Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Capital Budget Committee
HB 1216
Brief Description: Concerning the capital budget.
Sponsors: Representatives Tharinger, Leavitt and Callan; by request of Office of Financial Management.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Makes biennial capital budget appropriations for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium.
  • Makes 2025 supplemental capital budget appropriations for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.
Hearing Date: 1/16/25
Staff: John Wilson-Tepeli (786-7115).
Background:

Washington operates on a biennial budget cycle.? The Legislature authorizes expenditures for capital needs in the State Omnibus Capital Appropriations Act (Capital Budget) for a two-year period, and it authorizes bond sales through passage of a bond bill associated with the Capital Budget to fund a portion of these expenditures.? Historically, over 50 percent of the Capital Budget has been financed by state-issued general obligation bonds with the balance funded by dedicated accounts, trust revenue, and federal funding sources.? The primary two-year budget is passed in the odd-numbered years, and a supplemental budget adjusting the two-year budget is often passed during the even-numbered years.? The 2025-27 Capital Budget covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.

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, military readiness centers, and higher education facilities.? The Capital Budget also funds a variety of environmental and natural resource projects, parks and recreational facilities, public kindergarten through grade-12 school construction, and grant and loan programs that support housing, public infrastructure, community service facilities, and art and historical projects.
Summary of Bill:

The 2025-27 Capital Budget authorizes total spending of $9.1 billion, of which $4.9 billion is financed through new general obligation bond proceeds.? The 2025 Supplemental Capital Budget increases bond appropriations by $48.6 million and decreases other appropriations for a net increase of $27.2 million in spending during the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.
?
The original bill is Governor Inslee's Capital Budget proposal for the 2025-27 biennium and the 2025 Supplemental Budget for the 2023-25 biennium.? Supporting documents prepared by the Office of Financial Management may be found at? https://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget/state-budgets.
Appropriation: The bill contains appropriations from various accounts.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.