The state government operates on a fiscal biennium that begins on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. A two-year biennial operating budget is adopted every odd-numbered year. Supplemental budgets frequently are enacted in each of the following two years after adoption of the biennial budget. Appropriations are made in the biennial and supplemental budgets for the operation of state government and its various agencies and institutions, including higher education, as well as allocations for the funding of K-12 public schools.
The 2023-25 Biennial Operating Budget appropriates $69.8 billion from the Near General Fund-Outlook accounts (General Fund-State and the Education Legacy Trust Account, the Opportunity Pathways Account, and the Workforce Education Investment Account). The total budgeted amount, which includes state, federal, and other funds, is $133.6 billion including appropriations in other legislation.
Near General Fund-Outlook (NGF-O) appropriations for the 2023-25 biennium are increased by a net of $2.0 billion to $71.8 billion and the total budget is increased by a net of $5.6 billion to $139.2 billion including maintenance level and policy level changes. The largest increases are in the Health Care Authority ($446.4 million NGF-O and $1.7 billion total budgeted), the Department of Social and Health Services ($577.6 million NGF-O and $737.7 million total budgeted), and K-12 schools ($331.2 million NGF-O and $808.6 million total budgeted).
Other changes to the original 2023-25 Biennial Operating Budget are also made.
The substitute bill increases NGF-O appropriations for the 2023-25 biennium by a net of $258.0 million to a total of $72.0 billion NGF-O, and increases total budgeted amounts by a net of $1.4 billion to $140.6 billion.
Please refer to the January 8, 2024, January 10, 2024, and February 19, 2024, recordings of the public hearings on the bill.
(Hearing date January 8, 2024, on the original bill.)
(In support of the original bill) Representative Timm Ormsby, prime sponsor; Larry Delaney, Washington Education Association; Jim Theofelis, NorthStar Advocates; Morgan Hickel, University of Washington; Melissa Gombosky, Association of Educational Service Districts; Brad Forbes, Alzheimer's Association; Christopher Stanley and Brittany Gregory, Administrative Office of the Courts; Tyler Muench, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Rashi Gupta, University of Washington Medicine; Wesley Jessup, Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and Eastern Washington State Historical Society; Diane Bergt; Joel Anderson, Washington Student Achievement Council; Mike Hoover, Washington State School Directors' Association; Larry Jefferson, Washington State Office of Public Defense; Sandy Kaiser, The Evergreen State College; John Seng, Spark Northwest; David Buri, Eastern Washington University; Alice Steiner, Unite Us; Erin Davis, Kooth; Katie Kolan, Unite Us and Kooth; Cameron Long and Chloe Gale, Evergreen Treatment Services; Joan Miller; Scott Richards, The Nature Conservancy; Cindy Arends Elsberry, Washington Defender Association and Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Steve Hobbs and Brian Hatfield, Office of Secretary of State; Preston Parish, Washington State Budget and Policy Center; and Choi Halladay, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
(Opposed to the original bill) Aaron Dickson, Community Employment Alliance; Alex Motteler; and Heather Evans.
(Other testimony on the original bill) Jill May, Washington Association for Children and Families; Zack Wester; Sandra Gorman-Brown, Grassroots Therapy Group; Julie Brown, Young Men's Christian Association Social Impact Center; Nikki Storms; Angie Silvan; Angela Steck, Washington State Parent Teacher Association; Samuel Martin, Washington Coalition for Homeless Youth Advocacy; Charles Smith, The Mockingbird Society; Henterson Carlisle, Center for High School Success; Kia Franklin, Stand for Children Washington; Justin Tanner; Alyssa Odegaard, LeadingAge Washington; Melissa Johnson, Community Residential Services Association; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; Laurie Lippold, Partners for Our Children; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Sara Frederiksen, Toppenish High School; Chris Mulick, Washington State University; Michael White, King County; Nora Selander, Western Washington University; Kimberly Nyland, Catholic Community Services; Kati Durkin, Washington Federation of State Employees; Shawn Latham; Alan Burke, Washington State School Retirees Association; Anna Nepomuceno, National Alliance on Mental Illness Washington; Noah Seidel, Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds; Sandy Lennon, Washington School-Based Health Alliance; Ramona Hattendorf, The Arc of King County; Jerry VanderWood, Associated General Contractors and Washington Construction Industry Council; Guillermo Rogel, Front and Centered; Leslie Emerick, Home Care Association of Washington; Elizabeth Jennings, Community Action of Skagit County; Jeff Guyett, Community Action Council of Whitman County; Nathan Daniel; Anthony Ives, Kitsap Community Resources; Kristin Wiggins, Perigee Fund and Prenatal Through 5 Relational Health Subgroup; Cate Bridenstine, Imagine Institute; Nora Briggs, Dollywood Foundation; Mark Tucker, Spokane County United Way; Kate Urwin, People for People and Washington 211; Kate White Tudor, Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Samantha Fogg, Seattle Council Parent Teacher Student Association; Shannon Dorsey; Juli Bunting, Washington Coalition for Open Government; and Carly Michiels, Washington Public Ports Association.
(Hearing date January 10, 2024, on the original bill.)
(In support of the original bill) Aaron Czyzewski, Food Lifeline; Candice Bock, Association of Washington Cities; Megan Larkin, Climate Solutions; Linda Thompson, Washington Association for Substance Misuse and Violence Prevention; Clair Olivers, Retired Public Employees Council of Washington; Jason Biermann, Snohomish County; Sara Robbins, Office of Civil Legal Aid; and Andrew Villeneuve, Northwest Progressive Institute.
(Opposed to the original bill) John Worthington.
(Other testimony on the original bill) Linzi Michel, Central Columbia Senior Living; Demas Nesterenko, Service Employees International Union 775; Michelle Dube, Beehive Retirement Center; Carolyn Driscoll, The Sequoia Assisted Living Community; Emily Murphy, Child Care Aware of Washington; Bob Cooper, National Association of Social Workers Washington Chapter; Logan Endres, BrightSpark Early Learning; John Ficker, Adult Family Home Council; Oliver Miska; Heidi Suarez; and Linda Bookey.
(Hearing date February 19, 2024, on the proposed substitute bill.)
(In support of the proposed substitute bill) Michael White, King County; Brad Forbes, Alzheimer's Association; Candice Bock, Association of Washington Cities; Sophia Byrd McSherry, Office of Public Defense; Kelsey Hulse, Association of Washington School Principals; Juliet Schindler, College Success Foundation; Christopher Stanley, Administrative Office of the Courts; Michael Moran, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Chehalis Tribe, and Making A Difference Foundation; Claire Lane, Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition; Patience Malaba, Housing Development Consortium; Cliff Cawthon, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties; Lauren McGowan, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Puget Sound; Darryl Smith, Homesight; Sara Robbins, Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid; Gregory Davis, Rainier Beach Action Coalition; Donald King, Nehemiah Initiative; Trish Rolfe, Center for Law and Policy; Kiara Daniels, Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition; Steve Walker, Washington State Housing Finance Commission; Denise Rodriguez, Washington Homeownership Resource Center; Nicole Gomez, Washington Federation of State Employees; Diana Stadden; Joe Dacca, University of Washington; Rashi Gupta, University of Washington Medicine; Nora Selander, Western Washington University; Madelyn Carlson, People For People and Washington 211; Debbie Ham, Support for Early Learning and Families; Peter Diedrick, Washington State School Retirees' Association; Laurie Weidner, Retired Public Employees Council of Washington; Collin Bannister, The Washington Student Association; Karen Condon, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation; Chris Mulick, Washington State University; Gordon McHenry Jr., United Way of King County; and Tathagata Pal, Washington State University Graduate and Professional Student Association.
(Opposed to the proposed substitute bill) None.
(Other testimony on the proposed substitute bill) Laurie Lippold, Partners for Our Children; Larry Delaney, Washington Education Association; Logan Endres, BrightSpark Early Learning Services; Marcia Wright-Soika, FamilyWorks; AyeNay Abye, The Tubman Center for Health and Freedom; Stephan Blanford, The Children's Alliance; Karen Pillar, TeamChild; Jim Theofelis, NorthStar Advocates; Melissa Johnson, Washington State Association of Headstart and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, and Community Residential Services Association; Pauli Owen, The Imagine Institute; Samuel Martin, Washington Coalition for Homeless Youth Advocacy; Charles Smith, The Mockingbird Society; Jessica Vavrus, Association of Educational Service Districts; Melanie Smith, Washington State Long Term Care Ombuds Program; Cynthia Green; Mary Kirchoff, Wonderland Child and Family Services; Bob Cooper, Community Employment Alliance; Asher Davison, Tekoa Care Center; Mindy Kleine, The Villager Assisted Living; Nancy Chamberlain, Washington State Parent Teacher Association; Ben Small, Launch NorthWest; Paul Francis; Ivan Harrell, Tacoma Community College; Michael Robinson, Pacific Coast Legacy Emissions Action Network; Aaron Dickson, Community Employment Alliance; Lance Morehouse; Alex Motteler; Sydney Krebsbach; John Lemus; Lynn Kimball, Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington; Cristina Ortega, Latino Community Fund; Kaitie Dong, Washington Budget and Policy Center; Vanessa Reyes, Washington Immigrant and Solidarity Network; Kia Franklin, Stand for Children Washington; Liz Trautman, Stand for Children and High School Success Coalition; Heather Fritz, Pacific Northwest University School of Occupational Therapy; Ramona Hattendorf, The Arc of King County; Sandy Hayes, Washington State School Directors' Association; Erika Larson, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant; Leslie Emerick, Home Care Association of Washington; Sean Graham, Washington State Medical Association; Rick Chisa, Public School Employees of Washington and Service Employees International Union 1948; Nikki Storms, Chehalis West Assisted Living; Samantha Fogg, Seattle Council Parent Teacher Student Association; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Devin Gombosky, Educational Services District 105 Schools Coalition; Aaron Czyzewski, Food Lifeline; Demas Nesterenko, Service Employees International Union 775; Charlie Brown, South Sound Superintendents and Washington Skills Centers; Em Stone, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Amina Abdalla, Adult Family Home Council; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; David Buri, Eastern Washington University; Jeff DeLuca, Washington State Community Action Partnership; Elizabeth Jennings, Community Action of Skagit County; Susan Carter, Hopelink; Andrea Pierantozzi, Recreational Boating Association of Washington; David Lord; Russell Brown, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; John Seng, Spark Northwest; Maud Daudon, Career Connect Washington; Catherine Morrison, Maxim Healthcare Services; Dewi Ali, Emerald Cities Collaborative; John Seng, Spark Northwest; Erica Drury; and Mikhail Cherniske, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(Hearing date January 10, 2024, on the original bill) Preston Dwoskin.