SB 5998 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.

SB 5998 adjusts funding for Washington State's 2025-2027 fiscal biennium by increasing appropriations for the House of Representatives ($200,000 for FY2026), Senate ($20,000 for FY2026), and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. It allocates $400,000 for the committee to audit juvenile rehabilitation programs (including staffing, youth services, and safety protocols) and another $400,000 to review ignition interlock device compliance. The bill also sets aside $150,000 for auditing forest health planning. As a procedural appropriations bill, it modifies existing funding levels without creating new policies or regulations.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 6, 2026 Signed Apr 1, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 9 edits

MAJOR

This bill updates the 2025-2027 state budget, adjusting appropriation amounts for various agencies and adding new funding for specific initiatives like youth behavioral health, organized retail crime response, and a study on seismic retrofitting costs. It also modifies conditions for existing grants, such as changing how juvenile court administrator funds are distributed and updating reporting deadlines for the insurance commissioner's study on credit-based insurance scores.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new funding provisions for youth behavioral health, organized retail crime, and seismic retrofitting studies, while modifying the applicability of existing grants for juvenile courts and cannabis social equity programs.

FISCAL

Adjusted total appropriations for the General Fund and specific agency accounts, including increases for the Office of Financial Management and the Department of Revenue, and decreases for the Office of Public Defense.

Added $234,000 for implementation of Second Substitute House Bill No. 2429 to support youth behavioral health services.

Added $500,000 for a contract to implement a program responding to organized retail crime, focusing on diversion-oriented strategies.

Added $5,000,000 for domestic violence programs, including $4,000,000 for grants to county prosecutor offices for victim and witness advocates.

Changed the distribution of $2,000,000 for county juvenile court administrators from $4,000,000 in FY 2027 to $2,000,000 in FY 2027.

Added $1,000 for implementation of Substitute House Bill No. 2355 (domestic workers) to the Office of the Attorney General.

REQUIREMENT

Extended the deadline for the insurance commissioner's final report on credit-based insurance scores from November 1, 2026, to June 1, 2027.

Added a requirement for the Department of Commerce to conduct a study on financial incentives to reduce the burden of seismic retrofitting for unreinforced masonry buildings.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the cannabis social equity program evaluation to include an examination of provisions hindering business success and mobility of licenses across jurisdictions.

Bill → Substitute Bill · 8 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to reflect a revised budget after legislative review, adjusting appropriation amounts for various state agencies and departments. Key substantive changes include the addition of a new audit requirement for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee to evaluate state agency accountability practices, increased funding for emergency housing and homeless services, and the removal of a pilot program for self-help centers in courthouses. The bill also updated funding for the Department of Revenue to implement tax programs and adjusted allocations for the Office of Financial Management's IT modernization project.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in the Attorney General section by removing a study on insurers' use of credit history, and the Department of Commerce section was updated to remove a contract for 2026 World Cup security activities.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of auditing, accountability, and risk management practices across state agencies and report findings by June 30, 2027.

Removed a provision requiring the Attorney General to study the use of credit history and credit-based insurance scores by insurers and submit a report by November 1, 2026.

FISCAL

Adjusted total appropriations across multiple agencies, including a reduction in funding for the Office of the Governor and an increase for the Department of Revenue's tax programs.

Increased funding for emergency housing and shelter capacity from $35 million to $24 million in the Washington Housing Trust Account and adjusted general fund allocations for homeless services.

Removed funding for a pilot program of self-help centers in two courthouses, replacing it with a larger allocation for expanded pilot centers.

Updated funding for the Office of Financial Management's One Washington ERP system replacement, shifting allocation between technology and readiness pools for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

Added new funding for the Department of Revenue to implement various tax-related bills, including taxes on millionaires, estate tax rates, and data center equipment.

Adjusted funding for the Department of Commerce's housing and economic development programs, including changes to grants for crime victims and affordable housing providers.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 27, 2026 · House Feb 28, 2026

How they voted

32–19

Passed

Total votes 51

Feb 27, 2026

D Democratic31

31 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican20

1 Yea 19 Nay

95% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 1, 2026

Vetoed

Governor partially vetoed.

executive

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed final passage as recommended by conference committee; yeas, 28; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 0.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed final passage as recommended by conference committee; yeas, 54; nays, 43; absent, 0; excused, 1.

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference committee report adopted.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee report; received 11:20 AM 3/11/2026.

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference committee report; received 10:57 AM 3/11/2026.

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference committee appointed. Representatives Ormsby, Gregerson, Couture.

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference committee request granted.

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee appointed. Senators Robinson, Stanford, Gildon.

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Introduced

Senate refuses to concur in House amendments. Asks House for conference thereon.

upper

Feb 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor