Title: An act relating to fiscal matters.

Brief Description: Making 2006 supplemental operating appropriations.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, Zarelli, Fairley, Fraser, Rockefeller, Shin and Brandland; by request of Governor Gregoire).

Brief History:

Appropriations: 2/21/06, 2/22/06 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 18 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dunshee, Grant, Haigh, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDermott, McIntire, Miloscia, Schual-Berke and P. Sullivan.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Bailey, Buri, Chandler, Clements, Hinkle, Pearson, Priest, Talcott and Walsh.

Staff: Charlie Gavigan (786-7340).

Background:

The state government operates on a fiscal biennium that begins July 1 of each odd-numbered year. The 2005-07 biennial operating budget appropriated $26 billion from the State General Fund for a variety of purposes. The General Fund and related accounts, referred to as Near General Fund, had appropriations of $28.2 billion. The total budgeted amount, which includes state and federal funds, was $49.5 billion.

Summary of Amended Bill:

Appropriations are modified for the 2005-07 biennium. This bill increases General Fund appropriations by $626 million as follows: $478 million for maintaining existing service levels and for expanding or enacting new services/programs; $100 million for a debt service reserve for the 2007-09 biennium; and $48 million for unfunded pension liability payments in 2005-07. Near General Fund accounts, which includes both the General Fund and related accounts, increased by $685 million (including the debt service reserve and additional pension payments). Total budgeted funds are increased by $1 billion.

Amended bill compared to the striking amendment (H-5297.3) proposed by the Appropriations Committee Chair:

The Appropriations Committee striking amendment: (1) provides $125,000 for the Capitol Projects Advisory Committee for Fiscal Year 2007 operations; (2) provides a 1 percent vendor rate increase to boarding home payment rates and a 1 percent vendor rate increase to adult family home payments; (3) requires the Department of Labor and Industries to identify programs funded from workers compensation funds and report to the Legislature, including making recommendations; (4) modifies the allocations for addressing extraordinary school district costs associated with a higher concentration of high-needs students in staffed residential home placements; (5) provides additional flexibility for certain expenditures related to various lunch and school breakfast programs; and (6) makes clarifications and technical changes.

Appropriation: Please refer to the bill.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Ben Golden, Washington Student Lobby; Phil McConnell, Partnership 2020; Mitch Denning, Alliance of Educational Associations; Randy Hodgins, University of Washington; Lincoln Ferris, Washington Association of Small Business Incubators; Seth Dawson, Washington State Coalition of Children's Residential Service; Joanne Moor, Office of Public Defense; Sherry Burkey, Western Washington University; Larry Ganders, Washington State University; Nick Peyton, Washington Student Lobby; Christi Hurt, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs; Janine Comenote, United Indians of All Tribes Association; Randy Scott, Quinault Nation and Collville Tribes; Laura Groshong, Washington State Society of Counselors and Social Workers; Nicholas Reykdol; Aaron Van Wart; Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities; Rick Weaver, Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health; Gordon Bopp, Eleanor Owen and Erik Bjordstrup, National Alliance of the Mentally Ill -Washington and Greater Seattle; Jim Bamberger, Office of Civil Legal Aid; Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Sophia Byrd McSherry, Association of Counties; Chris Thompson, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Mary Alice Grobin, State Board of Community and Technical Colleges; Julie Peterson, Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention; and Gail Stone, Washington State Bar Association.

(In support with concerns) Jerry Reilly, Eldercare Alliance; Hilke Fabre, Resident Councils of Washington; Bill Daley, Washington Citizen Action; Nick Federici, American Lung Association and Cystic Fibrosis Association; Candace Inagi, Service Employees International Union 775; Lonnie Johns-Brown, The Collaborative; Sandra Schroeder, AFT Washington; Edie Harding, Evergreen State College; Sarah Cherin, Children's Alliance; Kary Hyre, Longterm Care Ombudsman of Washington; Ron Gibbs, Rehabilitation Enterprises of Washington; Laurie Lippold, Children's Home Society of Washington; Randy Parr, Washington Education Association; John Burbank, Economic Opportunity Institutie; and Jonathan Eames, Washington Health Care Association.

(Concerns) Deb Murphy, Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging; Jonathan Guzzo, Washington Trails; Cara Lee Cook, Community Residential Services Association; Casandra de la Rosa, Retired Public Employees Council; Gary Worthington, Washington State Parks Foundation; Amber Carter, Association of Washington Businesses; Leslie Main, Washington State School Retirees' Association; Kathleen Lopp, Career and Technical Education; Maureen Fitzgerald, Washington State Association Childrens' Advocacy Center; Jason Christensen, Washington United for Quality Nursing Home Care; Susie Tracy, Public Health Roundtable; Mike Brown, Washington Fire Chiefs; Dennis Eagle, Washington Federation of State Employees; Terry Kohl, Back Country Horsemen of Washington; Sandra Worthington, Washington State Parks Foundation; Ray Schow, Recreational Boating Association of Washington; and Terry Kohl, Washington Apartment Association.

(Opposed) Sue Elliott, Arc of Washington; Barry Antos, Pioneer Human Services; Marty Woodin, Washington State Residential Care Council; Donna Patrick, Developmental Disabilities Council; and Emily Davis, The Arc of Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.