Budget & Taxes

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5113: Concerning cost-of-living adjustments for plan 1 retirees of the teachers' retirement system and public employees' retirement system.

SB 5113 establishes a new annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirees in Plan 1 of Washington’s Teachers’ Retirement System and Public Employees’ Retirement System, effective July 2026. It uses the Seattle-area Consumer Price Index to calculate yearly increases, capping annual adjustments at 3% and ensuring payments never fall below the original benefit amount. The bill consolidates past COLA costs into a 15-year funding plan while keeping future benefit improvements on a standard 10-year amortization schedule. This directly affects current and future retirees in these systems who have been enrolled for at least one year, providing predictable, inflation-linked increases to their monthly retirement payments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes structured 15-year funding plan for retirement COLA adjustments, promoting fiscal responsibility in state budget management of retirement benefits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1940: Concerning the cannabis industry.

HB 1940 removes Washington's requirement that cannabis business owners must be state residents, which has limited investment options for social equity applicants. It creates a temporary tax exemption from the business and occupations tax for social equity cannabis businesses during their startup phase to help overcome funding barriers. The bill amends licensing laws (RCW 69.50.325 and 69.50.331) to eliminate residency restrictions and support low-income and minority entrepreneurs in accessing capital. These changes aim to align Washington's cannabis industry with national market competition and address inequities in business ownership.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates temporary tax exemption for social equity cannabis businesses, providing targeted tax relief to support low-income entrepreneurs' startup funding.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Incentives

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1625: Supporting back country search and rescue organizations and volunteers through the creation of the back country search and rescue grant program.

HB 1625 creates a grant program to provide funding for back country search and rescue (SAR) organizations and volunteers in Washington state. The program directly supports groups that respond to emergencies in remote, rugged terrain, where specialized skills and equipment are required to locate and rescue individuals. The bill amends state law to establish this grant mechanism, enabling these organizations to maintain operations and services. This policy change offers concrete financial resources to enhance SAR capabilities in backcountry areas.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new state grant program funding essential public safety services (SAR organizations), directly allocating government resources to maintain operations.92% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1883: Concerning the Washington customized employment training program.

HB 1883 extends the expiration date of a tax credit for businesses participating in Washington's customized employment training program from 2026 to July 1, 2031. The credit allows businesses to reduce their state tax bill by 50% of payments made to the training program. The bill requires the college board to submit a 2028 report detailing program outcomes, including employee training numbers, wage growth, retention rates, and geographic distribution. The legislature states that future extensions may be considered if 75% of businesses complete training and repay the allowance, based on the report's findings.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends tax credit allowing businesses to reduce state tax bill by 50%, providing tax relief and funding workforce training program.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends tax credit for business participation in college board-administered training program, supporting workforce development within higher education via tax incentives and requiring outcome reporting.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends tax credit for employer training program with outcome reporting on wage growth and retention, supporting worker skill development and employment outcomes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Tax Credits Higher Education Workforce Development

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1475: Suspending the national board for professional standards certification bonuses for certificated instructional staff.

HB 1475 suspends $5,000 annual bonuses for certificated instructional staff (teachers) who hold National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification, effective for the 2025-26 through 2028-29 school years. The bill halts payments that would otherwise be made under existing law, which previously provided these bonuses (adjusted for inflation) to certified teachers, plus an additional $5,000 for those working in high-poverty schools meeting specific criteria. This suspension applies to all eligible teachers regardless of school poverty designation during the specified years. The change does not alter the underlying bonus structure or eligibility rules but temporarily stops payments for four consecutive school years.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill defunds $5,000 teacher bonuses, halting existing state payments for certified educators, reducing public education funding.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill suspends $5,000 annual bonuses for certified teachers, directly reducing teacher compensation and removing existing funding for educators, particularly impacting high-poverty school staff.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Teachers

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1836: Supporting local news journalism.

HB 1836 establishes a state grant program to support local news journalism in Washington. It provides funding to eligible news organizations (including digital platforms meeting specific criteria) that employ at least three journalists per quarter in underserved communities, with grants proportional to reported journalist hours. The program aims to sustain local news coverage of civic affairs by requiring grantees to submit biennial progress reports. This directly affects struggling local news outlets facing staff declines (44% over 10 years) and ethnic media providers, as defined in the bill. The Washington Department of Commerce administers the program, collaborating with the Employment Security Department to verify journalist hours.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates state grant program funding local journalism, directly increasing government spending on public service as per fiscal management topic.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5087: Establishing legal education programs at community and technical colleges.

SB 5087 requires Columbia Basin College, Yakima Valley College, and Walla Walla College to offer prelaw associate's degree programs if funding is approved. It also creates a program to financially support community colleges in eastern Washington (east of the Cascades) to establish new, American Bar Association-approved paralegal programs in regions without them, aiming for one program in central Washington and one in eastern Washington. The bill directly affects these colleges and students seeking legal education pathways in underserved areas. Funding availability is a key condition for both provisions. The legislation focuses on expanding accessible legal education opportunities through community colleges.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly seeks state funding for community college legal programs, requesting budget appropriations to establish new educational services, aligning with funding essential public programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill funds new ABA-approved paralegal programs at community colleges to expand educational access in underserved regions, directly advancing higher education opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1144: Adding an additional superior court judge in Skagit county.

HB 1144 increases the number of superior court judges in Skagit County from four to five by amending state law. This change directly affects Skagit County's judicial system, aiming to improve court capacity and reduce case backlogs. The bill includes a key provision requiring specific funding for this increase to be included in the 2025 omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2025, or the bill becomes void. If funded, it would allow Skagit County to hire an additional judge to handle its caseload.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill requires specific funding in 2025 budget to add judge, directly seeking to fund judicial capacity and reduce case backlogs as an essential public service.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds judge to reduce court backlog, directly improving judicial capacity and efficiency in criminal justice system per bill summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

Track

signed · Washington · House Apr 25, 2025

HB 1494: Concerning the property tax exemptions for new and rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban centers.

House Bill 1494 modifies existing property tax exemptions for new and rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban centers. The bill clarifies definitions related to "affordable housing" and the population requirements for cities to qualify for these exemptions. A key provision expands the definition of "rehabilitation improvements" to include modifications to occupied buildings that increase the number of multi-family housing units. These changes do not extend the duration of the exemptions or expand them to include conversions of market-rate buildings to affordable housing. The bill primarily affects property owners, developers, and residents involved with multi-unit housing projects in designated urban areas.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands property tax exemptions for affordable housing developments, providing tax relief to developers and potentially lower-income residents through reduced tax burden on qualifying properties.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExpands property tax exemptions for new/rehabbed multi-unit housing, broadens rehabilitation definitions to increase housing units, directly advancing affordable housing development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Historic Preservation Property 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