Budget & Taxes

in committee · Washington · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 1364: Increasing the gross revenue threshold for unlicensed bingo, raffles, and amusement games conducted by charitable or nonprofit organizations.

HB 1364 increases the annual gross revenue threshold for charitable and nonprofit organizations from $5,000 to $15,000 for conducting unlicensed bingo, raffles, and amusement games. This change allows these organizations to generate more revenue from fundraising activities without requiring a state license or paying local taxes on the first $15,000 of revenue. The bill updates related tax exemptions in Washington state law (RCW 9.46.110) to align with the new threshold. It directly affects nonprofits that use these games as a primary fundraising method, providing greater flexibility while maintaining existing operational requirements like member-only participation and record-keeping.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax exemption threshold for nonprofits, reducing tax burden on charitable fundraising revenue by expanding tax-free gross revenue limit from $5k to $15k.90% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5788: Achieving budget savings in certain policies that have yet to take effect.

SB 5788 adjusts income eligibility thresholds for Washington's Working Connections Child Care program, expanding access to families with higher incomes. It phases in three income tiers: current eligibility (≤60% of median income), new eligibility (60-75% starting July 2025), and further expanded eligibility (75-85% starting July 2027), all adjusted for family size. The bill modifies implementation timelines to manage fiscal impact for these expanded eligibility levels, ensuring gradual program scaling. It directly affects families seeking subsidized child care who previously exceeded income limits but now qualify under the new phased thresholds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands income eligibility for child care program, increasing public funding for essential services with phased fiscal implementation to manage costs.92% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands child care access for working families via income tier adjustments, directly supporting labor force participation and employment standards.90% confidence

Tags Children

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5510: Concerning conservation district revenue limitations.

SB 5510 sets limits on how conservation districts in Washington State can collect revenue from landowners through rates and charges. It caps annual per-acre charges at $0.10 and per-parcel fees at $7.50 (up to $22.50 in larger counties), with annual adjustments based on the Seattle-area consumer price index starting in 2029. Forestland charges are limited to one-tenth of the average rate for other lands, with special rules for large forestland holdings. These rates are collected like property taxes through county assessors and treasurers, directly affecting landowners and conservation districts across the state.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill restricts conservation districts' revenue collection via capped fees ($0.10/acre, $7.50/parcel), directly limiting tax/fee collection under Budget & Taxes topic.85% confidence

Track

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

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Insurance Paid Leave

in committee · Washington · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 1592: Concerning public defense services.

HB 1592 shifts public defense funding responsibility in Washington State starting in 2026. The state will cover 50% of public defense costs based on counties' and cities' average spending over the previous five years, with the state paying all costs exceeding that average. Counties and cities must report case data, attorney caseloads, and training requirements for public defense attorneys to qualify for state funds. This bill directly affects local governments managing public defense systems and aims to standardize funding while requiring transparency in service delivery.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates state funding for public defense, covering 50% of costs and exceeding county averages, increasing state budget responsibility for essential services.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allocates state funding to cover public defense costs, ensuring adequate resources for defendants' representation per criminal justice reform principles.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1785: Imposing a surcharge on publicly traded companies providing excessive executive compensation.

HB 1785 imposes a surcharge on Washington-based publicly traded companies with CEO pay at least 50 times the median employee wage. The surcharge is 10% for ratios of 50-149:1 and 25% for ratios of 150:1 or higher, applied to state corporate taxes starting January 1, 2026. Companies must disclose their executive pay ratio to the SEC (per Dodd-Frank Act); failure to report triggers the 25% rate. All revenue from the surcharge funds the state general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes new corporate tax surcharge on excessive pay ratios, directing revenue to state general fund, aligning with fiscal responsibility and public funding.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentTargets extreme CEO-worker pay gaps (50:1+), mandates disclosure, funds state general fund - directly advances wage equity and transparency in labor compensation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Fees & Licensing State Budget

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1227: Making transportation appropriations for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium.

HB 1227 allocates $3.025 million to increase women and minority-owned contractor participation in transportation projects, with specific requirements for outreach, technical assistance, and a trucking resource-sharing program. It also provides $4.92 million for tribal electric boat grants to convert fishing vessels to electric motors and $2.4 million for the University of Washington to create a public sidewalk accessibility dataset. The bill appropriates funds across 10 state agencies for road maintenance, ferry operations, and capital improvements during the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. Key provisions include targeted spending conditions, such as requiring diversity action plans for pilotage commissions and prioritizing non-Puget Sound areas for contractor support.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $3.025M for minority contractors, $4.92M for tribal electric grants, and $2.4M for UW dataset - directly funds public programs via state budget, advancing fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyAllocates $4.92M for tribal electric boat conversions, promoting renewable energy use in transportation infrastructure.80% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAllocates $3.025M for minority contractors in transportation projects, $4.92M for electric boat grants (sustainable transit), and $2.4M for sidewalk accessibility data - funding sustainable infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Freight Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1703: Establishing an equine industry tax credit, allowing the horse racing commission to impose a fee, and using equine industry sales tax revenues for federal regulatory compliance.

HB 1703 creates a tax credit for licensed horse racing venues in Washington, allowing them to offset state sales tax payments with amounts they pay to federal horseracing safety fees under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020. It also authorizes the Washington Horse Racing Commission to impose fees to cover federal compliance costs, with revenues deposited into a dedicated "Washington Equine Industry Federal Regulatory Account." The account receives up to $1.5 million annually from state sales tax revenues collected by class 1 racing associations, which must be used exclusively for federal regulatory fees. The bill takes effect in 2025 for fee authority and 2026 for the tax credit, aiming to streamline compliance with federal requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit allowing horse racing venues to offset state sales tax payments, providing targeted tax relief for specific industry, aligning with tax relief indicator for support.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Tax Credits

Track

signed · Washington · House May 17, 2025

HB 1473: Making expenditures from the budget stabilization account for declared catastrophic events.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $77.687M from budget stabilization fund for emergency fire suppression costs, funding essential state response to catastrophic event per emergency clause.92% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5544: Concerning county local roads.

SB 5544 creates a new "county local road trust account" within the motor vehicle fund to finance improvements on county roads not classified as arterial or collector roads. It requires counties to spend all road revenues solely on road projects (with limited exemptions) to qualify for funding, prioritizing projects in overburdened communities, environmental health disparities areas, near Indian reservations, or for pedestrian facilities. Allowed projects include road reconstruction, bridge replacements, fish passage removal, and access improvements to community facilities. The program mandates joint planning with cities/towns for adjacent projects and requires counties to provide matching funds based on board-established rules. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates existing motor vehicle tax revenues to a dedicated trust account for county road improvements, prioritizing infrastructure projects and ensuring fiscal accountability in government spending.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationCreates new trust fund to finance county road improvements, prioritizing infrastructure projects in specified communities and pedestrian facilities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Bridges Roads & Highways Transportation Funding Tags Local Government

Track