Brief Description: Making appropriations and authorizing expenditures for capital improvements.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Capital Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Fromhold, McDonald, Ormsby, Blake, Moeller and Wallace; by request of Governor Gregoire).

House Committee on Capital Budget
Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

The programs and agencies of state government are funded on a two-year basis, with each biennium beginning on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. 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, public health facilities, military readiness centers, and higher education facilities. The Capital Budget funds a variety of environmental and natural resource projects, parks and recreational facilities, and grants for public K-12 school construction, and has a number of grant and loan programs that support housing, public infrastructure, community service facilities, and art and historical projects.

The sources of funding for the Capital Budget primarily are state general obligation bonds, trust revenues, and dedicated fees and taxes.

Summary:

The 2007-09 Capital Budget authorizes $4.3 billion in new capital projects, of which $2.2 billion are financed with new state general obligation bonds. Reappropriations of $2.4 billion are authorized for incompleted projects approved in prior biennia. State agencies are also authorized to enter into a variety of alternative financing contracts.

The 2007 Supplemental Capital Budget authorizes $5.6 million from new state general obligation bonds.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   93   4
Senate   47   0   (Senate amended)
House         (House refused to concur)

Conference Committee
Senate   46   0
House   96   1

Effective: May 15, 2007
         July 1, 2007 (Section 6035)
         June 30, 2011 (Section 6037)

Partial Veto Summary: The Governor vetoed eight sections or subsections of the capital appropriations bill.