SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5998
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Ways & Means, February 25, 2026
Title: An act relating to fiscal matters.
Brief Description: Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.
Sponsors: Senators Robinson and Nobles; by request of Office of Financial Management.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 1/13/26, 2/23/26, 2/25/26 [DPS, DNP].
Brief Summary of First Substitute Bill
  • Makes supplemental operating budget appropriations for the 2025-2027 biennium.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5998 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Robinson, Chair; Stanford, Vice Chair, Operating; Trudeau, Vice Chair, Capital; Frame, Vice Chair, Finance; Cleveland, Conway, Dhingra, Hansen, Hasegawa, Kauffman, Pedersen, Riccelli, Saldaña, Wellman and Wilson, C..
Minority Report: Do not pass.
Signed by Senators Gildon, Ranking Member, Operating; Torres, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Schoesler, Ranking Member, Capital; Dozier, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Braun, Muzzall, Wagoner and Warnick.
Staff: Samuel Brown (786-7470)
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.  In subsequent legislative sessions, a supplemental budget is adopted, making various modifications to agency appropriations.  State operating expenses are paid from the state general fund and from various dedicated funds and accounts.
Summary of Bill (First Substitute):

The 2025-2027 biennial operating budget appropriations for the various agencies and programs of the state are modified.
EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE (First Substitute):

Various revisions are made to appropriations.
Appropriation: The bill makes 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 13, 2026):

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. Please refer to the January 13, 2026 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:

K-12 Public Schools. PRO:  Dawn Rains, Treehouse; Jeanne Willard; Doug Judge, Center for High School Success; Liz Trautman, Stand for Children Washington; Aaron Yared, Building Changes.

CON:  Tyler Muench, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Erica Hallock, School Nurse Organization of Washington; Larry Delaney, Washington Education Association; Marissa Rathbone, Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA); Logan Noel-Endres, Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA); Roz Thompson, Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP); Tori Emerson, President, Washington State PTA; Brian Freeman, Inchelium School District #70; Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist; Braden Sigua, Pacific Science Center; Jim Kowalkowski, Rural Education Center; Mitch  Denning, Alliance of Educational Associations.

OTHER:  Rick Chisa, Public School Employees of Washington (PSE); Melissa Gombosky, Association of Educational Service Districts - AESD; Radu Smintina; Colleen Frerks, Quincy School District; Courtney McCoy, Royal High School; Megan Dunn, Snohomish County, District 2; Andrew Villeneuve, Northwest Progressive Institute; Jenny Morgan, Washington School Counselor Association; Charlie Brown, South Sound Superintendents.

Higher Education. PRO:  Sandy Kaiser, Evergreen Government Relations.

CON:  Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist; Cameron Gray; Chris Mulick, Washington State University.

OTHER:  Hunter Deloney, Myself; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; Nate Humphrey, WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; Dr. Ivan Harrell, Tacoma Community College; Nora Selander, Western Washington University; Morgan Hickel, University of Washington; Natalie Wellen, UAW 4121; Chelsea Kopp, UAW 4591; Willow Heidt, UAW 4929.

Early Learning. CON:  Erica Hallock, Start Early Washington; Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist; Wendy Bart, Washington Alliance of YMCAs/Olympic Peninsula YMCA.

OTHER:  Alex Galeana, Children's Campaign Fund Action.

Employee Compensation. CON:  Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist.

OTHER:  Seamus Petrie, Washington Public Employees Association; Peter Diedrick, WA State School Retirees' Association.

Mental Health. PRO:  John Heckel, WA State Music Therapy Task Force.

CON:  Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist.

OTHER:  Rashi Gupta, UW Medicine.

Human Services. PRO:  Nicole Kern, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates; Jill May , Washington Association for Children and Families ; Brad Forbes, Alzheimer's Association; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Judy Ellis; Max Kauffman, Office of Civil Legal Aid; Melissa Derry, Central Washington Legal Aid; Tom McGarry, Northwest Justice Project; Ashe Tippins, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Lynn Kimball, Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Joe McDermott, State Relations Director | King County; Sarah Dickmeyer, Plymouth Housing; Jane Pak, Snohomish County Legal Services.

CON:  Sheila Morley, Family Impact Network; Jolynn Kenney, MENTOR Washington; Chloe Gale, Evergreen Treatment Services; Carolanne Sanders, P.D.A.; Bob Lindenhovius, WE THE PEOPLE   retired Veteran; Carma Matti-Jackson, Washington Health Care Association ; Alyssa Odegaard, LeadingAge Washington; Len McComb, Washington State Hospital Association; Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist; Paul Waddington, Ensign Services; Samiksha Mokashi, Avamere Rehabilitation of Issaquah; Mindy Bradley, The Oaks at Lakewood; Joe Rudd, Alderwood Park Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia; Tina Levasheff, Village at the Harbor Assisted Living; Manuel Navarro, Columbia Valley Community Health; Jodi  Joyce, Unity Care NW; Mauro Hernandez, Hearth and Truss.

OTHER:  Kim Justice, Partners for Our Children; Samuel Martin, Washington Coalition for Homeless Youth Advocacy; Kate Garvey, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center; Charles Smith, The Mockingbird Society; PAULA REED, Children's Advocacy Centers of WA; Amy Brackenbury, Washington State Public Health Association; Noah Seidel, Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds; LaDessa Croucher, Resolution Washington; Aaron Czyzewski, Food Lifeline; Ramona Hattendorf, The Arc of King County; John Lemus, AtWork! - Advocacy Manager; Kat Lohman, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children; Alex Motteler, Trillium; David Wilder, Chinook Enterprises; Jason Peterson, Community Employment Alliance; Jaime Bodden, WSALPHO; Lee Che  LEONG, Northwest Health Law Advocates; Alison Price, Rural Resources Victim Services; Anna  Nepomuceno, Northwest Harvest; Shawn Latham, Self Advocates In Leadership; Jeff DeLuca, Washington State Community Action Partnership.

Natural Resources. PRO:  Mike Peroni, Northwest Agriculture Business Center; Krystyna Wolniakowski, Executive Director, Columbia River Gorge Commission; Dave Upthegrove, Office of the Commissioner of Public Lands, Department of Natural Resources; Daniel Whelan, Sustainable Northwest; Travis Dutton, Washington State Association of Counties.

CON:  Tarin Todd, Vice President of Govt. Affairs for RBAW; Darcy Nonemacher, Washington Conservation Action; Christine  Cooley, Executive Director, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; David Mendoza, The Nature Conservancy - Washington; Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist; Leah Missik, Climate Solutions; Tony Usibelli, Sierra Club.

OTHER:  Carrie Nyssen, American Lung Association; Guillermo Rogel, Front and Centered; Nello Picinich, Coastal Conservation Association; Matt Doumit, Washington Forest Protection Association; Councilmember Kari McVeigh, San Juan County.

All Other. PRO:  Christopher Stanley, Administrative Office of the Courts; Sara Robbins,  Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid; Philippe Knab, Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid; Larry Jefferson, Director, Washington State Office of Public Defense ; Ramona Brandes, Washington Defender Association/Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Linnea  Anderson , Washington Association of Juvenile Court Administrators; David Freeman, Whatcom County Supe.

CON:  Tim Eyman, Initiative Activist.

OTHER:  Candice Bock, Association of Washington Cities; Roshelle Cleland, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (WSCADV) ; Beth Leonard, Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid; Curtis Steinhauer, Washington State Association of Counties; Derek VanSpoor, Retired Public Employees Council of WA; Gary Rowe, Public Works Board; Alexandra Johnson, Duwamish River Community Coalition; Steve Hobbs, Office of Secretary of State; Wesley Jessup, Eastern Washington Historical Society (Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture); Melissa Spear, Tilth Alliance; Brahmi Pugh, Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture; Ryan Mello, County Executive, Pierce County.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill (February 23, 2026):

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. Please refer to the February 23, 2026 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:

K-12 Public Schools. PRO:  Meisha Situ, Washington DECA; Liam Carter, Washington DECA; Kathy Schmit; Karen Coulombe, Lake Stevens School District; Harshita Sinha, Lake Stevens School District; Xavier De La Cruz Trujillo, Lake Stevens School District; Liz Trautman, Stand for Children Washington.

 

CON:  Larry Delaney, Washington Education Association; Logan Noel-Endres, Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA); Tori Emerson, President, Washington State PTA; Marissa Rathbone, WA Assoc of School Admin (WASA) & WA Assoc of School Business Officials (WASBO); Misha Cherniske, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Mandi Rehn, Valley School District; Lisa Phelan, Freeman School District; Randy Russell, Freeman SD 358; Jay Tyus, Superintendent, Wilbur and Creston Cooperative School Districts; Nikolas Bergman, Quincy School District; Kevin Knight, Superintendent Colville School District; Derek  Sarley, Director, Walla Walla Public Schools; Ben Gauyan, Superintendent, Walla Walla Public Schools; Charlie Brown, South Sound Superintendents and Federal Way Public Schools; Andie Webb, Superintendent, Kahlotus School District; Jessie Sprouse, Carbonado School District; Mitch Denning, Alliance of Educational Associations; Mary Templeton, School Alliance.

 

OTHER:  Rick Chisa, Public School Employees of Washington (PSE SEIU 1948); Braden Sigua, Pacific Science Center; Katherine Mahoney, Prodigy Learning; Preston Dwoskin; Ryan McCallum, Kamiakin High School, Kennewick, WA.

 

Higher Education. PRO:  Christopher Rosenquist, Associated Students of Western Washington University; Nora Selander, Western Washington University; David Buri, Eastern Washington University; Steve DuPont, Central Washington University; Chris Mulick, Washington State University; Morgan Hickel, University of Washington.

 

CON:  Frank  Trieu, Evergreen Beauty College; Julianna  Hivick, Student; Leilani Sage, Student; Recemae Bennett, Student; Molly Walsh, DigiPen Institute of Technology; Craig  Freeman, Northwest College of Art and Design; Christine Jackson, Student NWCD.

 

OTHER:  Jacqui Cain, American Federation of Teachers (AFT-WA); Nate Humphrey, WA State Board for Community & Technical Colleges; Ivan Harrell, Tacoma Community College.

 

Early Learning. PRO:  Gina Parziale.

 

CON:  Rachel Hall, First 5 FUNdamentals; Zamzam Mohamed, Voices of Tomorrow.

 

OTHER:  Alex Galeana, Children's Campaign Fund Action; Muriel  Herrera-Velasquez; Rob Colombini, Child Care Aware of Washington; Soleil Boyd, Children's Alliance; Sheila Capestany, Start Early; Alexandra Folz, Family Connects Pierce County implemented by Step by Step and Answer's Counseling; Nick Federici, United Ways of the Pacific Northwest.

 

Employee Compensation. PRO:  Seamus Petrie, Washington Public Employees Association.

 

OTHER:  Emmett Mills, Washington State School Retirees' Association.

 

Mental Health. PRO:  Jolynn Kenney, MENTOR Washington; Rashi Gupta, UW Medicine.

 

CON:  Kimmy Reedy, Director of Peer WA - Rcovery Navigator Program; Megan Guido, Whitman Recovery Community Center.

 

OTHER:  Jim Theofelis, NorthStar Advocates; Kimberly Mosolf, Counsel for Plaintiff Class in AB v DSHS (Trueblood); Ashley Jackson, Seattle Children's.

 

Human Services.  PRO:  PAULA REED, Children's Advocacy Centers of Washington; Ramona Hattendorf, The Arc of King County; Michele Thomas, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; Lonnie Johns-Brown, Full Life Care; Shaun Cross, Maddies Place; Leo  Morales, Latino Center for Health at UW; Courtney Normand, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.

 

CON:  Alenna Elliott; Everett Maroon, Blue Mountain Heart to Heart; Malika Lamont, Purpose Dignity Action; Cynthia Flynn, Washington association of birth centers; Elaine Purchase, Pediatric Interim Care Center; Chad Vaculin, Evergreen Treatment Services; Brandie Flood, Evergreen Treatment Services; Jen Chong Jewell.

 

OTHER:  Lance Morehouse, Sherwood Community Services; John Lemus, AtWork!; Jennifer Green; Alyssa Odegaard, LeadingAge Washington; Karen Pillar, TeamChild; Shawn Latham, Self Advocates In Leadership; Mary  Pierce, Evergreen Healthcare; Daniel  Watt, Allied Residential Care; Amy Seils, Cascadia Healthcare; Nikki  Storms, The Hampton Alzheimer Special Care Center; Shannon Nelson, Ensign Services; Loupel  Antiquiera, Ensign Services; Noah Seidel, Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds; Cathy Murahashi, The Arc of Washington; Emily Brice, Northwest Health Law Advocates; Samuel Martin, The Mockingbird Society; Hali Willis, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness; Kim Justice, Partners for Our Children; Jessica Renner, Self; Carma Matti-Jackson, Washington Health Care Association; Mary Mitchell, Seattle King County Aging Services/WA Assoc Area Agencies on Aging; Manuel Navarro, Columbia Valley Community Health; Giannina Ferrara, Center for Children & Youth Justice; Alyssa Patrick, Washington Association for Community Health; Roxana Gomez, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children; Alison Mondi, Arcora Foundation; Jeff DeLuca, Washington State Community Action Partnership; Sean Graham, Washington State Medical Association; Nick Federici, Pioneer Human Services; Victor Estrada.

 

Natural Resources. PRO:  Leonard Johnson, WA Fire Chiefs Association &  McLane Black Lake Fire Department; Dave Upthegrove, Office of the Commissioner of Public Lands, Department of Natural Resources.

 

OTHER:  Matt Doumit, Washington Forest Protection Association; Brady Dier, Washington Public Employees Association; Skippy Shaw, The Nature Conservancy in Washington; Katie Fields, Washington Prescribe Fire Council; Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, Lower Columba Estuary Partnership; Adán Espino Jr, Coalition for Regenerative & Organic Agriculture.

 

All Other. PRO:  Commissioner Carolina Mejia, Thurston County; Christine Cooley, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

 

CON:  Kari VanderHouwen, Pharm-A-Save Granite Falls; Wesley  Jessup, Eastern Washington State Historical Society - Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture; Denise  Perez Lally; Will Quinby.

 

OTHER:  Sara Robbins,  Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid; Sophia Byrd McSherry, Washington State Office of Public Defense; Ramona Brandes, Washington Defender Association/Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Candice Bock, Association of Washington Cities; Sam Hatzenbeler, Economic Opportunity Institute; Corey Guilmette, Civil Survival; Sophia Thomas; Christine Simonsmeier, Washington Association of Juvenile Court Administrators; Candi Shute, Washington Association of Juvenile Court Administrators; Judge Cindy  Larsen, Superior Court Judges' Association; Judge Rachelle  Anderson, Superior Court Judges' Association; Anne Burkland, Human Rights Commission; Nicole Gomez, AFSCME Council 28/Washington Federation of State Employees ; Altinay Karasapan, Climate Solutions; Gregory Joseph, Alliance for Gun Responsibility; Audrey Miller Garcia, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Mayor Terri Cooper, City of Medical Lake; Gary Rowe, Public Works Board.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying:

Human Services. PRO:  Tina Bakowski.

 

CON:  craig sicilia.

 

OTHER:  Laura Randall; LaDessa Croucher, Resolution Washington; Reggie Beltran, Linden Grove Center; De Anna Winterrose, Benton/Franklin Parent Coalition; Jessica Renner, Self.