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.
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.
HB 1473 appropriates $77,687,000 from the state's budget stabilization account to the Department of Natural Resources. These funds are specifically designated to cover fire suppression costs incurred by the department during the 2024 fire season. The bill addresses a state of emergency declared due to wildfires, aiming to support the state's response to these catastrophic events. It includes an emergency clause, making its provisions effective immediately upon enactment.
Senate Bill 5516 modifies the property tax exemption for community centers. It expands the definition of "community center" to include properties deemed surplus by a university, not just local school boards. If a nonprofit organization acquires such university surplus property and converts it into community facilities for nonresidential services, it becomes eligible for a property tax exemption. This specific exemption applies to property taxes levied for collection between 2026 and 2035. The bill also clarifies that these community centers may rent or loan out space within their facilities.
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.
This bill updates the formula for allocating state funding to support basic education in Washington state school districts. It outlines how funds are distributed based on the resources needed for "prototypical" elementary, middle, and high schools. The formula specifies minimum staffing levels for classroom teachers, including average class sizes for various grades and subjects, and allocations for other essential school staff like principals and support personnel. Additionally, it mandates the Superintendent of Public Instruction to report per-pupil allocations for different programs to enhance transparency, while generally allowing districts flexibility in how they use these funds.
HB 1912 establishes a system for tracking and reporting sales of fuel used for agricultural purposes, which are exempt from the state's Climate Commitment Act. Fuel sellers, including retail stations and suppliers, can register with the Department of Ecology to track and report these exempt sales. Registered sellers must make exempt fuel available at a differential rate or credit purchasers to reflect the absence of associated compliance costs under the climate act. This ensures the agricultural exemption is properly applied and monitored, affecting fuel sellers, suppliers, and agricultural users starting January 1, 2026.
