streamlining access to college financial aid for qualifying students. The bill amends eligibility rules in the Washington College Grant statute to include Passport to Careers participants starting in the 2026-27 academic year. It directly affects low-income Washington students enrolled in Passport to Careers, expanding their access to free college funding without additional application steps.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands eligibility for Washington College Grant, increasing state funding allocation for education access by eliminating redundant verification.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAutomates eligibility for college grants, expanding access to financial aid for Passport to Careers students without additional verification, directly strengthening higher education funding access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 6149: Concerning the definition of "rural county" for purposes of public facilities funding.

SB 6149 updates Washington state's definition of "rural county" to determine eligibility for a dedicated sales tax funding public facilities. A county qualifies as rural if it has fewer than 100 people per square mile, lacks any city over 45,000 residents, or is smaller than 225 square miles. Rural counties can then impose a sales tax (up to 0.09%, or 0.04% for certain counties) to fund public facilities supporting job creation, affordable workforce housing, or economic development offices. Funds must be used for specific projects listed in economic development plans and reported annually to ensure alignment with job growth and housing goals.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnables rural counties to levy a small sales tax (up to 0.09%) for public facilities funding, directly supporting fiscal management and public spending initiatives.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill explicitly authorizes rural counties to use sales tax funds for 'affordable workforce housing' as a designated purpose.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5872: Establishing the preK promise account.

SB 5872 creates the "preK promise account" to fund Washington's early childhood education and assistance program. The account, managed by the state treasurer, accepts gifts, grants, and donations specifically for this program, with funds tracked separately by donor. It prohibits leftover funds from reverting to the general state budget at the end of each biennium. The bill ensures dedicated, ongoing support for early childhood education services without requiring annual legislative appropriations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates dedicated preK funding account, prohibits fund diversion to general budget, ensures ongoing support without annual appropriations for essential early education program.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates dedicated preK funding via a separate account, ensuring ongoing support without annual appropriations, directly advancing early education access and funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 5874: Concerning employers' information reporting for purposes of unemployment compensation.

Washington State's SB 5874 modifies penalties for employers who fail to properly report unemployment compensation information. It establishes a $25 penalty for late filings, with warning letters for first-time incomplete reports, followed by escalating fines ($75, $150, $250) for repeated errors within five years. Employers may avoid penalties for minor mistakes like software errors causing missing job titles, but intentional misreporting of payroll could lead to fines up to 10 times the underpaid amount. The bill directly affects Washington employers required to submit quarterly unemployment tax reports.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnsures accurate unemployment tax collection via penalties, securing state budget revenue from employer contributions without altering tax rates.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnforces accurate employer reporting for unemployment benefits, ensuring workers receive full compensation and protecting their rights under employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2650: Concerning notifications and effective dates for department of revenue administration of certain excise taxes.

HB 2650 creates a tax deferral program for property owners developing affordable housing on underdeveloped land (like surface parking lots) in qualifying cities. It requires owners to complete construction within three years, offer housing to low/moderate-income households (costing ≤30% of income), and submit verification to cities within 30 days of a certificate of occupancy. Cities must then confirm compliance with affordability and construction standards before the Department of Revenue finalizes the sales/use tax deferral. The bill directly affects property developers, local cities administering the program, and the Department of Revenue. If requirements aren’t met, cities can deny the deferral or require interest on nonqualifying taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax deferral for affordable housing developers, reducing immediate tax burden to incentivize low-income housing construction.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates tax deferral for affordable housing development on underused land, requiring 30% income cap and city verification to increase affordable units.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2140: Exempting land classified under current use that is sold or transferred to a governmental entity from additional tax in certain circumstances.

HB 2140 exempts land classified under Washington's current-use property tax program (e.g., farmland, forestland) from additional taxes when sold or transferred to a governmental entity. This directly affects landowners selling to governments (like counties or schools) and the governments purchasing such land. The bill amends tax code to clarify that these transfers do not trigger the usual penalty tax, which normally applies when classified land changes ownership. The key provision removes the requirement to pay retroactive taxes for up to seven years (four years for farmland after 2025) when land is sold to a government for continued use. This is a procedural tax code adjustment with no new spending or regulations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts land sales to government from additional taxes, providing tax relief for landowners and governments under current-use property tax program.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2133: Making the property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers permanent.

HB 2133 makes permanent a property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers that was originally established temporarily in 2017. The bill modifies state law to ensure these centers no longer lose their tax exemption after the temporary period ends, directly affecting qualifying senior centers that provide community services. This change removes the temporary nature of the exemption created under Chapter 301, Laws of 2017, ensuring ongoing tax relief for these facilities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMakes permanent property tax exemption for senior centers, providing ongoing tax relief and protecting existing fiscal benefits for qualifying facilities.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Washington · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1833: Creating an artificial intelligence grant program.

House Bill 1833 establishes the Spark Act Grant Program in Washington state, designed to support startups, research institutions, and companies developing innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The Department of Commerce will administer these grants, which will be funded through a dedicated account receiving legislative appropriations, private donations, and federal funds. Grants will be awarded annually, prioritizing applicants committed to ethical AI use, risk analysis, small businesses, and projects with statewide impact such as wildfire tracking, cybersecurity, or healthcare advancements. Eligible applicants must propose technology that will be shared with and provide a benefit to the state, with the program's progress and impact reported biennially.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state budget funds via legislative appropriations to establish AI grant program, advancing fiscal support for innovation through dedicated funding mechanisms.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyEstablishes grant program funding AI startups and research, prioritizing ethical development. Directly advances AI technology through financial support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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