Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5167: Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.

SB 5167 establishes the operating budget for the state of Washington for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. It appropriates funds for the salaries, wages, and operational expenses of various state agencies and offices, directly affecting all state government functions and the services provided to Washington residents. The bill outlines specific allocations, such as for the House of Representatives and the Senate, and includes conditions and limitations on how funds can be spent. For example, it allocates funds for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee to conduct performance audits, including a review of juvenile rehabilitation programs. These appropriations cover the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes operating budget appropriations for state agencies, funding essential government operations and services per fiscal biennium requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5814: Modernizing the excise taxes on select services and nicotine products and requiring certain large businesses to make a one-time prepayment of state sales tax collection.

Senate Bill 5814 modernizes Washington's tax code by extending the state retail sales tax to select services, such as certain computer-related and digital automated services. It also expands the application of excise taxes on tobacco products to include new and emerging nicotine products. Additionally, the bill requires certain large businesses to make a one-time prepayment of state sales tax collections. These changes affect businesses providing the newly taxed services and nicotine products, as well as the consumers of these items. The revenue generated is intended to support public schools, health care, and social services across the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends sales tax to new services and expands nicotine excise taxes, increasing state revenue and modernizing tax collection for fiscal management.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 20, 2025

HB 1958: Concerning the interstate bridge replacement toll bond authority.

HB 1958 authorizes Washington State to issue up to $2.5 billion in bonds to fund the design, construction, and replacement of the aging I-5 bridge across the Columbia River, in partnership with Oregon. The bonds would be repaid solely from toll revenue collected on the bridge and specific excise taxes on fuel and vehicle-related fees, not general state funds. The bill establishes that tolls and these taxes must continue to cover bond payments, with the legislature pledging to maintain these revenue streams. It also requires legislative approval for bond issuance and specifies that proceeds can only be used for the bridge project, bond costs, or related financing. This law, effective July 2025, provides a dedicated financing mechanism for the bridge replacement without creating direct state debt.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes bonds funded by tolls and excise taxes (fuel/vehicle fees), avoiding general state funds, demonstrating fiscal responsibility in project financing.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAuthorizes $2.5B in bonds for I-5 bridge replacement, funded by transportation-related tolls/taxes, directly advancing infrastructure maintenance and safety.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 1848: Concerning services and supports for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases traffic infraction fee from $5 to $10 to fund brain injury services, directly generating revenue for public programs.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 2015: Improving public safety funding by providing resources to local governments and state and local criminal justice agencies, and authorizing a local option tax.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes local option tax to fund public safety grants, increasing budget allocation for law enforcement services and personnel training.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds law enforcement hiring/training and behavioral health co-response teams with de-escalation requirements, advancing accountability and public safety reform.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 1207: Concerning superior court clerk fees.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIntroduces surcharges on court filings to fund judicial stabilization, public defense, and court services, directly increasing revenue for essential public programs.85% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllocates surcharges from criminal case filings to public defense support, directly funding a key criminal justice reform component per indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 19, 2025

HB 1392: Creating the medicaid access program.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImplements annual assessment on health carriers to fund Medicaid program, increasing state revenue for essential healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates Medicaid Access Program funded via assessments on health carriers to expand coverage, directly advancing healthcare access and funding as per summary.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · House May 17, 2025

HB 1213: Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program.

HB 1213 expands protections for workers in Washington's state paid family and medical leave program. The bill requires the department to enhance outreach to employees, explaining their eligibility, application process, and reinstatement and nondiscrimination rights. It also mandates increased outreach to employers about their responsibilities and authorizes the department to audit employer records for compliance. Additionally, the bill clarifies premium collection and calculation methods, and ensures the confidentiality of employee information within the program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesClarifies premium collection methods for state paid leave program, ensuring proper fiscal management and program funding continuity.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands protections for workers in medical leave program, enhancing access to healthcare services through improved eligibility outreach and employer compliance enforcement.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly expands worker protections in paid leave program via enhanced outreach, employer compliance audits, and clarified premium rules, directly strengthening employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate May 17, 2025

SB 5790: Concerning cost-of-living adjustments for community and technical college employees.

SB 5790 changes how annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for academic and classified employees at Washington's community and technical colleges. Previously, these salary increases were based on the consumer price index. Starting with the 2025-2027 budget cycle, the bill switches to using the implicit price deflator, a different economic measure, to determine the COLA rate. This ensures that the state continues to fully fund these adjustments for eligible college staff.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill ensures full state funding for college employee COLAs by switching calculation method, maintaining budget allocation for public education staff.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnsures full funding for community college employee COLAs, supporting higher education staff compensation and retention within education funding framework.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill ensures full state funding for COLAs by switching to IPD, protecting employee wages against inflation. Explicitly maintains funding levels for community college staff wages.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Washington · Senate May 17, 2025

SB 5390: Updating the cost of the discover pass and day-use permits.

Senate Bill 5390 updates the cost of the Discover Pass, which is required for vehicle access to Washington state-owned recreation sites like state parks and lands managed by the departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. The bill increases the annual Discover Pass fee from $30 to $45. It also directs the Office of Financial Management to review the pass cost every four years and recommend adjustments to account for inflation. Additionally, the bill modifies the distribution of funds collected from Discover Pass sales, increasing the initial revenue threshold for allocation to state agencies from $71 million to $85 million per fiscal biennium.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases Discover Pass fee from $30 to $45, generating revenue for state recreation sites with inflation-adjusted reviews, promoting fiscal management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes