AN ACT Relating to promoting economic development by strengthening the role of the department of commerce in monitoring and providing technical assistance related to federal funding opportunities; amending RCW 43.330.050; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that recent federal legislation has significantly increased federal grant opportunities. Several federal laws provide funding for economic development clusters that Washington state has invested in as part of an economic development strategy, including broadband, clean energy, clean buildings, and clean transportation. This legislation includes, but is not limited to, the infrastructure investment and jobs act, P.L. 117-58, the creating helpful incentives to produce semiconductors (chips) and science act, P.L. 117-167, and the inflation reduction act, P.L. 117-169. Therefore, the legislature intends to increase the capacity of the department of commerce to help the state, local governments, tribes, and small businesses compete for federal grant dollars.

The department shall be responsible for promoting community and economic development within the state by assisting the state's communities to increase the quality of life of their citizens and their economic vitality, and by assisting the state's businesses to maintain and increase their economic competitiveness, while maintaining a healthy environment. Community and economic development efforts shall include: Efforts to increase economic opportunity; local planning to manage growth; the promotion and provision of affordable housing and housing-related services; providing public infrastructure; business and trade development; assisting firms and industrial sectors to increase their competitiveness; fostering the development of minority and women-owned businesses; facilitating technology development, transfer, and diffusion; community services and advocacy for low-income persons; and public safety efforts. The department shall have the following general functions and responsibilities:

(4) Solicit private and federal grants for economic and community development programs and administer such programs in conjunction with other programs assigned to the department by the governor or the legislature. To maximize the impact of federal funding for economic development, the department must ((coordinate)):

(a) Coordinate with federal and state public research facilities to leverage other federal funding coming to the state for research, development, innovation of new technologies, and transfer of technology to the private sector to promote business development and jobs in Washington; and

(b) Provide technical assistance, to the extent funding is made available for this specific purpose, to assist tribes, local governments, small businesses, and underserved communities in developing competitive applications for federal funding;

(5) Cooperate with and provide technical and financial assistance to local governments, businesses, and community-based organizations serving the communities of the state for the purpose of aiding and encouraging orderly, productive, and coordinated development of the state, and, unless stipulated otherwise, give additional consideration to local communities and individuals with the greatest relative need and the fewest resources;

(6) Participate with other states or subdivisions thereof in interstate programs and assist cities, counties, municipal corporations, governmental conferences or councils, and regional planning commissions to participate with other states and provinces or their subdivisions;

(8) Conduct research and analysis in furtherance of the state's economic and community development efforts including maintenance of current information on market, demographic, and economic trends as they affect different industrial sectors, geographic regions, and communities with special economic and social problems in the state; and