SENATE BILL REPORT
ESSB 5998
As Passed Senate, February 27, 2026
Title: An act relating to fiscal matters.
Brief Description: Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by 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].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 2/27/26, 30-19.
Brief Summary of Engrossed 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 Engrossed First Substitute Bill:

The 2025-2027 biennial operating budget appropriations for the various agencies and programs of the state are modified.
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: No one.
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.