HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESHB 2134
As Passed Legislature
Title: An act relating to transportation funding and appropriations.
Brief Description: Making supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2023-2025 fiscal biennium.
Sponsors: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Fey, Timmons, Paul, Wylie and Reeves; by request of Office of Financial Management).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Transportation: 1/10/24, 2/19/24, 2/21/24 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/24/24, 93-2.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 2/27/24, 48-1.
House Refused to Concur. 
Conference Committee.
Passed Senate: 3/7/24, 47-0.
Passed House: 3/7/24, 97-0.
Passed Legislature.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill
  • Makes supplemental transportation appropriations totaling $14.6 billion for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 28 members:Representatives Fey, Chair; Donaghy, Vice Chair; Paul, Vice Chair; Timmons, Vice Chair; Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Hutchins, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Low, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Robertson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Berry, Bronoske, Chapman, Cortes, Dent, Doglio, Duerr, Entenman, Goehner, Griffey, Hackney, Klicker, Mena, Nance, Orcutt, Ramel, Ramos, Schmidt, Volz and Walsh.
Staff: Amy Skei (786-7109).
Background:

Washington's state government operates on a fiscal biennium that begins July 1 of each odd-numbered year.  Supplemental budgets are typically enacted in each of the following two years after the adoption of a biennial budget.  Appropriations are made in the biennial and supplemental transportation budgets for the operation and capital expenses of the state transportation agencies and programs.


The 2023-25 State Transportation Appropriations Act (Transportation Budget) appropriated a total of $13.5 billion from a number of transportation accounts.
Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill:

House Bill 2134 increases appropriations for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium by $1.1 billion.  Fund transfers and other changes to the 2023-25 Transportation Budget are also made.
Appropriation: The bill contains multiple appropriations. Please refer to the bill.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: This act, except for Section 602, contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately. Section 602 has a contingent effective date. Please see the bill.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

Please refer to the January 10, 2024, and the February 19, 2024, recordings of the public hearings on the bill.
Persons Testifying:

Hearing date January 10, 2024, for the original bill.

(In support of the original bill) Representative Jake Fey, prime sponsor; Jane Wall, County Road Administration Board; Melanie Bacon, Island County; Jane Fuller, San Juan County Council; Jared Nieuwenhuis, City of Bellevue; Thomas Bridge, Community Water Taxi; David Robison; and Justin Paulsen, San Juan County Ferry Advisory Committee.

 

(Opposed to the original bill) None.

 

(Other testimony on the original bill) Sean Eagan, The Northwest Seaport Alliance; and Chris Herman, Washington Public Ports Association.

 

Hearing date February 19, 2024, for the proposed substitute bill.

(In support of the proposed substitute bill) Representative Jake Fey, prime sponsor; Kirk Hovenkotter, Transportation Choices Coalition; Sean Eagan, The Northwest Seaport Alliance; Rick Hughes, Ray's General Store and Pharmacy; Troy Nichols; and Axel Swanson, Washington State Association of County Engineers.

(Opposed to the proposed substitute bill) Sarah Clark, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
(Other testimony on the proposed substitute bill) Brent McFarlane, Rail Can't Wait; Josh Weiss, San Juan County; Mary Paterson, Tim Gould; and Bill Moyer, Solutionary Rail; Lael White and Tom White, Climate Rail Alliance; and Kati Durkin, Washington Federation of State Employees. 
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying:

Hearing date January 10, 2024, for the original bill.

Carolyn Logue, South Sound Chamber of Commerce Legislative Coalition.
Hearing date February 19, 2024, for the proposed substitute bill.
None.