HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 5195
As Passed House - Amended:
April 27, 2025
Title: An act relating to the capital budget.
Brief Description: Concerning the capital budget.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Trudeau, Schoesler, Chapman, Dozier and Nobles; by request of Office of Financial Management).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
None.
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 4/27/25, 98-0.
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
(As Amended by House)
  • Makes biennial capital budget appropriations for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium.
  • Makes 2025 supplemental capital budget appropriations for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.
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 Amended Bill:

The 2025-27 Capital Budget authorizes total spending of $7.6 billion, of which $4.5 billion is financed through new general obligation bond proceeds.  The 2025 Supplemental Capital Budget decreases bond appropriations by $13.8 million and makes other appropriation changes for a net increase of $969 million in spending during the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.  Supporting documents prepared by the Office of Program Research may be found at:  https://fiscal.wa.gov/statebudgets/CapitalSummaryComparisonBien.
 
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.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.