HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESSB 5200
As of Second Reading
Title: An act relating to the capital budget.
Brief Description: Concerning the capital budget.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Mullet, Schoesler and Nguyen; by request of Office of Financial Management).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
None.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill
  • Makes biennial capital budget appropriations for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.
  • Makes 2023 supplemental capital budget appropriations for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium. 
Staff: Kelci Karl-Robinson (786-7116).
Background:

Washington operates on a biennial budget cycle.  The Legislature authorizes expenditures for capital needs in the State Omnibus Capital Appropriations Act (Capital Budget) for a two-year period, and it authorizes bond sales through passage of a bond bill associated with the Capital Budget to fund a portion of these expenditures.  Historically, over 50 percent of the Capital Budget was financed by state-issued general obligation bonds, and the balance is funded by dedicated accounts, trust revenue, and federal funding sources.  The primary two-year budget is passed in the odd-numbered years, and a supplemental budget making adjustments to the two-year budget is often passed during the even-numbered years.  The 2023-25 Capital Budget covers the period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025.

The Capital Budget includes appropriations for the acquisition, construction, and repair of capital assets such as state office buildings, prisons, juvenile rehabilitation centers, residential habilitation centers, mental health facilities, military readiness centers, and higher education facilities.  The Capital Budget also funds a variety of environmental and natural resource projects, parks and recreational facilities, public kindergarten through grade 12 school construction, and grant and loan programs that support housing, public infrastructure, community service facilities, and art and historical projects.
Summary of Bill:

The 2023-25 Capital Budget authorizes new appropriations totaling $7.9 billion, of which $4.7 billion is financed through new general obligation bond proceeds.  The 2023-25 Capital Budget includes reappropriations totaling $7.6 billion for prior authorized, but not yet completed projects, of which $3.7 billion are financed with debt limit bonds. The 2023 Supplemental Capital Budget decreases total funding in the 2021-23 fiscal biennium by $85.8 million, but reduces appropriations funded with bonds by $127 million.

 

Additional detailed information can be found at: https://fiscal.wa.gov/statebudgets/2023proposals/sc2325bien
Appropriation: The bill contains an appropriation from various accounts.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) None.

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: None.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.