SB 5194 authorizes the state of Washington to issue nearly $4.7 billion in general obligation bonds. These bonds will finance various state capital projects outlined in the 2023-2025 and 2025-2027 fiscal biennia and future biennia. The proceeds are deposited into state building construction accounts and then transferred to specific accounts, including those for outdoor recreation, habitat conservation, farm and forest preservation, and early learning facilities. The state pledges its full faith and credit for repayment, using general state revenues to cover the principal and interest on these bonds.
HB 2047 phases out the Washington employee ownership program. It shortens the period during which businesses can earn tax credits for converting to worker-owned cooperatives, employee ownership trusts, or employee stock ownership plans, moving the deadline for earning credits from June 30, 2029, to June 30, 2025. The bill also makes the program's activities, such as providing technical support and referrals, contingent upon specific funding appropriations. The tax credit provisions are set to expire earlier, effectively eliminating these incentives for businesses.
HB 1498 establishes a grant program to help cities and counties create and operate domestic violence co-responder programs. These programs deploy domestic violence victim advocates alongside law enforcement to provide on-scene support, resources, and care navigation for victims and their families. The bill creates a dedicated state treasury account, funded primarily by an additional $100 fee on marriage licenses, to support this initiative. The Office of Crime Victims Advocacy will administer these grants, also providing technical assistance and support for billing health insurance for services.
House Bill 1848 aims to enhance services and supports for individuals living with traumatic brain injuries and their families in Washington State. The bill seeks to rebalance funding priorities to better support in-person support groups and community integration programs, which the legislature identified as underfunded. To generate additional revenue for these services, it increases a specific fee assessed on traffic infractions from $5 to $10. This increased revenue will be deposited into the state's traumatic brain injury account.
HB 2015 establishes a new grant program to improve public safety by providing direct financial support to local and tribal law enforcement agencies. These grants are intended to help agencies with hiring, retaining, and training law enforcement officers, as well as peer counselors and behavioral health personnel for co-response teams. To qualify for funding, agencies must meet specific requirements, including implementing state policies on use of force and de-escalation, participating in mandated trainings, and demonstrating compliance with data collection standards. Grant funds can cover up to 75 percent of entry-level salaries and benefits for new officers and support costs for required officer training.
SB 5662 allows municipal utilities to waive connection charges for properties developed by certain non-profit organizations, public authorities, or local agencies that provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or affordable housing. Generally, these waivers must be funded by general funds, grants, or other identified revenue streams. However, in large counties east of the Cascade mountains, waivers can be granted without explicit funding if the developer records a covenant. This covenant restricts the property's use to the specified affordable housing purposes and requires repayment of the waived charges if the property's use changes or no longer meets eligibility requirements.
House Bill 1207 modifies the fees collected by superior court clerks, impacting individuals and entities filing various documents in civil actions, appeals, probate proceedings, and certain criminal cases. It introduces new surcharges on many of these filing fees, with the collected funds distributed to state accounts for judicial stabilization, public defense support, court interpreter services, and library-archives, while a portion is retained by counties. The bill establishes a county clerk administrative assistance fund, which the clerk can manage for office operations without county legislative appropriation, and creates dedicated state accounts for public defense and court interpreter support. Notably, it sets a lower initial filing fee for unlawful detainer actions and exempts indigent criminal defendants from certain fees upon conviction.
House Bill 1392 establishes the Medicaid Access Program in Washington state, directly affecting health carriers and Medicaid managed care organizations. The bill implements an annual "covered lives assessment" on these entities, with specific per-member-per-month rates, to fund the program. Implementation of these assessments and the program is conditional upon federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with state appropriation certifications and contract amendments.
House Bill 1109 modifies the regulations for public facilities districts concerning their authority to impose sales and use taxes. It extends the maximum period for collecting these taxes from 40 years to 55 years when used to finance or refinance regional centers and related parking facilities. The bill also specifies the conditions under which certain public facilities districts are eligible to impose these taxes and allows them to increase their tax rates to mitigate documented revenue losses from past legislative changes.
House Bill 1733 increases the maximum reimbursement amounts for moving and relocation expenses for individuals, businesses, farms, and nonprofit organizations displaced by government agency projects. The bill raises the general cap for reestablishing a displaced business, farm, or nonprofit to $200,000. Additionally, it sets a temporary cap of $100,000 for state agency displacements until August 1, 2030, and mandates an annual 2% inflation adjustment to these caps starting in August 2025.
