Background:

The operating expenses of state government and its agencies and programs are funded on a biennial basis by an omnibus operating budget adopted by the Legislature in odd-numbered years.  State operating expenses are paid from the state general fund and from various dedicated funds and accounts.

Summary of Bill:

The bill as referred to committee not considered.

Summary of Bill (Proposed Substitute):

Biennial appropriations for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium for the various agencies and programs of the state are enacted, including appropriations for general government agencies, human services programs, natural resources agencies, and educational institutions.  Budget summary materials can be found in the Non-SCS tab in the committee materials for the public hearing.

Appropriation: The bill contains appropriations from various accounts.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill (January 10, 2023):

Please refer to the January 10, 2023 recording of the public hearing on the Senate Ways & Means Committee Schedules, Agendas & Documents website at https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/ #//WM/////year.

Persons Testifying (January 10, 2023): K-12 Public Schools.  PRO:  Jake Garcia, Northwest Harvest; Lynda Hall, Treehouse; Preston Dwoskin.
 
OTHER:  Melissa  Gombosky, Spokane, Evergreen, Vancouver, Central Valley, RIchland and ESD 105 - school districts; Michelle Price, North Central Educational Service District 171; John  Parker, Central Valley School District; Larry Delaney, Washington Education Association; Marissa Rathbone, Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA); Jon Holmen, Lake Washington School District; Lizzy Sebring, Washington State PTA; Jim Kowalkowski, Rural Education Center; Jenny Plaja, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); Rick Chisa, Public School Employees of Washington (PSE); Sue Ann Bube, Mercer Island School District; Ramona Hattendorf, The Arc of King County; Mitch Denning, WA Assn of Maintenance and Operation Administrators; Liz Trautman, Stand for Children Washington; Charlie Brown, Pierce County Schools Superintendents.
 
Higher Education.  PRO:  Joe Dacca, University of Washington; Paul Francis, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; Heather Moss, Bates Technical College Trustee; Julie White, Pierce College; Nora Selander, Western Washington University; Jacob Vigdor, University of Washington Faculty; Sandy Kaiser, The Evergreen State College; Chris Mulick, Washington State University; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; David Buri, Eastern Washington University; Michael Moran, Self; Sopeara Chay, South Puget Sound Community College.
 
OTHER:  Ben Small, Launch NW; Karen Strickland, AFT Washington.
 
Early Learning.  PRO:  Erica Hallock, Start Early WA; Melissa Johnson, WA State Association of Head Start & ECEAP; Daisy Cruz; Colleen Condon, Washington Childcare Center Association; Emily Murphy, Child Care Aware of Washington; John Dickson, Spokane County United Way.
 
OTHER:  Mustapha Kebbeh, Kindering.
 
Employee Compensation.  PRO:  Seamus Petrie, Washington Public Employees Association; Alan Burke, WSSRA; Brandon Anderson, Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
 
Mental Health.  PRO:  Clifford Thurston, Worldbridgers; Joe Dacca, UW Medicine; Joan Miller, WA Council for Behavioral Health.
 
OTHER:  Brent Freeman, Wahkiakum School District; Sol Villarreal; Jim Hedrick, Daybreak Youth Services.
 
Human Services.  PRO:  Bob Cooper, WA Association of Drug Courts; Erica Hallock, Family Impact Network; Jeff Gombosky, Washington Health Care Association; Scott Sigmon, LeadingAge Washington; Michael Mirra, Co-Chair of Housing & Child Welfare Committee of the Administrative Office of the Court; Alicia Kingston, Northwest Justice Project; Jane Pak, Snohomish County Legal Services; Jason Bragg; Lisa Wolters, Association of WA Housing Authorities & Seattle Housing Authority; Nicole Mazen, Amara; Brad Banks, Home Care Coalition; Samuel Martin, WACHYA; Julie Patiño, A Way Home Washington; Jeff DeLuca, Washington State Community Action Partnership; Cherish Cronmiller; Marwan Cameron, Gather Together Grow Together; Demas Nesterenko, SEIU775; Patricia Hunter, WA State Long Term Care Ombuds Program; Angela Kraemer, angelasfamilyservices.com; Brad Forbes, Alzheimer's Association.
 
CON:  Courtney Williams, Community Employment Alliance; Sean Swope, Lewis County.
 
OTHER:  Diana  Stadden, The Arc of WA State; Jill May, Washington Association for Children & Families; Jeff Clare, Washington Association for Children & Families; Whitney Carlson, Washington Association for Children & Families; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Shrounda Selivanoff, Children's Home Society of Washington; Lynsey Gagnon, Volunteers of America; Marcia Wright-Soika, Family Works; Heather Cantamessa, Children's Home Society of Washington; Lisa Johnson, Parent 4 Parent; Laurie Lippold; Jim Theofelis, Northstar Advocates; Melissa Johnson, Community Residential Services Association; Leanne LaBissoniere, Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington, Kinship Program; Aaron Czyzewski, Food Lifeline; John Stovall, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Aaron Yared, Building Changes; Shawn Latham, Allies in Advocacy; Rob Huff; Gian Mitchell; Rachael Myers, WA Low Income Housing Alliance; Laura Ellsworth, Council for the Homeless; Peter Shapiro; Eric Jensen, Astria Toppenish Hospital; Sheila Babb Anderson, Campion Advocacy Fund; Amanda DeShazo, Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium; Michelle McDaniel, Washington 211; Tim Sullivan, Washington 211; Diana Sullivan, The Foundation for Homeless and Poverty Management.
 
Natural Resources.  PRO:  Alex Conley; Mike Lithgow; Amy Hatch-Winecka; Kaylee Galloway, Regional Fisheries Coalition; Lucas Hall, Long Live the Kings; Isaac Kastama, Clean & Prosperous Washington; Tom Salzer, Washington Association of Conservation Districts.
 
OTHER:  Martha Wyckoff; Deborah Essman; Sean Eagan, The Northwest Seaport Alliance; Samantha Bruegger, WA Wildlife First.
 
All Other.  PRO:  Jim Bamberger, Office of Civil Legal Aid; Brad Forbes, Alzheimer's Association; Erin Shea McCann, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC); Josephine Tamayo Murray, Communities of Concern Commission; Anna Nepomuceno, NAMI WA; Melissa Johnson, District & Municipal Court Judges Association; Ken Roske, City of Pasco Police Department; Mary Ellen Stone, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center; Guillermo Rogel, Front and Centered; Christopher Stanley, Administrative Office of the Courts; Brittany Gregory, Administrative Office of the Courts; Sophia Byrd McSherry, Washington State Office of Public Defense; Mark Johnson, Washington Retail Association; Mike Battis, Washington Ambulance Association; Pat McCarthy, Office of the Washington State Auditor; Scott  Nelson, Office of the Washington State Auditor; Dr. Scott Phillips, Washington Poison Center; Gina Wassemiller, FIRST Legal Clinic; Jennifer Justice, FIRST Legal Clinic; Jo Bechtold, The Mockingbird Society; Clair Olivers, Retired Public Employees Council of WA; Sarah Beth Huot, Huot Law PLLC; Alexandra Deas, Equal Justice Coalition; César Torres, Northwest Justice Project; Greg Link, WDA/WACDL; Jason Schwarz, WDA/WACDL; Anthony Powers, WDA/WACDL; Lara Zarawosky, WDA/WACDL.
 
CON:  Debi Maloney.
 
OTHER:  Jorge Baron, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP); Eli Goss, One America; Alexandra Olins, ACRS; Brian Hatfield, Office of Secretary of State.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (January 10, 2023): No one.