SENATE BILL REPORT
ESSB 5083
As Passed Senate, March 30, 2021
Title: An act relating to the capital budget.
Brief Description: Concerning the capital budget.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Frockt, Mullet and Wilson, C.; by request of Office of Financial Management).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 1/12/21, 3/25/21, 3/27/21 [DPS].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 3/30/21, 49-0.
Brief Summary of Engrossed First Substitute Bill
  • Authorizes $6.236 billion in new capital projects for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium; of this total, $3.919 billion is financed with state general obligation bonds.
  • Includes $234 million in authorizations for agencies and higher education institutions to enter into alternative financing contracts.
  • Reappropriates $4.535 billion in funding for capital projects authorized in prior biennia.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5083 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Frockt, Vice Chair, Capital; Robinson, Vice Chair, Operating & Revenue; Wilson, L., Ranking Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Honeyford, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Schoesler, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Braun, Carlyle, Conway, Darneille, Dhingra, Gildon, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Liias, Muzzall, Pedersen, Rivers, Van De Wege, Wagoner, Warnick and Wellman.
Staff: Richard Ramsey (786-7412)
Background:

The programs and agencies of state government are funded on a two-year basis, with each fiscal biennium beginning on July 1st of odd-numbered years.  The capital budget generally includes appropriations for acquiring, constructing, and repairing capital assets such as land, buildings, and other infrastructure improvements.  Funding for the capital budget is primarily from state general obligation bonds, with other funding derived from various dedicated taxes, fees, and state trust land revenues.
Summary of Engrossed First Substitute Bill:

The budget authorizes $6.236 billion in new capital projects for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium; of this total, $3.919 billion is financed with state general obligation bonds.  Also included is $234 million in authorizations for agencies and higher education institutions to enter into alternative financing contracts.  The 2019-21 capital budget is adjusted by a net decrease of $13.6 million in state bonds.  Additionally, $4.535 billion in funding for capital projects authorized in prior biennia is reappropriated.

 

This is the Senate-passed capital budget for the 2021 supplemental budget for the 2019-21 biennium and the 2021-23 biennium.  Supporting documents prepared by the staff of the Senate Ways & Means Committee may be found at

http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/2021/sc2123Bien.asp.
Appropriation: The bill contains appropriations from various accounts.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: Yes.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony on First Substitute:

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard.  Please refer to the March 25, 2021 recording of the public hearing on the Senate WM Committee Schedules, Agendas & Documents website at https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/#//WM/. 
Persons Testifying: K-12 Public Schools.  PRO:  Tyler Muench, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
 
OTHER:  Charlie Brown, WA Skills Centers Association; Marissa Rathbone, Washington State School Directors’ Association; Lance Goodpaster, Franklin Pierce Schools; Tom Seigel, Bethel School District.
 
Higher Education.  PRO:  Wayne Doty, State Board of Community and Technical Colleges; Amy Morrison, Lake Washington Institute of Technology; Becca Kenna-Schenk, Western Washington University; Morgan Hickel, University of Washington; Chris Mulick, Washington State University; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; Amber Carter, Identity Clark County and Port of Vancouver USA; Jeremy Mohn, The Evergreen State College. 
 
Human Services.  PRO:  Matt Zuvich, WFSE; Gwendine Norton, guardian; Lauren Baba, UW Medicine; Aaron Czyzewski, Food Lifeline.
 
CON:  Diana Stadden, The Arc of WA State; Shawn Latham, Allies in Advocacy; Krista Milhofer, People First of Washington; Jeremy Norden-Paul, Washington State Development Disabilities Council; Anthony Nash, SAIL, PFOW; Resa Hayes, self advocate; Stacy Dym, The Arc of Washington State; Julie Clark; Cody Cohan, People First of Washington; Craig Sicilia, TBA Network; Cathy Murahashi, Community Homes; Kari Reardon, WDA/WACDL; Marilyn Roberts; Josie Schindler, advocate. 
 
OTHER:  Ivanova Smith, Self Advocates in Leadership; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Cynthia Stewart, League of Women Voters of Washington; Peter Shapiro; Laura Ellsworth, Council for the Homeless; Amanda DeShazo, Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium; Mindy Woods, Resident Action Project; Jeff DeLuca, WA State Community Action Partnership; Darya Farivar, Disability Rights Washington; Joshua Stuller, former forensic patient at ESH; Seven Williams, former inmate and Trueblood class member; Jon Grant, LIHI; Laurie Lippold, Partners for Our Children; Tony Yuchasz, Enterprise Community Partners; Girmay Zahilay; Mark Smith, Housing Consortium of Everett & Snohomish County; Samuel Martin, Washington Coalition for Homeless Youth Advocacy. 
 
Natural Resources.  PRO:  Doug Levy, Outcomes by Levy, WRPA, RBAW; Mary Dodsworth, City of Lakewood Parks and Recreation Director; Justin Allegro, The Nature Conservancy; Olgy Diaz, WWRC; Dave Schaub, Inland Northwest Land Conservation; Clayton Graham; Diana Carlen, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Potato Commission, and Potato & Onion Association; Koala Swanson, Sustainable Northwest on behalf of NW Community Forest Coalition. 
 
OTHER:  Carolyn Logue, NW Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association; Gerry O’Keefe, Washington Public Ports Association. 
 
All Other.  PRO:  Laurie De Koch, Seattle JassED; Ellen Abellera, FilAm Resources for Educational Advancement for Culture and Technology; Jamyang Dorjee, Tibetan Association of Washington; Claudia Kauffman, Seattle Indian Services Commission; Melanie Masson, The Center for Wooden Boats; Katy Warren, WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP; Anna Lois Fuller, FLIP; Bob Hickey, Magnuson Park Center for Excellence; Addie Smith; Arlene Sargeant, Seattle JazzED; Carolyn Logue, Washington Library Association; Randy Hayden, Port of Pasco; Paige Reischl, The Eli’s Park Project; Amber Carter, Identity Clark County and Port of Vancouver USA; Erin Gurtel, WA State Fairs Assoc. President; Carl Schroeder, Association of Washington Cities; Josephine Tamayo Murray, Communities of Concern Commission; Ellen Abellera, FilAm Resources for Educational Advancement for Culture and Technology;
 
CON:  Robert Wardell, self advocate.
 
OTHER:  Michael Mirra, Tacoma Housing Authority; Kyle Matheon, self advocate; Bob Davidson, Seattle Aquarium, President & CEO; Martha Kongsgaard, One Ocean One Future Campaign Chair, Seattle Aquarium; Jason Gauthier, Habitat for Humanity of Washington State; Frank Stilwagner, Village Theatre; Debbie MacLeod, Bainbridge Performing Arts; Joanna Sikes, Museum of Northwest Art; Kathryn Gardow, Public Works Board; Ryan Donohue, Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/King County; Loretta Cael, Parkview Services; Sean Eagan, The Northwest Seaport Alliance; Bill Adamson, South Sound Military and Communities Partnership; Karen Hanan, ArtsWA, Washington State Arts Commission. 
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.